Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

• From Preprints
• From Clinical Trials
• From PubMed
• From Patent Search

From Preprints

• De novo design of site-specific protein interactions with learned surface fingerprints -
  Physical interactions between proteins are essential for most biological processes governing life. However, the molecular determinants of such interactions have been challenging to understand, even as genomic, proteomic, and structural data grows. This knowledge gap has been a major obstacle for the comprehensive understanding of cellular protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and for the de novo design of protein binders that are crucial for synthetic biology and translational applications. We exploit a geometric deep learning framework operating on protein surfaces that generates fingerprints to describe geometric and chemical features critical to drive PPIs. We hypothesized these fingerprints capture the key aspects of molecular recognition that represent a new paradigm in the computational design of novel protein interactions. As a proof-of-principle, we computationally designed several de novo protein binders to engage four protein targets: SARS-CoV-2 spike, PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. Several designs were experimentally optimized while others were purely generated in silico, reaching nanomolar affinity with structural and mutational characterization showing highly accurate predictions. Overall, our surface-centric approach captures the physical and chemical determinants of molecular recognition, enabling a novel approach for the de novo design of protein interactions and, more broadly, of artificial proteins with function.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: De novo design of site-specific protein interactions with learned surface fingerprints
• Whom Among the Wordle Gang Reigns Supreme -
  Wordle is a daily word game that involves guessing an unknown five-letter word. This game was popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, very few studies have investigated individual-level characteristics that influence a person’s Wordle abilities. By recruiting six members from a local Wordle Gang, I examined any potential differences in Wordle scores based on key demographic information, such as gender and whether participants were seeking higher education. Results showed that one particular participant did statistically better than all others. Additionally, those who were not seeking higher education performed better than those who were, and no gender differences were found. Implications for these striking results are discussed.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Whom Among the Wordle Gang Reigns Supreme
• ACE2 Receptor Decoy is a Potent Prophylactic and Therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2 -
  The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with highly mutated spike proteins has presented a major obstacle to the use of monoclonal antibodies for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection and treatment of COVID-19. Better prophylactic and therapeutics for current and future variants are needed. We show that a high affinity receptor decoy protein in which a modified ectodomain of human ACE2 is fused a single domain of an immunoglobulin heavy chain Fc region dramatically suppressed virus loads in mice upon challenge with high dose of parental SARS-CoV-2 or Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2 and potently suppressed virus replication when administered post-infection. The approach offers protection that is broader than monoclonal antibodies that are likely to be evaded by the continued evolution of the viral spike protein.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: ACE2 Receptor Decoy is a Potent Prophylactic and Therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2
• Lung lipid deposition in pneumonias of viral and non-viral aetiology -
  Pneumonia is an acute respiratory disease of varying aetiology, which drew much attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among many thoroughly studied aspects of pneumonia, lipid metabolism has been addressed insufficiently. Here, we report on abnormal lipid metabolism of both COVID-19- and non-COVID-19-associated pneumonias in human lungs. Morphometric analysis revealed extracellular and intracellular lipid depositions, most notably within vessels adjacent to inflamed regions, where they apparently interfere with the blood flow. Lipids were visualized on Sudan III- and Oil Red O-stained cryosections and on OsO4-contrasted semi-thin and ultrathin sections. Chromato-mass spectrometry revealed that unsaturated fatty acid content was elevated at inflammation sites compared with the intact sites of the same lung. The genes involved in lipid metabolism were downregulated in pneumonia, as shown by qPCR and in silico RNAseq analysis. Thus, pneumonias are associated with marked lipid abnormalities, and therefore lipid metabolism can be considered a target for new therapeutic strategies.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Lung lipid deposition in pneumonias of viral and non-viral aetiology
• An engineered ACE2 decoy broadly neutralizes Omicron subvariants and shows therapeutic effect in SARS-CoV-2-infected cynomolgus macaques -
  The Omicron variant continuously evolves under the humoral immune pressure obtained by vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection and the resultant Omicron subvariants exhibit further immune evasion and antibody escape. Engineered ACE2 decoy composed of high-affinity ACE2 and IgG1 Fc domain is an alternative modality to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and we previously reported its broad spectrum and therapeutic potential in rodent models. Here, we show that engineered ACE2 decoy retains the neutralization activity against Omicron subvariants including the currently emerging XBB and BQ.1 which completely evade antibodies in clinical use. The culture of SARS-CoV-2 under suboptimal concentration of neutralizing drugs generated SARS-CoV-2 mutants escaping wild-type ACE2 decoy and monoclonal antibodies, whereas no escape mutant emerged against engineered ACE2 decoy. As the efficient drug delivery to respiratory tract infection of SARS-CoV-2, inhalation of aerosolized decoy treated mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 at a 20-fold lower dose than the intravenous administration. Finally, engineered ACE2 decoy exhibited the therapeutic efficacy for COVID-19 in cynomolgus macaques. Collectively, these results indicate that engineered ACE2 decoy is the promising therapeutic strategy to overcome immune-evading SARS-CoV-2 variants and that liquid aerosol inhalation can be considered as a non-invasive approach to enhance efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: An engineered ACE2 decoy broadly neutralizes Omicron subvariants and shows therapeutic effect in SARS-CoV-2-infected cynomolgus macaques
• Reducing societal impacts of SARS-CoV-2 interventions through subnational implementation -

  To curb the initial spread of SARS-CoV-2, many countries relied on nation-wide implementation of non-pharmaceutical intervention measures, resulting in substantial socio-economic impacts. Potentially, subnational implementations might have had less of a societal impact, but comparable epidemiological impact. Here, using the first COVID-19 wave in the Netherlands as a case in point, we address this issue by developing a high-resolution analysis framework that uses a demographically-stratified population and a spatially-explicit, dynamic, individual contact-pattern based epidemiology, calibrated to hospital admissions data and mobility trends extracted from mobile phone signals and Google. We demonstrate how a subnational approach could achieve similar level of epidemiological control in terms of hospital admissions, while some parts of the country could stay open for a longer period. Our framework is exportable to other countries and settings, and may be used to develop policies on subnational approach as a better strategic choice for controlling future epidemics.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Reducing societal impacts of SARS-CoV-2 interventions through subnational implementation
• Revising Home Advantage in Sport – Home Advantage Mediation (HAM) Model -
  Home Advantage (HA) is a robust phenomenon in which sport teams or individuals are more successful when they play in front of their fans. There are a number of causes of HA, but most theories assume that the crowd support spurs home players to better performance and biases referees, and that these two factors in turn influence the result. The interest in HA has grown during the Covid-19 pandemic as most competitions were taking place behind closed doors, a perfect control condition for disentangling the causal effects behind HA. Despite the presence of useful conceptual frameworks, most previous research has focused on investigating isolated individual factors. Here we review our newly developed Home Advantage Mediated (HAM) model, which considers all individual factors and their interrelations simultaneously. HAM assumes that the crowd effects are mediated through other relevant factors, such as referee bias and team performance. Most importantly, HAM can be formally expressed as a mediation model, a technique widely employed in social sciences for investigating causal pathways. We demonstrate how researchers can use HAM to model the HA in European football and how moderating variables, such as Covid-19 and absence of fans, can be incorporated in the model to disentangle the processes behind the HA phenomenon. Besides throwing new (modeling) light on one of the most robust phenomena in sport, we also provide information about practical implementation of mediation and moderated mediation models in the Bayesian framework. Similar implementations can be adapted for use in other sport science domains.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Revising Home Advantage in Sport – Home Advantage Mediation (HAM) Model
• A Citizens’ Hearing: Examining Canada’s Covid Response -
  An increasing number of Canadians are concerned about how the COVID-19 crisis was handled by our governments and institutions. We are alarmed by the serious consequences of their decisions and, at times, their apparent indifference to the costs. Those consequences include tragic impacts on the personal lives of many, violations of constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms in the name of health security, and economic impacts of lockdown measures, which subjected millions of Canadians to business closures, loss of income, and unemployment. Canadians are asking many questions: Were the measures taken by governments in Canada appropriate to the perceived threat? Were they based on sufficient clinical and statistical evidence? Were they suitably focused? How effective were they? Were there any conflicts of interest at play? Was there enough emphasis on prevention and early treatment? On informed consent? Was sufficient debate permitted? In attempting to prevent COVID-19, what other maladies were we ignoring or fostering? Did the public health interventions, such as mandatory vaccinations, cause more harm than good? These concerns have given rise to a growing demand for an Independent National Inquiry into the management of the COVID-19 crisis in Canada. To encourage and inform such an inquiry, from June 22nd – 24th 2022, the Canadian Covid Care Alliance, in partnership with the Canadian Adverse Event Reporting System (CAERS), Fearless Canada, United Healthcare Workers of Ontario and the Frontier Centre For Public Policy among others, sponsored a cross-country live streamed event moderated by a diverse panel of experts to: Hear testimony illustrating the harms that have resulted from government policies implemented to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak; Receive scientific, medical, and legal testimony as to alternative approaches that were ignored - or even condemned - which might have been pursued; Generate recommendations to ensure that Canadians never again experience the degree of loss, trauma and disruption caused by the official response to COVID-19. A Citizens’ Hearing consists of testimonies challenging the official responses of Canada’s federal and regional governments and recommendations for better handling the next public health crisis, should one of such a scale occur again. Canada’s response to COVID-19 has been far from perfect. We can and should learn from our mistakes. The landscape of this enormous challenge has been and is constantly changing. A Citizens’ Hearing aims to contribute to a national conversation of truth and understanding that might lead us to a new resilience and emergency preparedness. To face the next health crisis, we must change the narrative from one of fear and reaction to one of confidence in a properly managed, proactive and nuanced emergency management process that reacts to real world data, and keeps dialogue and consultation with a cross-section of stakeholders open and transparent.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: A Citizens’ Hearing: Examining Canada’s Covid Response
• Safety and Effectiveness of SA58 Nasal Spray against COVID-19 Infection in Medical Personnel：An Open-label, Blank-controlled Study -

  Approved COVID-19 vaccines to date have limited effectiveness in protecting infection and blocking transmission. A nasal spray of broad-spectrum antibody against COVID-19 (SA58 Nasal Spray) has recently been developed by Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd.. From October 31 to November 30, 2022, an open-label, blank controlled study on the SA58 Nasal Spray against COVID-19 infection was conducted with the medical personnel working in the designated COVID-19 hospitals and Fangcang shelter hospitals (alternate care sites) of COVID-19 cases in Hohhot city, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. A total of 6662 medical personnel were involved in this study: 3368 used SA58 Nasal Spray from the drug group, and 3294 not used from blank control group. The medication was self-administered intranasally 1~2 times per day with an interval of 6 hours for 30 days.. The safety results indicated that the SA58 Nasal Spray was well tolerant. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was 28.6% (497/1736), and the majority of the AEs were mild and from administrative site. 135 COVID-19 cases were identified for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR during the 30-day observation. The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in the drug group and the control group were 0.026% and 0.116%, respectively. The effectiveness of the SA58 Nasal Spray for preventing COVID-19 infection among medical personnel was evaluated as 77.7% (95% CI: 52.2% - 89.6%). In conclusion, the SA58 Nasal Spray is well-tolerant and highly effective against COVID-19 infection.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Safety and Effectiveness of SA58 Nasal Spray against COVID-19 Infection in Medical Personnel：An Open-label, Blank-controlled Study
• SARS-CoV-2 Protein Nsp2 Stimulates Translation Under Normal and Hypoxic Conditions -
  When viruses like SARS-CoV-2 infect cells, they reprogram the repertoire of cellular and viral transcripts that are being translated to optimize their strategy of replication, often targeting host translation initiation factors, particularly eIF4F complex consisting of eIF4E, eIF4G and eIF4A. A proteomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2/human proteins interaction revealed viral Nsp2 and initiation factor eIF4E2, but a role of Nsp2 in regulating translation is unknown. HEK293T cells stably expressing Nsp2 were tested for protein synthesis rates of synthetic and endogenous mRNAs known to be translated via cap- or IRES-dependent mechanism under normal and hypoxic conditions. Both cap- and IRES-dependent translation were increased in Nsp2-expressing cells under normal and hypoxic conditions, especially mRNAs that require high levels of eIF4F. This could be exploited by the virus to maintain high translation rates of both viral and cellular proteins, particularly in hypoxic conditions as may arise in SARS-CoV-2 patients with poor lung functioning.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: SARS-CoV-2 Protein Nsp2 Stimulates Translation Under Normal and Hypoxic Conditions
• Estimates of COVID-19 deaths in Mainland China after abandoning zero COVID policy -

  Background: China witnessed a surge of Omicron infections after abandoning zero COVID strategies on December 7, 2022. The authorities report very sparse deaths based on very restricted criteria, but massive deaths are speculated. Methods: We aimed to estimate the COVID-19 fatalities in Mainland China until summer 2023 using the experiences of Hong Kong and of South Korea in 2022 as prototypes. Both these locations experienced massive Omicron waves after having had very few SARS-CoV-2 infections during 2020-2021. We estimated age-stratified infection fatality rates (IFRs) in Hong Kong and South Korea during 2022 and extrapolated to the population age structure of Mainland China. We also accounted separately for deaths of residents in long-term care facilities, which were prominent in Hong Kong. Results: IFR estimates in non-elderly strata were modestly higher in Hong Kong than South Korea and projected 987,455 and 811,571 maximal COVID-19 deaths, respectively, if the entire China population was infected. Expected COVID-19 deaths in Mainland China until summer 2023 ranged from 64,573 to 691,219 assuming 25-70% of the non-elderly population being infected and variable protection of elderly (from none to three-quarter reduction in fatalities). The main analysis (45% of non-elderly population infected and fatality impact among elderly reduced by half) estimated 199,223-249,094 COVID-19 deaths until summer 2023. Large uncertainties exist regarding potential changes in dominant variant, health system strain, and impact on non-COVID-19 deaths. Conclusions: The most critical factor that can affect total COVID-19 fatalities in China is the extent to which the elderly can be protected.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Estimates of COVID-19 deaths in Mainland China after abandoning zero COVID policy
• On temporal changes in the role of different age groups in propagating the Omicron epidemic waves in England -

  Background: There is limited information on the role of individuals in different age groups in the spread of infection during the Omicron epidemics, especially ones beyond the winter epidemic wave in 2021-2022. In England, booster vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is currently restricted to persons aged over 50y and individuals in clinical risk groups. Methods: We used a previously developed methodology to evaluate the role of individuals in different age groups in propagating the Spring, Summer, and Autumn waves of the Omicron epidemic in England. This methodology utilizes the relative risk (RR) statistic that measures the change in the proportion of cases in each age group among all COVID-19 cases in the population before the peak of an epidemic wave vs. after the peak of an epidemic wave. Higher values for the RR statistic represent age groups that experienced a disproportionate depletion of susceptible individuals during the ascent of the epidemic (due to increased contact rates and/or susceptibility to infection). Results: For the 2022 Spring wave, the highest RR estimate belonged to children aged 5 to 9y (RR=2.05 (95%CI (2.02,2.08)), followed by children aged 10 to 14y (RR=1.68 (1.66,1.7)) and children aged 0 to 4y (RR=1.38 (1.36,1.41)). For the Summer wave, the highest RR estimates belonged to persons aged 20 to 34y: (RR=1.09 (1.07,1.12) in aged 20 to 24y, RR=1.09 (1.07,1.11) in aged 25 to 29y, RR=1.09(1.07,1.11) in aged 30 to 34y). For the Autumn wave, the highest RR estimate in adults belonged to those aged 70 to 74y (RR=1.10 (1.07,1.14)), followed by adults aged 35 to 39y (RR=1.09 (1.06,1.12)), adults aged 40 to 44y (RR=1.09 (1.06,1.12)), and adults aged 65 to 69y (RR=1.08 (1.05,1.11)) (with children excluded from the analyses due to limited/irregular detection of COVID-19 cases in children during the Autumn wave). Conclusions: As time progressed, ages of individuals who played the leading roles in propagating the Omicron epidemic waves in England shifted upward, with the leading roles in propagating COVID-19 epidemics in England currently belonging to adults of different ages. Extending booster vaccination to adults aged under 50y, and possibly to children should help limit the spread of Omicron infections in the community.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: On temporal changes in the role of different age groups in propagating the Omicron epidemic waves in England
• Effectiveness of Sotrovimab in Preventing COVID-19-related Hospitalizations or Deaths Among U.S. Veterans -

  Background: Data on effectiveness of sotrovimab preventing COVID-19-related hospitalization or mortality, particularly after the emergence of the Omicron variant, are limited. Method: Determine the real-world clinical effectiveness of sotrovimab for prevention of 30-day COVID-19 related hospitalization or mortality using a retrospective cohort within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system. Veterans aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with COVID-19 between December 1, 2021, and April 4, 2022, were included. Sotrovimab recipients (n=2,816) were exactly matched to untreated controls (n=11,250) on date of diagnosis, vaccination status, and region. The primary outcome was COVID-19-related hospitalization or all-cause mortality within 30 days from diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards modeling estimated the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) for the association between receipt of sotrovimab and outcomes. Results: During BA.1 dominance, compared to matched controls, sotrovimab-treated patients had a 70% lower risk hospitalization within 30 days or mortality (HR 0.30; 95%CI, 0.23-0.40), a 66% lower risk of 30-day hospitalization (HR 0.34; 95%CI, 0.25-0.46), and a 77% lower risk of 30-day all-cause mortality (HR 0.23; 95%CI, 0.14-0.38). During BA.2 dominance sotrovimab-treated patients had a 71% (HR .29; 95%CI, 0.08-0.98) lower risk of 30-day COVID-19-related- hospitalization, emergency, or urgent care. Limitations include confounding by indication. Conclusions: Using national real-world data from high risk and predominantly vaccinated Veterans, administration of sotrovimab, compared with no treatment, was associated with reduced risk of 30-day COVID-19-related hospitalization or all-cause mortality during the Omicron BA.1 period and reduced risk of progression to severe COVID-19 during the BA.2 dominant period.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Effectiveness of Sotrovimab in Preventing COVID-19-related Hospitalizations or Deaths Among U.S. Veterans
• Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in Ohio’s wildlife, companion, and agricultural animals -
  Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in humans in late 2019 and spread rapidly to become a global pandemic. A zoonotic spillover event from animal to human was identified as the presumed origin. Subsequently, reports began emerging regarding spillback events resulting in SARS-CoV-2 infections in multiple animal species. These events highlighted critical links between animal and human health while also raising concerns about the development of new reservoir hosts and potential viral mutations that could alter virulence and transmission or evade immune responses. Characterizing susceptibility, prevalence, and transmission between animal species became a priority to help protect animal and human health. In this study, we coalesced a large team of investigators and community partners to surveil for SARS-CoV-2 in domestic and free-ranging animals around Ohio between May 2020 and August 2021. We focused on species with known or predicted susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, highly congregated or medically compromised animals (e.g. shelters, barns, veterinary hospitals), and animals that had frequent contact with humans (e.g. pets, agricultural animals, zoo animals, or animals in wildlife hospitals). This included free-ranging deer (n=76), mink (n=57), multiple species of bats (n=65), and other wildlife in addition to domestic cats (n=275) and pigs (n= 184). In total, we tested 800 animals (34 species) via rRT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was not detected in any of the tested animals despite a major peak in human SARS-CoV-2 cases that occurred in Ohio subsequent to the peak of animal samplings. Importantly, due to lack of validated tests for animals, we did not test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in this study, which limited our ability to assess exposure. While the results of this study were negative, the surveillance effort was critical and remains key to understanding, predicting, and preventing re-emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in humans or animals.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in Ohio’s wildlife, companion, and agricultural animals
• Study of an age-based Covid-19 outbreak model and the effect of demo-graphic structure of a state on infectious disease dynamics -

  In this paper, our objective was to investigate whether the Covid-19 pandemic disease is more likely to break out in some specific age group or not. We also intended to know whether some specific demographic parameters like birth rate, death rate controls the spreading of the disease. Our investigation showed that the post reproductive population group is more prone to the disease for the countries having population pyramid of stationary or con-tracting type where as for the countries with expanding population pyramid, the pre reproductive population is more likely to be attacked by the disease. We also found the domains of values of the demographic parameters that result different dynamic phenomena. Further we tried to know whether a countrys9 population pyramid has an effect in spreading the disease. Our experiment showed that for countries having expanding population pyramid, the total number of cases is expected to be comparatively low whereas for countries having contracting population pyramid, the total number of cases is expected to be comparatively high.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Study of an age-based Covid-19 outbreak model and the effect of demo-graphic structure of a state on infectious disease dynamics

From Clinical Trials

• A Clinical Study to Assess Preliminary Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of HH-120 Nasal Spray in COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19)
  Intervention:   Biological: HH-120 Nasal Spray
  Sponsor:   Beijing Ditan Hospital
  Recruiting

• COVID-19 Booster Study in Healthy Adults in Australia - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Bivalent Moderna;   Biological: Novavax
  Sponsors:   Murdoch Childrens Research Institute;   Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations;   The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
  Not yet recruiting

• Effect of N-Acetylcysteine on Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio And Length of Stay In COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Drug: N-acetyl cysteine
  Sponsor:   Universitas Sebelas Maret
  Completed

• Efficacy and Safety of Anti-COVID-19 Antibody SA58 Nasal Spray to Prevent Infection in High-risk Populations - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Drug: SA58 Nasal Spray
  Sponsor:   Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd.
  Recruiting

• Efficacy and Safety of SA58 Nasal Spray in Close Contact With COVID-19 People - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: SA58 Nasal Spray;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd.;   Beijing Ditan Hospital
  Recruiting

• Immunogenicity and Safety of COVID-19 Vaccine in Population Aged 18 Years and Above - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: One dose group;   Biological: Two doses group;   Biological: Aged 18-59 years;   Biological: Aged 60 years old and above
  Sponsors:   Guangzhou Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.;   Yantai Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• Immunogenicity of Heterologous Versus Homologous Prime Boost Schedule With mRNA and Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccines - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: CoronaVac/CoronaVac;   Biological: CoronaVac/BNT162b2
  Sponsor:   Institut Pasteur de Tunis
  Completed

• Immunogenicity and Safety of COVID-19 Vaccine as a Booster Vaccination in Population Aged 18 Years and Above - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO Cell) LYB001;   Biological: ZF2001
  Sponsors:   Guangzhou Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.;   Yantai Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• The COPE Study: Pilot Intervention to Improve Symptom Self-management and Coping in Adults With Post COVID-19 - Conditions:   Post COVID-19 Condition;   Post-COVID-19 Syndrome
  Intervention:   Behavioral: 6-Week Self-Management Group
  Sponsor:   University of Washington
  Not yet recruiting

• The KIN-FAST Trial (KIN001 For Accelerated Symptoms Termination) in Non Hospitalized Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: KIN001;   Drug: KIN001-Placebo
  Sponsor:   Kinarus AG
  Recruiting

• The Application of Ursodeoxycholic Acid for the Prevention of Novel Coronavirus Infections - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Drug: Ursodeoxycholic acid
  Sponsor:   Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital
  Not yet recruiting

• Sars-COV-2 Immunity in immunoCOmpromised Populations - Conditions:   SARS CoV 2 Infection;   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Diagnostic Test: Humoral immunity
  Sponsors:   Maria Goossens;   Université Libre de Bruxelles;   Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium;   Mensura EDPB;   Erasme hospital
  Not yet recruiting

• Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetic Characteristics Evaluation on GST-HG171 Tablets - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: GST-HG171;   Drug: placebo of GST-HG171
  Sponsor:   Fujian Akeylink Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
  Recruiting

• Benefits of an Aerobic and Strength Rehabilitation Program With Post- SARS-CoV-2 Patients Moderate-severe - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Other: Aerobic plus strength group;   Other: Aerobic group
  Sponsor:   Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz
  Not yet recruiting

• The Effect of Amantadine on Post-COVD-19 Fatigue - Condition:   Post-COVID-19 Syndrome
  Intervention:   Drug: Amantadine
  Sponsor:   Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
  Not yet recruiting

From PubMed

• Prospective mode of action of Ivermectin: SARS-CoV-2 - The well-known anti-helminthic drug ivermectin (IVM) has been established as an example of drug repurposing for the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Various study has been done to understand the inhibitory mechanism of IVM against SARS-CoV-2 targets. Broadly, IVM has been categorized as a host-directed agent and the proposed mechanism involves inhibition of the IMPα/ß1-mediated nuclear import of viral proteins. In addition, in vitro/in vivo and molecular docking/dynamic simulation studies…

• Circulating microRNAs as emerging regulators of COVID-19 - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a global pandemic that has high incidence rates, spreads rapidly, and has caused more than 6.5 million deaths globally to date. Currently, several drugs have been used in the clinical treatment of COVID-19, including antivirals (e.g., molnupiravir, baricitinib, and remdesivir), monoclonal antibodies (e.g., etesevimab and tocilizumab), protease inhibitors…

• The ability of low- and High-SES schools to inhibit learning losses during the COVID-19 pandemic - The study examined whether the pandemic-induced digital distance learning affected the ability of educational units to inhibit learning losses and whether their SES compositions modified those effects. By applying random-intercept multinomial regression models to educational units’ average test scores comparing the 2019-2021 period to the 2017-2019 period based on data from the National Assessment of Basic Competencies in Hungary, the results indicated that educational units were less likely to…

• Evaluation of a series of nucleoside analogs as effective anticoronaviral-2 drugs against the Omicron-B.1.1.529/BA.2 subvariant: A repurposing research study - Mysterious evolution of a new strain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the Omicron variant, led to a new challenge in the persistent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) battle. Objecting the conserved SARS-CoV-2 enzymes RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and 3’-to-5’ exoribonuclease (ExoN) together using one ligand is a successful new tactic to stop SARS-CoV-2 multiplication and COVID-19 progression. The current comprehensive study investigated most nucleoside…

• A snake venom-analog peptide that inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and papain-like protease displays antithrombotic activity in mice arterial thrombosis model, without interfering with bleeding time - CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate the antithrombotic activity of the peptide (p-BthTX-I)(2) K possibly by kallikrein inhibition, suggesting its strong biotechnological potential.

• Diagnostic performance between in-house and commercial SARS-CoV-2 serological immunoassays including binding-specific antibody and surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) - This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between in-house and commercial binding-specific IgG antibodies and between in-house and commercial SARS-CoV-2 surrogate virus neutralization tests (sVNT). Samples from healthcare workers who received vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 were tested for RBD-specific antibody, S-specific antibody, and in-house ELISA, commercial sVNT, and in-house sVNT, against wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Three hundred and five samples were included in the analysis. The correlation…

• Comparison of humoral immunogenicity in solid organ transplant recipients after third-dose mRNA vaccine with homologous or heterologous schedules: An observational study - CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the schedule, the neutralization inhibition rate against the Omicron variant was poor; therefore, additional preventive measures are required in such high-risk populations.

• New insights into the mucosal immune pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy from the perspective of COVID-19 vaccination - Large-scale SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is one of the key strategies to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, however, there are increasing reports of IgA nephropathy following COVID-19 vaccination. The clinical manifestation, treatment and prognostic effects are different in IgAN patients who have had an onset after the first and second dose of vaccination, as well as new and recurrent IgAN patients. These conditions bring about a relatively important window for understanding the pathogenesis of IgAN. Gd-IgA1…

• Ginkgolides and bilobalide for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and COVID-19: potential mechanisms of action - Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible degenerative illness of the central nervous system with characteristic histological alterations, known as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Aggregation of plaques and tangles in the brain induces neurotoxicity and synaptic dysfunction, eventually contributing to neuronal cell death and neurodegeneration. Recent studies have revealed that COVID-19 has a great impact on the development of AD, directly or indirectly, by facilitating the…

• Identification of potent COVID-19 main protease inhibitors by loading of favipiravir on Mg₁₂O₁₂ and Zn₁₂O₁₂ nanoclusters: an in silico strategy for COVID-19 treatment - Pandemic new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) virus has increased throughout the world. There is no effective treatment against this virus until now. Since its appearance in Wuhan, China in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 becomes the largest challenge the world is opposite today, including the discovery of an antiviral drug for this virus. Several viral proteins have been prioritized as SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drug targets, among them the papain-like protease (PLpro) and the…

• Exploring the binding capacity of lactic acid bacteria derived bacteriocins against RBD of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant by molecular simulations - The changes in the SARS-CoV-2 genome have resulted in the emergence of new variants. Some of the variants have been classified as variants of concern (VOC). These strains have higher transmission rate and improved fitness. One of the prevalent were the Omicron variant. Unlike previous VOCs, the Omicron possesses fifteen mutations on the spike protein’s receptor binding domain (RBD). The modifications of spike protein’s key amino acid residues facilitate the virus’ binding capability against…

• A bibliometric analysis of autophagy in lung diseases from 2012 to 2021 - CONCLUSION: The study of autophagy in lung diseases is still in the development stage. The information published in these articles has helped researchers understand further the hot spots and development trends in the field more and learn about the collaboration network information regarding authors, countries, and institutions, as well as the paper citation correlation. More studies have been performed to gain deeper insights into the pathogenesis of autophagy by focusing on the links and…

• Impact of neutrophil extracellular traps on fluid properties, blood flow and complement activation - INTRODUCTION: The intravascular formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) is a trigger for coagulation and blood vessel occlusion. NETs are released from neutrophils as a response to strong inflammatory signals in the course of different diseases such as COVID-19, cancer or antiphospholipid syndrome. NETs are composed of large, chromosomal DNA fibers decorated with a variety of proteins such as histones. Previous research suggested a close mechanistic crosstalk between NETs and the…

• Investigating Derivatives of Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate Sodium and Chloroxine for Their Inhibition Activities against the SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease - SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemic of COVID-19, posing a huge threat to public health. The SARS-CoV-2 papain-like cysteine protease (PLpro) plays a significant role in virus replication and host immune regulation, which is a promising antiviral drug target. Several potential inhibitors have been identified in vitro. However, the detailed mechanism of action and structure-activity relationship require further studies. Here, we investigated the structure-activity relationships of the series…

• One-step synthesis of triethanolamine-capped Pt nanoparticle for colorimetric and electrochemiluminescent immunoassay of SARS-CoV spike proteins - Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) have been attracted worldwide attention due to their versatile application potentials, especially in the catalyst and sensing fields. Herein, a facile synthetic method of triethanolamine (TEOA)-capped PtNPs (TEOA@PtNP) for electrochemiluminescent (ECL) and colorimetric immunoassay of SARS-CoV spike proteins (SARS-CoV S-protein, a target detection model) is developed. Monodisperse PtNPs with an average diameter of 2.2 nm are prepared by a one-step hydrothermal…

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