Which COVID-19 vaccine will be the most effective?

We have recently provided summaries on BNT162b1, mRNA-1273 and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. This article shall focus on information we have available for ChAdOxnCoV-19, Ad26.COV2.S and Ad5 vector vaccines, CoronaVac inactivated vaccine, and Recombinant protein vaccine NVX-CoV2373.
December 4, 2020
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SARS-CoV-2 serological assay on-a-chip. 

Garcia-Cordero’s lab have designed an indirect immunoassay microfluidic chip that can detect the presence of circulating IgM and IgG against 4 main SARS-CoV-2 proteins (Spike, S1 subunit, receptor binding domain, and nucleocapsid proteins) in an automated high-throughput system. The microdevices uses only 6 μL of serum and can detect up to 50 samples in < 3 hours.
December 3, 2020
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How does SARS-CoV-2 evade the immune defences?

As most of pathogens, SARS-CoV-2 can be recognized by PRRs on innate. Normally, this recognition helps the innate immunity to eliminate the infection or to activate the adaptive immune responses, however, SARS-CoV-2 can use its proteins such as M, N, NSP1 and PLpro to interfere with these pathways.
November 30, 2020
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Investigating Ebola immunity using single cell technologies

In a recent Cell article, Kotliar et al., utilise RNA-sequencing and mass cytometry to immune profile 21 rhesus monkeys before or during lethal Ebola virus challenge in vivo. This study represents the first BSL-4 study to investigate pathogenic immunity using high dimensional single-cell technologies.
November 27, 2020
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Investigating the role of surfactants during TB using the lung-on-a-chip model

We highlight a recently published study by Thacker et al., 2020, which utilised the lung-on-a-chip to understand the role of surfactants during the early stages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) growth. They showed that surfactants play an essential role in restricting bacterial group.
November 26, 2020
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Gut Inflammation Linked to a Debilitating Skin Condition

In their recent Frontiers in Immunology article, Yegorov et al., report that psoriasis patients have elevated levels of IL-1α, a cytokine central to the control of inflammation. In addition, the researchers found that psoriais is associated with alterations of the gut microbiome, which persisted over time.
November 24, 2020
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Safety and immunogenicity of Sputnik V vaccine

Overall the vaccine was safe, with the most common systemic and local reactions pain at the injection site, hyperthermia, headache, asthenia, and muscle and joint pain. Immunogenicity results from the phase 1 study showed that a single dose of either rAd5-S and rAd26-S induced robust Ab and cellular immunity.
November 23, 2020
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SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-1273 vaccine shows signs of potential efficacy

Interim analysis on 95 cases [90 (placebo group) and 5 (mRNA-1273 group)] of which 11 were severe cases all from the placebo group. Preliminary report of their Phase 1 Clinical trial demonstrated that vaccination with mRNA-1273 did not result in severe side-effects. Vaccination induced rapid seroconversion...
November 19, 2020
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Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

BNT162b1 is an mRNA based vaccine, co-developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was the first COVID-19 vaccine to release preliminary analysis that suggests >90% efficacy against COVID-19 infection in SARS-CoV-2-naïve adults. This vaccine induces a robust antibody and cellular immunity in both younger and elderly adults. As of 8th of November 38955 out of 43538 enrolled participants...
November 17, 2020
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The role of Galectin-3 in the tumor microenvironment

Review describes the underlying potential immunosuppressive effect of gal-3 through his modulation of lymphocytes and macrophages activity, specifically in the prostate and lung cancer. Depending on its location, extracellular or intracellular, gal-3 can show pro-or anti apoptotic effect on lymphocytes.
November 16, 2020
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