Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• Global Preparedness for the Next Disease X: A Current and Prospective Situation Analysis -
  COVID-19 has strongly struck the world and damaged its global lifestyle in an unprecedented manner, at least in our modern age. Thus, it’s of utmost importance to prepare for the next inevitable pandemic regardless of its origin; whether naturally, rouge gain of function research or even planned bioterrorism. In this short note, the most probable upcoming pandemics according to the WHO shortlist of prioritized potentially fatal diseases and other potential ones are being discussed together with the role of climate change. Notably, in Africa we adopted a different scientific strategy to confront COVID-19 which was different from the one adopted in developed countries, we chose early treatment not mass vaccination nor mandates, and the results on the ground are obvious to all. It’s wise and vigilant to learn from Africa and the Egyptian immune-modulatory broad spectrum antiviral immune-modulatory Kelleni’s protocol if we are sincerely determined to avoid loss of more millions of lives.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Global Preparedness for the Next Disease X: A Current and Prospective Situation Analysis
• High-affinity binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer by a nanostructured, trivalent protein-DNA synthetic antibody -
  Multivalency enables nanostructures to bind molecular targets with high affinity. Although antibodies can be generated against a wide range of antigens, their shape and size cannot be tuned to match a given target. DNA nanotechnology provides an attractive approach for designing customized multivalent scaffolds due to the addressability and programmability of the nanostructure shape and size. Here, we design a nanoscale synthetic antibody ("nano-synbody") based on a three-helix bundle DNA nanostructure with one, two, or three identical arms terminating in a mini-binder protein that targets the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The nano-synbody was designed to match the valence and distance between the three receptor binding domains (RBDs) in the spike trimer, in order to enhance affinity. The protein-DNA nano-synbody shows tight binding to the wild-type, Delta, and several Omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer, with affinity increasing as the number of arms increases from one to three. The effectiveness of the nano-synbody was also verified using a pseudovirus neutralization assay, with the three-arm nanostructure inhibiting two Omicron variants against which the structures with only one or two arms are ineffective. The structure of the three-arm nano-synbody bound to the Omicron variant spike trimer was solved by negative-stain transmission electron microscopy reconstruction, and shows the protein-DNA nanostructure with all three arms attached to the RBD domains, confirming the intended trivalent attachment. The ability to tune the size and shape of the nano-synbody, as well as its potential ability to attach two or more different binding ligands, will enable the high-affinity targeting of a range of proteins not possible with traditional antibodies.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: High-affinity binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer by a nanostructured, trivalent protein-DNA synthetic antibody
• Predicting Long COVID in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative Using Super Learner -

  Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), also known as Long COVID, is a broad grouping of a range of long-term symptoms following acute COVID-19 infection. An understanding of characteristics that are predictive of future PASC is valuable, as this can inform the identification of high-risk individuals and future preventative efforts. However, current knowledge regarding PASC risk factors is limited. Using a sample of 55,257 participants from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative, as part of the NIH Long COVID Computational Challenge, we sought to predict individual risk of PASC diagnosis from a curated set of clinically informed covariates. We predicted individual PASC status, given covariate information, using Super Learner (an ensemble machine learning algorithm also known as stacking) to learn the optimal, AUC-maximizing combination of gradient boosting and random forest algorithms. We were able to predict individual PASC diagnoses accurately (AUC 0.947). Temporally, we found that baseline characteristics were most predictive of future PASC diagnosis, compared with characteristics immediately before, during, or after COVID-19 infection. This finding supports the hypothesis that clinicians may be able to accurately assess the risk of PASC in patients prior to acute COVID diagnosis, which could improve early interventions and preventive care. We found that medical utilization, demographics, anthropometry, and respiratory factors were most predictive of PASC diagnosis. This highlights the importance of respiratory characteristics in PASC risk assessment. The methods outlined here provide an open-source, applied example of using Super Learner to predict PASC status using electronic health record data, which can be replicated across a variety of settings.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Predicting Long COVID in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative Using Super Learner
• Gut microbiome remains stable following COVID-19 vaccination in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals -
  The bidirectional interaction between the immune system and the gut microbiota is a key contributor to various host physiological functions. Immune-associated diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity, as well as the efficacy of immunomodulatory therapies, have been linked to microbiome variation. Here, we investigate the temporal impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the gut microbiome in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals; the latter included patients with primary immunodeficiency and cancer patients on immunosuppressive therapy. We find that the gut microbiome, assessed using shotgun metagenomics, remained stable post-vaccination irrespective of diverse immune status, vaccine response, and microbial composition spanned by the cohort. The stability is evident at all tested levels including phylum, species, and functional capacity. Our results show the resilience of the gut microbiome to host immune changes triggered by COVID-19 vaccination and suggest minimal, if any, impact on microbiome-mediated processes.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Gut microbiome remains stable following COVID-19 vaccination in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals
• Developmental progression of the nasopharyngeal microbiome during childhood and association with the lower airway microbiome -

  Background The upper (URT) and lower (LRT) respiratory tract feature distinct environments and responses affecting microbial colonization but investigating the relationship between them is technically challenging. We aimed to identify relationships between taxa colonizing the URT and LRT and explore their relationship with development during childhood. Methods We employed V4 16S rDNA sequencing to profile nasopharyngeal swabs and tracheal aspirates collected from 183 subjects between 20 weeks and 18 years of age. These samples were collected prior to elective procedures at the Children9s Hospital of Philadelphia over the course of 20 weeks in 2020, from otherwise healthy subjects enrolled in a study investigating potential reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2. Findings After extraction, sequencing, and quality control, we studied the remaining 124 nasopharyngeal swabs and 98 tracheal aspirates, including 85 subject-matched pairs of samples. V4 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that the nasopharynx is colonized by few, highly-abundant taxa, while the tracheal aspirates feature a diverse assembly of microbes. While no taxa co-occur in the URT and LRT of the same subject, clusters of microbiomes in the URT correlate with clusters of microbiomes in the LRT. The clusters identified in the URT correlate with subject age across childhood development. Interpretations The correlation between clusters of taxa across sites may suggest a mutual influence from either a third site, such as the oropharynx, or host-extrinsic, environmental features. The identification of a pattern of upper respiratory microbiota development across the first 18 years of life suggests that the patterns observed in early childhood may extend beyond the early life window. Funding Research reported in this publication was supported by NIH T32 GM007200 (AJH), F30 DK127584 (AJH), NIH/NIAID R21AI154370 (AOJ, ALK), NIH/NICHD R01HD109963 (AOJ, ALK), and NIH/NICHD R33HD105594 (AOJ). Dr. John is an Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases of the Burroughs Welcome Fund.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Developmental progression of the nasopharyngeal microbiome during childhood and association with the lower airway microbiome
• Сan we start to ignore the SARS-CoV-2 disease? -

  Current WHO reports claim a decline in COVID-19 testing. Many countries are reporting no new infections. In particular, USA, China and Japan have registered no cases and COVID-19 related deaths since May 15, 2023. To discuss consequences of ignoring SARS-CoV-2 infection, we compare endemic characteristics of the disease in 2023 with ones estimated before using 2022 datasets. The accumulated numbers of cases and deaths reported to WHO by 10 most infected countries and global figures were used to calculate the average daily numbers of cases and deaths per capita (DCC and DDC) and case fatality rates (CFR) for two periods in 2023. The average values of daily deaths per million still vary between 0.12 and 0.41. It means that annual global number of COVID-19 related deaths is still approximately twice higher than the seasonal influenza mortality. Increase of CFR values in 2023 show that SARS-CoV-2 infection is still dangerous despite of increasing the vaccination level. Very low CFR figures in South Korea and very high ones in the UK 4 need further investigations.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Сan we start to ignore the SARS-CoV-2 disease?
• Evolution of enhanced innate immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants -
  SARS-CoV-2 adaptation to humans is evidenced by the emergence of variants of concern (VOCs) with distinct genotypes and phenotypes that facilitate immune escape and enhance transmission frequency. Most recently Omicron subvariants have emerged with heavily mutated spike proteins which facilitate re-infection of immune populations through extensive antibody escape driving replacement of previously-dominant VOCs Alpha and Delta. Interestingly, Omicron is the first VOC to produce distinct subvariants. Here, we demonstrate that later Omicron subvariants, particularly BA.4 and BA.5, have evolved an enhanced capacity to suppress human innate immunity when compared to earliest subvariants BA.1 and BA.2. We find that, like previously dominant VOCs, later Omicron subvariants tend to increase expression of viral innate immune antagonists Orf6 and nucleocapsid. We show Orf6 to be a key contributor to enhanced innate immune suppression during epithelial replication by BA.5 and Alpha, reducing innate immune signaling through IRF3 and STAT1. Convergent VOC evolution of enhanced innate immune antagonist expression suggests common pathways of adaptation to humans and links VOC, and in particular Omicron subvariant, dominance to improved innate immune evasion.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Evolution of enhanced innate immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants
• Evidence associating neutrophilia, lung damage, hyperlactatemia, blood acidosis, impaired oxygen transport, and mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients -
  Background: COVID-19 severity and high in-hospital mortality are often associated with severe hypoxemia, hyperlactatemia, and acidosis. Since neutrophil numbers in severe COVID-19 can exceed 80% of the total circulating leukocytes and that they are massively recruited to infected lungs, we investigated whether metabolic acidosis mediated by the glycolytic neutrophils is associated with lung damage and impaired oxygen delivery in critically ill patients. Methods: Based on prospective mortality outcome, 102 critically ill-hospitalized COVID-19 patients were divided into two groups: ICU-Survivors (ICU-S, n=36) and ICU-Non-survivors (ICU-NS, n=66). Blood samples were collected from patients and control subjects to explore correlations between neutrophil counts, lung damage, glycolysis, blood lactate, blood pH, hemoglobin oxygen saturation, and mortality outcome. We also interrogated isolated neutrophils for glycolytic activities and for apoptosis using high-throughput fluorescence imaging complemented with transcriptomic analyses. Stratified survival analyses were conducted to estimate mortality risk associated with higher lactate among predefined subgroups. Results: Neutrophil counts were consistently higher in critically ill patients while exhibiting remarkably lower apoptosis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed miRNAs associated with downregulation of genes involved in neutrophils apoptosis. Both CT lung damage scores and neutrophil counts predicted mortality. Severinghaus fitting of hemoglobin oxygen saturation curve revealed a right-shift indicating lower oxygen capacity in non-survivors, which is consistent with lower blood-pH observed in the same group. Levels of blood lactate were increased in patients but significantly more in the ICU-NS relative to the control group. ROC analysis followed by Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis stratified to the obtained cut-off values showed that CT damage scores, neutrophil counts, and lactate levels are predictors of mortality within 15 days following blood collection. Conclusion: The current results implicate neutrophilia as a potential player in metabolic acidosis and deranged oxygen delivery associating SARS-CoV-2 infection thus contributing to mortality outcome.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Evidence associating neutrophilia, lung damage, hyperlactatemia, blood acidosis, impaired oxygen transport, and mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients
• Third dose COVID-19 mRNA vaccine enhances IgG4 isotype switching and recognition of Omicron subvariants by memory B cells after with mRNA but not adenovirus priming -
  Background: Booster vaccinations are recommended to improve protection against severe disease from SARS-CoV-2 infection. With primary vaccinations involving various adenoviral vector and mRNA-based formulations, it remains unclear if these differentially affect the immune response to booster doses. We here examined the effects of homologous (mRNA/mRNA) and heterologous (adenoviral vector/mRNA) vaccination on antibody and memory B cell (Bmem) responses against ancestral and Omicron subvariants. Methods: Healthy adults who received primary BNT162b2 (mRNA) (n=18) or ChAdOx1 (vector) (n=25) vaccination were sampled 1-month and 6-months after their 2nd and 3rd dose (homologous or heterologous) vaccination. Recombinant spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) proteins from ancestral, Omicron BA.2 and BA.5 variants were produced for ELISA-based serology, and tetramerized for immunophenotyping of RBD-specific Bmem. Results: Dose 3 boosters significantly increased ancestral RBD-specific plasma IgG and Bmem in both cohorts. Up to 80% of ancestral RBD-specific Bmem expressed IgG1+. IgG4+ Bmem were detectable after primary mRNA vaccination, and expanded significantly to 5-20% after dose 3, whereas heterologous boosting did not elicit IgG4+ Bmem. Recognition of Omicron BA.2 and BA.5 by ancestral RBD-specific plasma IgG increased from 20% to 60% after the 3rd dose in both cohorts. Reactivity of ancestral RBD-specific Bmem to Omicron BA.2 and BA.5 increased following a homologous booster from 40% to 60%, but not after a heterologous booster. Conclusion: A 3rd mRNA dose generates similarly robust serological and Bmem responses in homologous and heterologous vaccination groups. The expansion of IgG4+ Bmem after mRNA priming might result from the unique vaccine formulation or dosing schedule affecting the Bmem response duration and antibody maturation.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Third dose COVID-19 mRNA vaccine enhances IgG4 isotype switching and recognition of Omicron subvariants by memory B cells after with mRNA but not adenovirus priming
• Moving Beyond the Gradient: Social Classes as Group Contexts Defined by Multiple Forms of Capital -
  Social class is a complex multidimensional phenomenon. Yet social psychologists have typically used indicators of SES or “social rank” to proxy class. Informed by sociology and cultural psychology, we treat social classes as group contexts characterized by the interplay of material, social, and cultural capital. Subjecting three datasets to latent profile analysis (LPA; N = 30,332), we uncover qualitatively distinct class groupings within the U.S. population—each characterized by a unique pattern of capital (Studies 1–3). Consistent with theory in cultural psychology, class formation is guided by a reciprocal relationship between material capital (income and assets) and social capital (interpersonal ties). Across studies, we predict and observe one profile (the “middle/upper class”) that exhibits high material capital but low levels of social capital, and another profile (the “vulnerable workers”) that displays modest material capital but very high social capital. Studies 2 and 3 illuminate the adaptive value of vulnerable workers’ high social capital, with this group reporting similar mental and physical health outcomes to the middle/upper class (Studies 2 and 3) and leveraging their social networks to protect against health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic (Study 3). Our work reveals that tradeoffs between material and social capital occur most reliably at the group (not individual) level; that class effects are not monotonic, but reflect higher-order interactions between forms of capital; and that LPA can be a fruitful analytic approach when combined with careful theorization, validation of profiles against appropriate covariates, and preregistration.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Moving Beyond the Gradient: Social Classes as Group Contexts Defined by Multiple Forms of Capital
• Public Engagement with COVID-19 Preprints: Bridging the Gap Between Scientists and Society -
  The surge in preprint server use, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, necessitates a reex-amination of their significance in the realm of science communication. This study rigorously investigates discussions surrounding preprints, framing them within the contexts of systems theory and boundary objects in scholarly communication. An analysis of a curated selection of COVID-19-related preprints from bioRxiv and medRxiv was conducted, emphasizing those that transitioned to journal publications, alongside the associated commentary and Twitter activity. The dataset was bifurcated into comments by biomedical experts versus those by non-experts, encompassing both academic and general public perspectives. Findings revealed that while peers dominated nearly half the preprint discussions, their presence in Twitter dia-logues was markedly diminished. Yet, intriguingly, the themes explored by these two groups diverged considerably. Preprints emerged as potent boundary objects, reinforcing, rather than obscuring, the delineation between scientific and non-scientific discourse. They serve as cru-cial conduits for knowledge dissemination and foster inter-disciplinary engagements. None-theless, the interplay between scientists and the wider public remains nuanced, necessitating strategies to incorporate these diverse discussions into the peer review continuum without compromising academic integrity and to cultivate sustained engagement from both experts and the broader community.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Public Engagement with COVID-19 Preprints: Bridging the Gap Between Scientists and Society
• Sex-specific differences in physiological parameters related to SARS-CoV-2 infections among a national cohort (COVI-GAPP study) -

  Considering sex as a biological variable in modern digital health solutions, we investigated sex-specific differences in the trajectory of four physiological parameters across a COVID-19 infection. A wearable medical device measured breathing rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, and wrist skin temperature in 1163 participants (mean age = 44.1 years, standard deviation [SD]=5.6; 667 [57%] females). Participants reported daily symptoms and confounders in a complementary app. A machine learning algorithm retrospectively ingested daily biophysical parameters to detect COVID-19 infections. COVID-19 serology samples were collected from all participants at baseline and follow-up. We analysed potential sex-specific differences in physiology and antibody titres using multilevel modelling and t-tests. Over 1.5 million hours of physiological data were recorded. During the symptomatic period of infection, men demonstrated larger increases in skin temperature, breathing rate and heart rate as well as larger decreases in heart rate variability than women. The COVID-19 infection detection algorithm performed similarly well for men and women. Our study belongs to the first research to provide evidence for differential physiological responses to COVID-19 between females and males, highlighting the potential of wearable technology to inform future precision medicine approaches. This work has received support from the Princely House of the Principality of Liechtenstein, the government of the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Hanela Foundation in Switzerland, and the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 101005177. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union9s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Sex-specific differences in physiological parameters related to SARS-CoV-2 infections among a national cohort (COVI-GAPP study)
• Increased neurovirulence of omicron BA.5 and XBB variants over BA.1 in K18-hACE2 mice and human brain organoids -
  The reduced pathogenicity of the omicron BA.1 sub-lineage compared to earlier variants is well described, although whether such attenuation is retained for later variants like BA.5 and XBB remains controversial. We show that BA.5 and XBB isolates were significantly more pathogenic in K18-hACE2 mice than a BA.1 isolate, showing increased neuroinvasiveness, resulting in fulminant brain infection and mortality, similar to that seen for original ancestral isolates. BA.5 also infected human cortical brain organoids to a greater extent than the BA.1 and original ancestral isolates. In the brains of mice, neurons were the main target of infection, and in human organoids neuronal progenitor cells and immature neurons were infected. Although fulminant brain infection is not a feature of COVID-19, evidence for brain infection and brain damage in some COVID-19 patients with severe disease is becoming compelling, with the results herein suggesting that evolving omicron variants may have increasing intrinsic neuropathogenic potential.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Increased neurovirulence of omicron BA.5 and XBB variants over BA.1 in K18-hACE2 mice and human brain organoids
• Adherence Behaviors to Prevent COVID: The Role of Anxiety and Prosocial Behaviors -

  In situations of acute stress, individuals may engage in prosocial behaviors or alternatively, individuals may engage in risk taking self-oriented behaviors. The COVID-19 pandemic created large stress-promoting conditions that impacted individuals9decisions to adhere to COVID-19 preventative behaviors. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between anxiety during the pandemic and adherence behaviors to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the moderating influence prosocial behaviors. Method: 54 undergraduate students completed online questionnaires during the second wave of the pandemic: prosocial behaviors, anxiety, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Moderation analyses were conducted using Process in SPSS. Results: Results demonstrated a statistically significant interaction of public prosocial behavior with state anxiety([beta]= -.17, p=.01) predicting engagement in COVID-19 preventative behaviors. At low levels of anxiety, low levels of prosocial public behaviors were associated with higher engagement in COVID-19 preventative behaviors. In contrast, high levels of public prosocial behavior were associated with lower engagement in COVID-19 preventative behaviors at low levels of anxiety. Conclusion: Results provide information that can aid at in the creation of anxiety reducing interventions that could increase adherence to COVID-19 preventative behaviors.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Adherence Behaviors to Prevent COVID: The Role of Anxiety and Prosocial Behaviors
• Deep learning-based prediction of one-year mortality in the entire Finnish population is an accurate but unfair digital marker of aging -

  Background: Accurately predicting short-term mortality is important for optimizing healthcare resource allocation, developing risk-reducing interventions, and improving end-of-life care. Moreover, short-term mortality risk reflects individual frailty and can serve as digital aging marker. Previous studies have focused on specific, high-risk populations. Predicting all-cause mortality in an unselected population incorporating both health and socioeconomic factors has direct public health relevance but requires careful fairness considerations. Methods: We developed a deep learning model to predict 1-year mortality using nationwide longitudinal data from the Finnish population (N = 5.4 million), including >8,000 features and spanning back up to 50 years. We used the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) as a primary metric to assess model performance and fairness. Findings: The model achieved an AUC of 0.944 with strong calibration, outperforming a baseline model that only included age and sex (AUC = 0.897). The model generalized well to different causes of death (AUC > 0.800 for 45 out of 50 causes), including COVID-19 which was not present in the training data. The model performed best among young females and worst in older males (AUC = 0.910 vs. AUC = 0.718). Extensive fairness analyses revealed that individuals belonging to multiple disadvantaged groups had the worst model performance, not explained by age and sex differences, reduced healthcare contact, or smaller training set sizes within these groups. Conclusion: A deep learning model based on nationwide longitudinal multi-modal data accurately identified short-term mortality risk holding the potential for developing a population-wide in-silico aging marker. Unfairness in model predictions represents a major challenge to the equitable integration of these approaches in public health interventions.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Deep learning-based prediction of one-year mortality in the entire Finnish population is an accurate but unfair digital marker of aging

From Clinical Trials

• A Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability and Preliminary Efficacy of HH-120 for the Treatment of COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: HH-120;   Drug: placebo
  Sponsor:   Huahui Health
  Completed

• A Study to Investigate the Prevention of COVID-19 withVYD222 in Adults With Immune Compromise and in Participants Aged 12 Years or Older Who Are at Risk of Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2
  Interventions:   Drug: VYD222;   Drug: Normal saline
  Sponsor:   Invivyd, Inc.
  Recruiting

• Additional Recombinant COVID-19 Humoral and Cell-Mediated Immunogenicity in Immunosuppressed Populations - Conditions:   Immunosuppression;   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: NVX-CoV2372
  Sponsors:   University of Wisconsin, Madison;   Novavax
  Not yet recruiting

• Reducing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Hispanic Parents - Conditions:   Vaccine-Preventable Diseases;   COVID-19 Pandemic;   Health-Related Behavior;   Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice;   Narration
  Interventions:   Behavioral: Baseline surveys;   Behavioral: Digital Storytelling Intervention;   Behavioral: Information Control Intervention
  Sponsors:   Arizona State University;   Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
  Not yet recruiting

• Evaluation of Safety and Immunogenicity of a SARS-CoV-2(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) Booster Vaccine (LEM-mR203) - Conditions:   COVID-19 Infection;   COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Reaction
  Interventions:   Biological: LEM-mR203;   Biological: Placebo
  Sponsor:   Lemonex
  Not yet recruiting

• Phase I Safety Study of B/HPIV3/S-6P Vaccine Via Nasal Spray in Adults - Condition:   SARS-CoV-2 Infection
  Intervention:   Biological: B/HPIV3/S-6P
  Sponsors:   National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID);   Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health;   National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  Recruiting

• A Study to Determine the Tolerability of Intranasal LMN-301 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: LMN-301
  Sponsor:   Lumen Bioscience, Inc.
  Not yet recruiting

• Safety of Simultaneous mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine With Other Childhood Vaccines in Young Children - Conditions:   Fever After Vaccination;   Fever;   Seizures Fever
  Interventions:   Biological: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine;   Biological: Routine Childhood Vaccinations
  Sponsors:   Duke University;   Kaiser Permanente;   Columbia University;   Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati;   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Not yet recruiting

• The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Nursing Students - Condition:   Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders
  Intervention:   Other: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group
  Sponsor:   Necmettin Erbakan University
  Active, not recruiting

• Long COVID Immune Profiling - Conditions:   Long COVID;   POTS - Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome;   Autonomic Dysfunction
  Interventions:   Diagnostic Test: IL-6;   Diagnostic Test: cytokines (IL-17, and IFN-ɣ);   Behavioral: Compass 31
  Sponsors:   Vanderbilt University Medical Center;   American Heart Association
  Not yet recruiting

From PubMed

• Cinnamaldehyde inhibits cytokine storms induced by the ORF3a protein of SARS-CoV-2 via ROS-elimination in activated T cells - Cytokine storms are the cause of complications in patients with severe COVID-19, and it becomes the target of therapy. Several natural compounds were selected to screen the inhibitory effect on T-cell proliferation by Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) and cytokine production by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Open reading frame 3a (ORF3a) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) stimulates the specific T-cell activation model in vivo and in vitro. The…

• How does the Immunological System Change during the SARS-COV-2 Attack? A Clue for the New Immunotherapy Discovery - The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2) is one of the biggest unsolved global problems of the 21st century for which there has been no definitive cure yet. Like other respiratory viruses, SARS-COV-2 triggers the host immunity dramatically, causing dysfunction in the immune system, both innate and adaptive, which is a common feature of COVID-19 patients. Evidence shows that in the early stages of COVID-19, the immune system is suppressed…

• Pharmacological inhibition of TBK1/IKKε blunts immunopathology in a murine model of SARS-CoV-2 infection - TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is a key signalling component in the production of type-I interferons, which have essential antiviral activities, including against SARS-CoV-2. TBK1, and its homologue IκB kinase-ε (IKKε), can also induce pro-inflammatory responses that contribute to pathogen clearance. While initially protective, sustained engagement of type-I interferons is associated with damaging hyper-inflammation found in severe COVID-19 patients. The contribution of TBK1/IKKε signalling to…

• Host heparan sulfate promotes ACE2 super-cluster assembly and enhances SARS-CoV-2-associated syncytium formation - SARS-CoV-2 infection causes spike-dependent fusion of infected cells with ACE2 positive neighboring cells, generating multi-nuclear syncytia that are often associated with severe COVID. To better elucidate the mechanism of spike-induced syncytium formation, we combine chemical genetics with 4D confocal imaging to establish the cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) as a critical stimulator for spike-induced cell-cell fusion. We show that HS binds spike and promotes spike-induced ACE2 clustering,…

• Prostaglandin E₂ and myocarditis; friend or foe? - This review article summarizes the role of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and its receptors (EP1-EP4) as it relates to the inflammatory cardiomyopathy, myocarditis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the onset of myocarditis in a subset of patients prompted a debate on the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, which act to inhibit the actions of prostaglandins. This review aims to further understanding of the role of PGE(2) in the pathogenesis or protection of the…

• SADS-CoV nsp1 inhibits the IFN-β production by preventing TBK1 phosphorylation and inducing CBP degradation - Swine acute diarrhea syndrome (SADS) is first reported in January 2017 in Southern China. It subsequently causes widespread outbreaks in multiple pig farms, leading to economic losses. Therefore, it is an urgent to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and immune evasion of Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV). Our research discovered that SADS-CoV inhibited the production of interferon-β (IFN-β) during viral infection. The nonstructural protein 1 (nsp1)…

• Bioprospecting the potential of metabolites from a Saharan saline soil strain Nocardiopsis dassonvillei GSBS4 - Saharan soil samples collected in El-Oued province have been investigated for actinobacteria as a valuable source for the production of bioactive metabolites. A total of 273 isolates were obtained and subjected to antagonistic activity tests against human pathogenic germs. A strain with a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity was selected and identified as Nocardiopsis dassonvillei GSBS4, with high sequence similarities to N. dassonvillei subsp. dassonvillei^(T) X97886.1 (99%) based on…

• Cholesterol and Ceramide Facilitate Membrane Fusion Mediated by the Fusion Peptide of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein - SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is mediated by the Spike (S) protein of the viral envelope. The S protein is composed of two subunits: S1 that induces binding to the host cell via its interaction with the ACE2 receptor of the cell surface and S2 that triggers fusion between viral and cellular membranes. Fusion by S2 depends on its heptad repeat domains that bring membranes close together and its fusion peptide (FP) that interacts with and perturbs the membrane structure to trigger fusion….

• Live imaging of the airway epithelium reveals that mucociliary clearance modulates SARS-CoV-2 spread - SARS-CoV-2 initiates infection in the conducting airways, which rely on mucocilliary clearance (MCC) to minimize pathogen penetration. However, it is unclear how MCC impacts SARS-CoV-2 spread after infection is established. To understand viral spread at this site, we performed live imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected differentiated primary human bronchial epithelium cultures for up to 9 days. Fluorescent markers for cilia and mucus allowed longitudinal monitoring of MCC, ciliary motion, and…

• Exploring the medicinal potential of Dark Chemical Matters (DCM) to design promising inhibitors for PLpro of SARS-CoV-2 using molecular screening and simulation approaches - The growing concerns and cases of COVID-19 with the appearance of novel variants i.e., BA.2.75. BA.5 and XBB have prompted demand for more effective treatment options that could overcome the risk of immune evasion. For this purpose, discovering novel small molecules to inhibit druggable proteins such as PLpro required for viral pathogenesis, replication, survival, and spread is the best choice. Compounds from the Dark chemical matter (DCM) database is consistently active in various screening…

• Structure adaptation in Omicron SARS-CoV-2/hACE2: Biophysical origins of evolutionary driving forces - Since its emergence, the COVID-19 threat has been sustained by a series of transmission waves initiated by new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Some of these arise with higher transmissivity and/or increased disease severity. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations to examine the modulation of the fundamental interactions between the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike glycoprotein and the host cell receptor (human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2: hACE2) arising from Omicron variant…

• Occurrence, formation, and proteins perturbation of disinfection byproducts in indoor air resulting from chlorine disinfection - Increased amounts of chlorine disinfectant have been sprayed to inactivate viruses in the environment since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the health risk from chemicals, especially disinfection byproducts (DBPs), has unintentionally increased. In this study, we characterized the occurrence of haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) in indoor air and evaluated their formation potential from typical indoor ingredients. Subsequently, the adverse effect of chloroacetic acid on A549 cells was…

• In silico evidences of Mpro inhibition by a series of organochalcogen-AZT derivatives and their safety in Caenorhabditis elegans - CONCLUSIONS: We have found that compounds S116l (a Tellurium AZT-derivative) and S116h (a Selenium-AZT derivative) presented more promising effects both in silico and in vivo, being strong candidates for further in vivo studies.

• Remdesivir increases mtDNA copy number causing mild alterations to oxidative phosphorylation - SARS-CoV-2 causes the severe respiratory disease COVID-19. Remdesivir (RDV) was the first fast-tracked FDA approved treatment drug for COVID-19. RDV acts as an antiviral ribonucleoside (adenosine) analogue that becomes active once it accumulates intracellularly. It then diffuses into the host cell and terminates viral RNA transcription. Previous studies have shown that certain nucleoside analogues unintentionally inhibit mitochondrial RNA or DNA polymerases or cause mutational changes to…

• Outcomes of a social media campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria - The COVID-19 pandemic has been an historic challenge to public health and behavior change programs. In low -and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Nigeria, there have been challenges in promoting vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy and social norms related to vaccination may be important factors in promoting or inhibiting not only COVID vaccination, but other routine vaccinations as well. The aim of this study was to conduct a national-level quasi-experimental evaluation of a social media based…

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