It usually takes more than a decade to develop a safe, effective anti-viral therapy. But, when it comes to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we don’t have that kind of time. One way to speed the process may be to put some old drugs to work against this new disease threat. This is generally referred to
Initial clinical trial to determine if monoclonal antibodies can shorten severity of COVID-19 in outpatients. Source NIH A Phase 2 clinical trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of potential new therapeutics for COVID-19, including an investigational therapeutic based on synthetic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to treat the disease. Researchers sponsored by the National Institute of
Singapore study shows that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are present in all recovered COVID-19 patients. These T cells were also found in all subjects who recovered from SARS 17 years ago, and in over 50% of both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 uninfected individuals tested, suggesting that a level of pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 immunity is present in the general
Two new studies from Germany present a picture of the toll that Covid-19 takes on the heart, raising the specter of long-term damage after people recover, even if their illness was not severe enough to require hospitalization. Seventy-eight percent of people diagnosed with COVID-19 showed evidence of heart damage caused by the disease weeks after they have
High-quality research is essential in underpinning the clinical use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma and this article describes the UK randomised controlled trials underway. RATIONALE FOR USING CONVALESCENT PLASMA The global pandemic of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has not just medical, but also historical significance. In many parts of the world, the exponential epidemic curve of
Normally, regulatory T cells (also known as T regulatory cells or Tregs) migrate into inflamed tissues, dampening inflammatory responses and hastening tissue repair. Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have protracted hospitalizations characterized by excessive systemic inflammation(cytokine storm) and delayed lung repair, which is partly dueto reduced or defective
Interferons (IFNs) are widely used in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. However, a recent report of ACE2, the host factor mediating SARS-Cov-2 infection, identifying it as interferon-stimulated raised considerable safety concern. To examine the association between the use and timing of IFN-α2b and clinical outcomes, we analyzed in a retrospective multicenter cohort study of
With an alarm code, we can enter a building without bells going off. It turns out that the SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has the same advantage entering cells. It possesses the code to waltz right in. On July 24 in Nature Communications, researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health
First lesson : China’s experience shows the importance of investing in national health and research systems to enhance laboratory capacity as well as workforce. They are fundamental to a quick and effective national response to health emergencies and to global health security. A second lesson is that a robust foundation of research cannot guarantee effective
Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin have been used to treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). However, evidence on the safety and efficacy ofthese therapies is limited. A multicenter, randomized, open-label, three-group, controlled trial was conducted involving hospitalized patients with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 who were receiving either no supplemental oxygen or a maximum of 4 liters
