R&D

New therapy for flu may help in fight against COVID-19

A new therapy for influenza virus infections that may also prove effective against many other pathogenic virus infections, including HIV and COVID-19, has been developed by Purdue University scientists.

In an average year, more than 2 million people in the United States are hospitalized with the flu, and 30,000 to 80,000 of them die from the flu or related complications.

The drug aprotinin inhibits entry of SARS-CoV2 in host cells

The surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is studded with spike proteins. The virus needs these in order to dock onto proteins (ACE2 receptors) on the surface of the host cell. Before this docking is possible, parts of the spike protein have to be cleaved by the host cell's enzymes - proteases.

Phase 2 trial of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine in healthy older adults finds it is safe and provokes immune response

The UK's vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 shows similar safety and immunogenicity results in healthy older adults (aged 56 years and over) to those seen in adults aged 18-55 years. The promising early stage results are published in The Lancet.

The phase 2 trial finds that the vaccine causes few side effects, and induces immune responses in both parts of the immune system in all age groups and at low and standard dose -

Chinese vaccine candidate based on inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus appears safe and induces an immune response in healthy volunteers

Results from an early-phase randomised clinical trial of a Chinese vaccine candidate based on the inactivated whole SARS-CoV-2 virus (CoronaVac) are published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, finding the formulation appears safe and induces an antibody response in healthy volunteers aged 18 to 59 years.

Cytokine storms play a limited role in moderate-to-severe COVID-19

Rather than life-threatening hyperinflammation, most adults with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 have a suppressed viral immune response when compared to adults with another viral respiratory infection, influenza. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis led research that suggests most COVID-19 patients are not candidates for treatment with steroids such as dexamethasone.

Fluvoxamine may prevent serious illness in COVID-19 patients

In a preliminary study of COVID-19 patients with mild-to-moderate disease who were attempting to recover in their homes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that the drug fluvoxamine seems to prevent some of the most serious complications of the illness and make hospitalization and the need for supplemental oxygen less likely.

RNA structures of coronavirus reveal potential drug targets

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus RNA genome structure was studied in detail by researchers from the University of Groningen, the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, and Leiden University. The RNA structures are potential targets for the development of drugs against the virus. The results were published on 10 November as 'Breakthrough paper' in the journal Nucleic Acid Research.

Research & Development

New therapy for flu may help in fight against COVID-19

The drug aprotinin inhibits entry of SARS-CoV2 in host cells

Phase 2 trial of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine in healthy older adults finds it is safe and provokes immune response

Chinese vaccine candidate based on inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus appears safe and induces an immune response in healthy volunteers

Cytokine storms play a limited role in moderate-to-severe COVID-19

Fluvoxamine may prevent serious illness in COVID-19 patients

RNA structures of coronavirus reveal potential drug targets

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