Archives: 2020-10-13

Therapeutic Management of Patients with COVID-19. Updated Treatment Guidelines released by NIH.

A number of investigational agents and drugs that are approved for other indications are currently being studied in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19 and associated complications. Data from randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective observational cohorts, and case series studies are rapidly emerging. The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel (the Panel) continues to review

Read More


For NIH updated treatment guidelines, insufficient data from well-controlled, adequately powered, randomized clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19.

Last Updated: October 9, 2020 Plasma from donors who have recovered from COVID-19 may contain antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that may help suppress the virus and modify the inflammatory response.1 Recommendation There are insufficient data for the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel (the Panel) to recommend either for or against the

Read More


Antiviral monotherapy for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 is not enough. Lopinavir-Ritonavir no benefit in patients admitted.

No reductions seen in 28-day mortality or duration of hospital stay in COVID-19 with lopinavir-ritonavir. Lopinavir-ritonavir is not associated with reductions in 28-day mortality or duration of hospital stay among patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in The Lancet. Peter W. Horby, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues on

Read More


COVID-19 and Excess All-Cause Mortality in the US and 18 Comparison Countries. Research letter on JAMA.

Was compared the US to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries with populations exceeding 5million and greater than $25 000 per capita gross domestic product. For each country, was calculated the COVID-19 per capita mortality rate and grouped countries by mortality: (1) low (COVID-19 deaths, <5/100 000), (2) moderate (5-25/ 100 000), and (3)

Read More


Clinical Development of Gene Therapies: The First Three Decades and Counting.

In the past three decades the field of gene therapy has made remarkable progress surging from mere laboratory experiments to FDA-approved products which bring significant reduction in disease burden to patients who previously had no therapeutic options for their serious conditions. In this paper it’s reviewed the evolution of the gene therapy clinical research landscape

Read More


Thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin is associated with a lower death rate in patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection. A cohort study published on EClinicalMedicine

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with hypercoagulability caused by direct invasion of endothelial cells and\or proinflammatory cytokine release. Thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin is recommended by current guidelines, but evidence is still weak. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin on hospital mortality in patients

Read More


RESTORE community has released new position paper on advanced therapies.

The RESTORE position paper represents the cumulative efforts of the RESTORE community, and the steering committee since the start of the RESTORE initiative in 2019. It outlines, in depth, the RESTORE view on why Europe should invest in Advanced Therapies, the roadblocks in Advanced Therapy development and implementation into patient care, and makes recommendations about

Read More


The role for the metagenome and the influence of microbiota on immune processes in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection.

A new paper published on EBioMedicine analyzes metagenome contribution to Covid-19 response variability. A key question concerning COVID-19 is why most infected persons do not develop severe disease, while others become critically ill. This dichotomy is related to age, gender, immunosuppression and comorbidities, but many persons who are young succumb to the virus. A significant

Read More


Neutrophil proteolytic enzymes storm triggers vascular disease and thrombosis in SARS-CoV-2 infected Rhesus Macaques

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to extensive morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Clinical features that drive SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in humans include inflammation and thrombosis, but the mechanistic details underlying these processes remain to be determined. In this study, was demonstrated endothelial disruption and vascular thrombosis in histopathologic sections of lungs from both humans and

Read More


SARS-CoV-2 disrupts splicing, translation, and protein trafficking to suppress host interferons

SARS-CoV-2 is a recently identified coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease known as COVID-19. Despite the urgent need, it’s not fully understood the molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. In this paper, are comprehensively defined the interactions between SARS-CoV-2 proteins and human RNAs. NSP16 binds to the mRNA recognition domains of the U1 and U2 splicing

Read More