Research

Exposure to harmless coronaviruses boosts SARS-CoV-2 immunity

The population's immunity to SARS-CoV-2, achieved either through infection or vaccination, is crucial to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. A team of researchers led by the University of Zurich (UZH) has now discovered another component that contributes to SARS-CoV-2 immunity - previous antibody responses to other, harmless coronaviruses.

Coffee and tea drinking may be associated with reduced rates of stroke and dementia

Drinking coffee or tea may be associated with a lower risk of stroke and dementia, according to a study of healthy individuals aged 50-74 publishing November 16th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. Drinking coffee was also associated with a lower risk of post-stroke dementia.

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.

Research & Development

Exposure to harmless coronaviruses boosts SARS-CoV-2 immunity

Coffee and tea drinking may be associated with reduced rates of stroke and dementia

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

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