MIT team designs antibody-like receptor proteins that can bind to cytokines, as possible strategy for treating coronavirus and other infections. Source MIT One of the defining features of Covid-19 is the excessive immune response that can occur in severe cases. This burst of immune overreaction, also called a cytokine storm, damages the lungs and can
Today, as part of the European Roadmap towards lifting coronavirus containment measures, the Commission is presenting guidelines on coronavirus testing methodologies. The guidance aims to support Member States in effectively using testing tools in the context of their national strategies and during the different stages of the pandemic, including when phasing out confinement measures. The Commission also
Those who carry the Sars-CoV-2 virus are contagious two days before the first signs of the disease. Most likely just before the onset of symptoms. It became clear early on during the coronavirus pandemic that asymptomatic infections play an important role in the spread of the pathogen. An analysis by a team led by Xi
The test has been developed by collaborative efforts of Accurate Diagnostic Labs and RUCDR Infinite Biologics at Rutgers University The joint venture between Accurate Diagnostic Labs and RUCDR, utilizing the Spectrum Solutions’ DNA 1000 Saliva Collection Kit, is the first Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) clearance from the FDA to allow for saliva testing. This is
Social distancing measures could be necessary on and off through 2022, according to infectious-disease researchers at Harvard. To prepare for future waves of infections and build “herd immunity,” the researchers said countries should expand their critical care capacities and look for new treatments. Widespread coronavirus testing should also continue at least through 2024, to plan social distancing measures properly. As parts of
The FDA has granted an emergency authorization to a blood purification system to treat patients with the most severe cases of COVID-19. The device is designed to strip out an excess of immune system-triggering proteins from blood and plasma before returning them back to the patient—including those that fuel cytokine storms, the harmful, cascading activation
Could various kinds of cell therapy help patients with COVID-19? Source The Niche Knoepfler Lab Stem Cell Blog A variety of cell therapies, mostly focused on mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs), have gotten cleared quickly in the U.S., China, and Israel and possibly other countries to be tested in patients with the novel coronavirus. I hope at
A new, worldwide coalition of plasma companies seeking to develop and deliver a hyperimmune immunoglobulin therapy for fighting COVID-19 takes the view that many hands make light work. Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and CSL Behring LLC created the group, with Germany’s Biotest AG, the U.K.’s Bio Products Laboratory, France’s LFB SA and Switzerland’s Octapharma AG joining the alliance to immediately begin developing a
Following the World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman, two complementary strategies to prevent further epidemic growth can be rolled out, which enable various governments to take decisions on how to gradually restart social life: Source World Economic Forum Without a vaccine or effective COVID-19 treatment, we could face continued infections and death until at
A new report offers guidance to school districts straining to adjust A new report offers guidance to K-12 teachers, principals and superintendents, as well as schools of education, on how to handle the increasing stress of adapting education systems to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Evidence from the Great Recession suggests the lasting damage that society-disrupting
