Research

Repurposing a familiar drug for COVID-19

For the past year and a half, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to engulf the globe, fueled in part by novel variants and the uneven distribution of vaccines. Every day, hundreds of thousands of new COVID-19 cases and thousands of new deaths are still being reported worldwide, creating a need for drugs that can combat the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.

New target for COVID-19 vaccines identified

Next generation vaccines for COVID-19 should aim to induce an immune response against 'replication proteins', essential for the very earliest stages of the viral cycle, concludes new research carried out by UCL scientists.

By designing vaccines that activate immune memory cells, known as T cells, to attack infected cells expressing this part of the virus’s internal machinery, it may be possible to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 at the very outset, thereby helping stop its spread.

Study offers insights on why the elderly are more susceptible to COVID-19

Among the populations most significantly affected by COVID-19 are the elderly and patients with preexisting medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and chronic lung diseases like COPD and asthma.

Finding a new purpose for old drugs: Researchers have found promising drugs for COVID-19

Treatment options for COVID-19 remain limited. Researchers at the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland first searched for suitable drug targets and repurposable drugs for these, leading to finding six candidate drugs that demonstrate antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2.

Understanding viral pathogenesis at the molecular level is critical in developing effective therapies for COVID-19.

Novel drug liberates tumour vessels to aid cancer drug delivery

A therapeutic antibody developed by scientists at UCL has been shown to unblock and normalise blood vessels inside cancerous tumours, enabling the more effective delivery of targeted cancer treatments.

The findings in mice, published in the journal MED, are the first to demonstrate that inhibiting the activity of LRG1, a protein produced in many tumorous tissues, liberates disorganised angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) - a leading cause of morbidity in numerous diseases including cancer.

Researchers reveal a strategy for next-generation COVID-19 vaccines

A study led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has revealed a guide to developing COVID-19 vaccines that both prevent the coronavirus from infecting human cells and that are more resistant to evolving viral strains.

The team’s key criteria for antibodies generated by future vaccines are to target regions of the SARS-CoV-2 viral surface that are unlikely to mutate and share key features that the researchers found could block the virus from infecting human cells.

Needle-free COVID-19 vaccine shows promise

A needle-free COVID-19 vaccination could be possible, with University of Queensland scientists successfully protecting mice from the virus by administering a US-developed vaccine candidate with a ‘patch’.

The University of Texas Hexapro vaccine candidate - delivered via the UQ-developed and Vaxxas-commercialised high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) - provided protection against COVID-19 disease with a single, pain-free 'click' from a pocket-sized applicator.

Research & Development

Repurposing a familiar drug for COVID-19

New target for COVID-19 vaccines identified

Study offers insights on why the elderly are more susceptible to COVID-19

Finding a new purpose for old drugs: Researchers have found promising drugs for COVID-19

Novel drug liberates tumour vessels to aid cancer drug delivery

Researchers reveal a strategy for next-generation COVID-19 vaccines

Needle-free COVID-19 vaccine shows promise

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