SARS-CoV-2 Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Study Finds Curcumin Is a Potential Therapeutic Agent Against the Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2

AHA Publisher — Wed, 04 May 2022 07:00:59 +0000

Shanet Susan Alex via News-Medical – A recent study published in the journal Computers in Biology and Medicine demonstrated that the phytochemical curcumin is a potent therapeutic prospect against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant. Background The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused over 508 million SARS-CoV-2 cases and six million deaths to date globally. As of now, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant is the dominant strain worldwide. Omicron was designated a variant of concern (VOC) since it can evade vaccine- and infection-induced immunity due to several mutations in its spike (S) protein, including 15 amino acid substitutions across the receptor-binding domain (RBD). Recent studies indicate that many of the most widely used COVID-19 vaccinations offer little or no immunity against Omicron infection. To date, no specific therapeutic regimen for this VOC has been recommended. As a result, Omicron might jeopardize worldwide attempts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic by posing a public health risk. About the Study The present paper aimed to profile seven phytochemicals (capsaicin, gingerol, allicin, curcumin, piperine, zingeberene, and cinnamaldehyde) and discover possible therapeutic options against the Omicron variant. The researchers built a three-dimensional layout of Omicron S RBD by integrating 15 amino acid alterations to the Native S structure. The team contrasted the structural changes of the Omicron S with the Native S. The authors docked the seven phytochemicals with the Omicron S-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) complex and the Omicron S protein… Conclusions The study findings illustrated that curcumin harbored the most significant inhibitory capability with Omicron S protein out of the seven phytochemicals tested. The authors also found that curcumin could disturb the Omicron S-hACE2 aggregate. Further, the MD simulation showed that curcumin might establish a stable complex with Omicron S in the physiological milieu. To summarize, the present data depicted that curcumin has the potential to be used as a medicinal agent against the highly infectious SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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Echinacea, a Potent Antiviral Against SARS-CoV-2

AHA Publisher — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 08:00:43 +0000

Neha Mathur via News-Medical – In a recent study published on the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers present all available evidence on the in vivo activity of Echinacea purpure against coronavirus infections from randomized, blinded, and controlled human clinical studies. Since vaccination does not offer 100% protection against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the demand for antiviral preparations enhancing the immune defense for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections remains high. Two previous studies have provided crucial evidence on the effectiveness of Echinacea preparations against viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2. Although its inhibiting effects do not always reach statistical significance for a particular virus, Echinacea purpurea (L.) shows antiviral activity against several enveloped viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 in both in vitro and in vivo physiological concentrations. About the Study In the current study, the researchers reviewed a total of 1,687 articles from PubMed and EMBASE databases. From these, two studies met the eligibility criteria and were, therefore, selected for the systematic review. During the initial screening, 988 articles were excluded and 58 more were further excluded, as they did not report respiratory tract or coronavirus infections. The researchers only qualitatively described outcomes from the two referenced studies. The first study was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, monocentric randomized controlled trial (RCT) published in 2012, whereas the second study was a double-blinded multi-center RCT was published in 2021 and discussed the use of an Echinacea extract formulated in tablets that were given to children between the ages of 4-12 years living in central Switzerland. In the selected studies, nasopharyngeal samples for virus testing were collected, blinded, randomized, and adequately controlled. A total of almost 1,000 patient data set was referenced, which included patients who were prescribed 65% (v/v) ethanolic extract (tincture or tablet form) of Echinacea purpurea for four months. Study Findings Both studies demonstrated the preventive antiviral effects of Echinacea by varying parameters. Taken together, these studies screened numerous respiratory pathogens, some of which included influenza A H1/H3, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus, and coronavirus 229E/OC43/NL63/HKU1. Overall, 755 subjects were randomized to receive E. purpurea and 717 participants were eligible for analysis as per safety collective (SAF) in the control (placebo) group of the first referenced study. From 355 eligible subjects of the Echinacea group, there were 21 coronavirus infections and the incidence rate was 5.9%. From the 362 eligible subjects of the control group, coronavirus infections totaled 33 with an incidence rate of 9.1%. Preventive effects on coronaviruses were statistically significant in participants in both the Echinacea and placebo groups who actively utilized their diary to report adverse events and cold-related symptoms. The findings indicated an overall incidence rate of 5.5% for Echinacea and 14.6 % for placebo. The second referenced study determined Ct values for respective incidence tests, wherein the authors estimated the number of ribonucleic acid (RNA) copies as a measure for virus concentration in the nasopharyngeal sample. Overall, 57 and 72 samples were positively tested for messenger RNA (mRNA) from any respiratory virus during prevention with Echinacea and control, respectively. A higher Ct value indicates a lower viral load represented by the sample’s RNA level. Echinacea significantly increased the average Ct value by 6.1 Ct units, from 25.0 to 31.1, thus resulting in a 98.5% reduction in coronavirus concentration relative to Vitamin C. Overall, four months of supplementation with Echinacea reduced the virus concentration in nasopharynx swab samples and the overall incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in adults and children. In the 2012 study, under the influence of Echinacea, the viral numbers were reduced to below detection limits, whereas the 2021 study results showed lower Ct values. Therefore, the incidences with Echinacea and Ct values are complementary parameters indicative of the antiviral effects of Echinacea. A clinical study carried out from November 2020 until May 2021 was also included in this review to confirm the applicability of the antiviral benefits of Echinacea. This clinical study investigated the effect of an Echinacea purpurea preparation in dosages within the range of 2,400 mg to 4,000 mg extract per day in 120 adults over five months. In the Echinacea and control groups, five and 14 samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. During acute SARS-CoV-2 episodes, Echinacea treatment significantly reduced the overall virus load by about 99%, the time to virus clearance by 4.8 days, and fever days to 1 day versus 11 days as compared to the control group. Conclusions As hypothesized, the review findings confirm the general preventive effects of Echinacea purpurea extracts against coronavirus infections in both adults and children. While Echinacea reduced symptom development, significantly reduced their viral loads, and shortened the duration of illness in children, there is unpublished clinical evidence that further demonstrates its efficacy in adults as well. The clinical findings of the in vitro experiments further complement these findings. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. To read the original article click here.

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Medicine That Treats Gout Could Also Battle COVID-19

AHA Publisher — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 07:00:43 +0000

University of Georgia via Newswise – As COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket across the U.S. and the world, few options are available for treating patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2. But new research from the University of Georgia offers hope for a viable therapeutic to combat the disease that has claimed more than 4 million lives worldwide. Published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, the study found that probenecid has broad antiviral properties, making it a prime candidate to combat not only SARS-CoV-2 infection but also other common and deadly respiratory viruses like RSV and flu. Probenecid is an FDA-approved medication that’s primarily used to treat gout, and it’s already widely available in the U.S. The drug has been on the market for over 40 years and has minimal side effects. “There’s really nothing out there to safely fight these viruses,” said Ralph Tripp, lead author of the study and GRA Eminent Scholar of Vaccine and Therapeutic Studies in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “This antiviral works for all RNA respiratory viruses we tested, including SARS-CoV-2. RSV, coronavirus and flu all circulate in the same season. Bottom line is you can potentially reduce infection and disease using this one oral drug.” Blocking Viral Reproduction Viruses work by coopting a person’s own cells to replicate and produce more of the virus. Probenecid blocks that replication process, keeping the virus from infecting the individual’s cells. In clinical development at the pharmaceutical company TrippBio, Tripp showed the drug works as a prophylactic prior to virus exposure and as a post-exposure treatment in animal models against SARS-CoV-2 and flu. The drug also has proven effective in fighting the RSV in vitro, and in vivo studies are in progress. Although the drug would primarily be used after a person is positive for the virus, the prophylactic findings mean people with known exposures could also potentially take the drug to prevent getting sick. COVID-19 Treatment Options Limited The current go-to treatments for seriously ill COVID-19 patients, remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies, can only be given through an IV. And by the time a COVID patient needs them, it’s often too late. “These treatments have seen some effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, but they’re very expensive and very hard to come by,” Tripp said. “In reality, there are only a handful of options that can actually be used because of the cost, restricted IV usage, and lack of access. That’s not very useful to the world.” Probenecid, on the other hand, is widely available. Primary care physicians could prescribe a pill to patients, and they could pick it up at their local drugstore. Repurposing drugs that are already approved to work against one problem is common. For example, remdesivir was originally intended to fight Ebola virus… In addition to preventing illness before it starts, probenecid may also potentially increase the efficacy of other treatments. Probenecid is already used to up the potency of some antibiotics, so it’s possible the medication could work in conjunction with other COVID-19 treatments as well. Now the researchers are investigating what dosage of probenecid could have the biggest impact fighting viruses in people. TrippBio is set to begin clinical trials of the medication within the year. “SARS-CoV-2, RSV and flu have a huge impact on health systems throughout the world,” Tripp said. “Probenecid has a potent antiviral effect against these viruses, and it works safely.” This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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Over-the-Counter Acid Reflux Drug Appears to Improve the Odds of Survival for COVID-19 Patients

AHA Publisher — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 07:00:11 +0000

University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science via News Medical – In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors in Wuhan noticed something surprising. Many of the elderly patients who survived the virus were poor: not exactly the demographic you would expect to fare well in a health crisis. A review of the survivors’ medical records revealed that a significant number suffered from chronic heartburn and were taking an inexpensive drug called famotidine, the key ingredient in Pepcid. (Wealthier patients tended to take the more costly drug omeprazole, found in Prilosec.) Was an over-the-counter acid suppressant helping people survive COVID-19? This is how many medical studies begin, said biomedical engineering professor Phil Bourne, who serves as founding dean for the School of Data Science. “There’s often a phenomenon that doctors report anecdotally, or that’s mentioned in passing in a particular research paper, and that provides a clue -; a hook,” he said. Typically, to find out whether a drug is effective in treating a particular medical condition, scientists develop prospective clinical trials. But this method is expensive and can take years, Bourne pointed out. When faced with a global pandemic, it’s helpful to explore other options. That’s where data scientists come in. Bourne and UVA senior scientist Cameron Mura worked with an international team of researchers to analyze information from a database that holds the medical records of millions of COVID-19 patients living in 30 different countries. The team winnowed that number down to around 22,000 people, the largest sample size for a study on famotidine and the disease to date. “The power of the electronic health record, which is really yet to be fully realized as a research tool, is that you’ve suddenly got all this data you can mine to see whether what you determined in passing or anecdotally has any basis.” Phil Bourne, Biomedical Engineering Professor The team’s analysis, which appeared in the journal Signal Transduction & Targeted Therapy(from the Nature publishing group), showed that the data supported findings from other smaller-scale studies. When delivered at high doses (the equivalent of about 10 Pepcid tablets), famotidine appears to improve the odds of survival for COVID-19 patients, especially when it is combined with aspirin. It also seems to hinder the severity of disease progression, making patients less likely to reach the point where they require intubation or a ventilator. The next challenge was to figure out why. Data scientists like Mura and Bourne perform extensive detective work for medical analyses like this one, looking at existing information and drawing upon biochemical and molecular principles to propose a cohesive theory that helps elucidate the population-scale patterns they identify. Mura calls this “weaving a story” based on the data. He needed to work backwards from massive groups of people and draw some possible conclusions about what was happening at a totally different scale -; the scale of proteins that are “one millionth the size of an ant,” he said. One of the most dangerous phenomena COVID-19 can trigger in your body is something called a cytokine storm, which is a potentially fatal amplification of an immune response. When you become sick, your immune system releases inflammatory proteins called cytokines that tell your immune cells how to fight the infection. But in more severe illnesses, cytokine production can spiral out of control, becoming dysregulated. “Basically, your immune system goes haywire and starts attacking things like your otherwise healthy lung tissue because it’s so desperate to kill off the invading virus,” Mura said. “Your own physiology essentially uses a sledgehammer against the pathogen when a fly swatter would suffice.” The team’s theory is that famotidine suppresses that reaction. Although it was developed with a specific purpose in mind -; blocking the histamine receptors that help produce acid in your stomach -; famotidine, like all other medications, can cause side effects. Mura and his colleagues believe that interfering with cytokine storms might be one of them. “It may well be a case of famotidine having a beneficial off-target effect,” Mura said. We generally think of side effects as a bad thing, but in some cases, they can be harnessed to treat other conditions. In the future, it’s possible that famotidine could be re-purposed in this way. But the team’s findings are far from conclusive. Other studies have offered conflicting pictures of what famotidine can do for COVID-19 patients: Some have found that it has a neutral effect and one has even suggested that it might be detrimental. Mura, Bourne and their colleagues recently published a review of existing research on the subject, along with suggestions for a framework that could help reconcile the contradictory reports. Still, with its unique focus on combining famotidine with aspirin and its impressively large sample size, the team’s study has shed further light on an inexpensive and safe potential treatment that would be easy for doctors to prescribe. In the midst of an international health crisis, the study has also laid important groundwork for further research. “Scientific studies are sometimes viewed as the end-all, be-all, but they’re really just a starting point or a springboard,” Mura said. “Any good study raises more questions than it answers, and data science is often what kick-starts that process.” To read the original article click here.

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Scientists Identify Natural SARS-CoV-2 Super Immunity Against 23 Variants

AHA Publisher — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 07:00:52 +0000

Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D. via News-Medical – A team of international scientists has recently identified ultrapotent anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies from convalescent donors. The antibodies are capable of neutralizing a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants even at sub-nanomolar concentrations. In addition, the combinations of these antibodies reduce the risk of generating escape mutants in vitro. The study is published in the journal Science. Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the human beta-coronavirus family. The spike glycoprotein on the viral envelop is composed of two subunits S1 and S2. Of which, the S1 subunit directly binds to the host cell angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor through the receptor-binding domain (RBD) to initiate the viral entry process. The majority of therapeutic antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 have been designed based on the native spike protein sequence found in the original Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2. Thus, novel viral variants with multiple spike protein mutations may likely develop resistance against these antibodies. In this context, studies have shown that antibodies developed in response to currently available COVID-19 vaccines have less efficiency in neutralizing novel variants of concern (VOCs) of SARS-CoV, including B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P1, and B.1.617.2. In the current study, the scientists have isolated and characterized anti-spike RBD antibodies from COVID-19 recovered patients. Antibody Identification The antibodies were isolated from four convalescent donors infected with the Washington-1 (WA-1) strain of SARS-CoV-2. The spike sequence in the WA-1 strain is similar to the spike sequence in the original Wuhan strain. The B cells isolated from donor-derived blood samples were sorted for antibody identification. This led to the identification of four potent neutralizing antibodies targeting the spike RBD. These antibodies showed a high affinity for the SARS-CoV-2 spike even at nanomolar concentrations. To determine whether the high potency antibodies could block ACE2 – spike binding, interferometry ACE2-competition and cell surface binding assays were performed. The findings revealed that of 4 antibodies, two bound to RBDs in the “up position” and two bound to RBDs in the “down position.” Moreover, three out of four antibodies directly blocked the RBD – ACE2 interaction, and one indirectly inhibited the interaction through steric hindrance – the slowing of chemical reactions due to steric bulk. Antibody-Mediated Neutralization All experimental antibodies exhibited significantly higher potency in neutralizing D614G mutation-containing variants than the WA-1 strain. Further analysis with lentiviral particles pseudotyped with spike variants indicated that the antibodies maintain high potency in neutralizing a diverse set of 10 spike variants. Importantly, three out of four experimental antibodies showed high efficacy in neutralizing 13 circulating variants of concern/interest of SARS-CoV-2, including B.1.1.7, B.1.351, B.1.427, B.1.429, B.1.526, P.1, P.2, B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2. Structural and Functional Analysis of Antibodies Cryo-electron microscopic analyses of antibody-antigen complex structures revealed that two antibodies with the highest neutralization potency bind to the spike protein with all RBDs in “up position.” Further structural analyses revealed that the epitope binding modes of the antibodies are responsible for high neutralizing potency against SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. The binding and neutralizing ability of the antibodies was negatively impacted by three spike mutations, including F486R, N487R, and Y489R. Antibody Resistance Antibody selection pressure was applied to the WA-1 strain to identify potential escape mutations that may appear during the viral infection. The positive selection pressure was applied by incubating the virus with increasing concentrations of the antibodies to trigger antibody resistance. In two of the most potent antibodies, one was negatively impacted by a single F486S mutation, and the other one was impacted by the F486L, N487D, and Q493R mutations. However, the Q493R mutation showed a negligible impact on binding and neutralization. Further analysis revealed that these escape mutations are primarily absent in circulating viral variants, indicating the absence of selection pressure. By conducting multiple rounds of selection using combination treatments with two antibodies, it was observed that antibody combinations might reduce the risk of escape mutation acquisition and subsequent development of resistant viral variants. To read the original article click here.

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New Antiviral Drug Completely Suppresses SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Within 24 Hours

AHA Publisher — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 08:00:05 +0000

Georgia State University via News-Medical Net – Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection with a new antiviral drug, MK-4482/EIDD-2801 or Molnupiravir, completely suppresses virus transmission within 24 hours, researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University have discovered. The group led by Dr. Richard Plemper, Distinguished University Professor at Georgia State, originally discovered that the drug is potent against influenza viruses. This is the first demonstration of an orally available drug to rapidly block SARS-CoV-2 transmission. MK-4482/EIDD-2801 could be game-changing.” Dr. Richard Plemper, Distinguished University Professor, Georgia State University Interrupting widespread community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 until mass vaccination is available is paramount to managing COVID-19 and mitigating the catastrophic consequences of the pandemic. Because the drug can be taken by mouth, treatment can be started early for a potentially three-fold benefit: inhibit patients’ progress to severe disease, shorten the infectious phase to ease the emotional and socioeconomic toll of prolonged patient isolation and rapidly silence local outbreaks. “We noted early on that MK-4482/EIDD-2801 has broad-spectrum activity against respiratory RNA viruses and that treating infected animals by mouth with the drug lowers the amount of shed viral particles by several orders of magnitude, dramatically reducing transmission,” said Plemper. “These properties made MK-4482/EIDD/2801 a powerful candidate for pharmacologic control of COVID-19.” In the study published in Nature Microbiology, Plemper’s team repurposed MK-4482/EIDD-2801 against SARS-CoV-2 and used a ferret model to test the effect of the drug on halting virus spread. “We believe ferrets are a relevant transmission model because they readily spread SARS-CoV-2, but mostly do not develop severe disease, which closely resembles SARS-CoV-2 spread in young adults,” said Dr. Robert Cox, a postdoctoral fellow in the Plemper group and a co-lead author of the study. The researchers infected ferrets with SARS-CoV-2 and initiated treatment with MK-4482/EIDD-2801 when the animals started to shed virus from the nose. “When we co-housed those infected and then treated source animals with untreated contact ferrets in the same cage, none of the contacts became infected,” said Josef Wolf, a doctoral student in the Plemper lab and co-lead author of the study. By comparison, all contacts of source ferrets that had received placebo became infected. If these ferret-based data translate to humans, COVID-19 patients treated with the drug could become non-infectious within 24 hours after the beginning of treatment. MK-4482/EIDD-2801 is in advanced phase II/III clinical trials against SARS-CoV-2 infection. To read the original article click here.

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Mild COVID-19 Disease May Trigger Long-Term Immunity

AHA Publisher — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 08:00:49 +0000

Sally Robertson, B.Sc. via News-Medical Net – Researchers in the United States have conducted a study showing that individuals who have recovered from mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) developed sustained protective immune memory against the causative agent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The team’s longitudinal analysis of recovered patients who had been mildly symptomatic found that these individuals had developed multifaceted SARS-CoV-2-specific immunological memory that was maintained for the duration of the study. As recently reported in the journal Cell, the participants developed SARS-CoV-2 specific immunoglobulin g (IgG) antibodies, neutralizing plasma, memory B cells, and memory T cells that persisted for at least three months. The team – from the University of Washington and Benaroya Research Institute in Seattle – also found that populations of virus-specific memory T and B cells expanded and exhibited protective antiviral functions. “Therefore, mild COVID-19 elicits memory lymphocytes that persist and display functional hallmarks of antiviral immunity,” said Marion Pepper (University of Washington School of Medicine) and colleagues. Establishing whether mild disease can induce persistent immune memory is vital Since the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 were identified in Wuhan, China, late last year (2019), the unprecedented spread of the COVID-19-pandemic has now led to 59.59 million cases of infection and caused more than 1.4 million deaths. The vast majority of infected individuals experience mildly symptomatic disease and do not require hospitalization. However, whether this mild disease can induce persistent immune memory that could protect against future reinfection and therefore reduce transmission is not yet known. “While a vaccine is needed to safely reach herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2, understanding if natural infection induces viral-specific immunological memory that could influence transmission and disease severity is critical to controlling this pandemic,” writes the team. The role the adaptive immune system plays in immune memory The adaptive immune system primarily mediates immunologic memory. Following viral infection, B cells and T cells bind to viral proteins, which triggers their expansion, differentiation, and secretion of effector molecules to combat the infection. Once the virus is cleared, most of these virus-specific effector cells die, but about 10% persists as memory cells that can produce a continuous supply of effector molecules. Strategically located dormant memory cells are also quickly reactivated in response to repeat infection and induce the same effector processes as those that occurred during the primary immune response. Following reinfection, pathogen-specific memory B cells (MBCs) differentiate into plasmablasts that secrete protective IgG antibodies. Reactivated memory T cells also proliferate, which can help to activate MBCs. In addition, the reactivated T cells secrete cytokines such as interferon-γ (IFN-γ) to stimulate the innate immune system and deliver cytolytic molecules that destroy infected cells. “These quantitatively and qualitatively enhanced virus-specific memory populations coordinate to quickly clear the virus, thereby preventing disease and reducing the chance of transmission,” said Pepper and colleagues. “It is therefore critical to assess the full cadre of SARS-CoV-2-specific immune memory responses to determine if mild infection induces a multilayered defense that lasts.” What did the researchers do? The team performed an analysis of SARS-CoV-2 specific immune responses at one month and three months following symptom onset among individuals who had recovered from mild COVID-19. The majority of participants developed SARS-CoV-2 -specific IgG antibodies, neutralizing antibodies, and memory B and T cells that persisted for at least three months. Three months following symptom onset, recovered individuals had formed an expanded arsenal of virus-specific memory cells that exhibited hallmarks of antiviral immunity. This included an increased population of pathogen-specific memory B cells (MBCs) that were capable of expressing neutralizing antibodies against the virus. “These data suggest that upon re-exposure to SARS-CoV-2, these individuals will have MBCs that can rapidly generate neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers and help control the infection,” say the researchers. Memory T cells also secreted cytokines and this cell population expanded upon antigen re-encounter. The number of CXCR5-expressing circulating T follicular helper cells (which can influence B cell activation) increased, as did the number of CXCR3-expressing CD4+ T memory cells and IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells. What are the implications of the study? “Together, these data demonstrate that all of the recovered individuals in our cohort formed a multifaceted defense, which suggests attenuated virus vaccines are likely to be similarly successful in eliciting a functional immune memory response,” write Pepper and colleagues. The team says that while further studies are needed to determine how long memory to SARS-CoV-2 infection lasts, the findings suggest that mild COVID-19 induces persistent, multifaceted immune memory. “These functional antiviral memory lymphocytes are poised for a coordinated response to SARS-CoV-2 re-exposure that could contribute to immunity and help to curtail the pandemic,” concludes the team. Journal reference: Pepper M, et al. Functional SARS-CoV-2-specific immune memory persists after mild COVID-19. Cell, 2020. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.029, https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)31565-8 To read the original article click here.

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UC San Diego Health Launches Novel Coronavirus Blood Testing to Identify Past Exposure

AHA Publisher — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 07:00:06 +0000

University of California San Diego Health via Newswise – Serological tests look for antibodies produced in response to infection, and will help determine who may have potentially acquired immunity to COVID-19—and who remains at risk. Newswise — Clinical laboratory physicians and scientists at UC San Diego Health have launched a pair of serological tests that will look for novel coronavirus antibodies — evidence in persons tested that they have previously been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the viral cause of COVID-19, even if they never experienced tell-tale symptoms. The effort will be overseen by the UC San Diego Center for Advanced Laboratory Medicine (CALM), which houses the majority of UC San Diego Health’s Clinical Laboratories and related research activities and is already the hub for the health system’s in-house PCR-based diagnostic testing of patients and persons suspected of having COVID-19. “This is part of the next wave of testing,” said Ronald W. McLawhon, MD, PhD, director of CALM and UC San Diego Clinical Laboratories and chief of the Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine. “It’s intended to answer those growing questions about who has been infected and who might still be vulnerable to exposure.” The effort is built upon two assays developed by Diazyme Laboratories, Inc., a division of General Atomics, based in Poway, Ca. The tests analyze blood samples, similar to those taken for routine clinical reasons, for the presence of two of the body’s five classes of antibodies: IgG and IgM. Antibodies are proteins used by the immune system to recognize and help neutralize pathogenic invaders, such as viruses or bacteria. The IgG antibody is the most abundant type; IgM is one of the first antibody types produced by the body’s immune system to fight a new infection. Looking for these two types of antibodies together, rather than one, increases the treating physician’s confidence in being able to differentiate between a recent infection versus a past exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. “These tests have already gone through an initial assessment and validation by Diazyme,” said Robert Fitzgerald, PhD, professor of clinical pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of the Toxicology Laboratory and associate director of Clinical Chemistry Laboratory at UC San Diego Health. “We’ve put them through our validation processes as well, including comparing samples from patients known to have COVID-19, healthy volunteers and blood samples from 2018, long before the virus appeared.” McLawhon said initial capacity for serological testing will be a combination of up to 1,200 of IgM or IgG antibody tests per day, with results within 24 hours. The system, he said, is scalable. The presence of novel coronavirus antibodies can reveal persons who may have unknowingly contracted COVID-19 and recovered, but never showed signs of infection. The first testing cohort will likely be health care workers, which will help identify who are now in a convalescent phase after a documented exposure and, perhaps, may have acquired at least some degree of immunological protection. At this point, it has not been established whether the presence of IgG antibodies is an indicator of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection or re-infection, as seen with many other viral infectious diseases. Serological testing will also be used to assess health care workers who are suspected of having COVID-19, but not tested by PCR and are recovering at home under quarantine. McLawhon said the twin Diazyme tests have shown high sensitivity and specificity, particularly compared to most point-of-care, rapid-response serological tests for novel coronavirus now flooding the international market. Thus far, only one rapid serological test, which claims a result within 15 to 20 minutes, has received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “There are a lot of these unproven rapid tests out there. Some are performed using technology found in today’s pregnancy tests, using a drop of blood,” said McLawhon. “But none have gone through FDA review nor have they been validated in terms of their clinical performance. Many do not perform well. The results aren’t clear-cut. There’s a lot of subjectivity in user interpretation. And, they can do only one sample at a time, which means a staff member might reasonably be able to collect and complete between four to a dozen tests in an hour.” Aside from identifying past coronavirus exposure, serological testing will likely be a valuable epidemiological tool. There are expansive plans to use blood tests to map where the virus has spread, which cities, states and regions may have developed some degree of “herd immunity” to future outbreaks and which places and populations remain at greatest risk. The Centers for Disease Control has announced plans for three such clinical trials across the country. Serological (antibody) tests are not considered frontline tests for detecting a current or active infection. They have clear limitations for diagnosing new coronavirus infections because the immune response and antibody production varies by individual. There is often a lag of several days — as much as five to 10 days — between initial virus exposure and the first produced antibodies detected in the blood. During this time, called the “window period,” an infected person can be contagious, but may not be displaying any symptoms. “You can’t use the serological testing to differentiate timing of infection,” said Michael J. Kelner, MD, director of the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory at UC San Diego Health. “They can’t be done in lieu of a PCR test. But they can tell us who has been exposed — or not — and that’s important. As we go forward, we’ll see if they can help answer more questions.” The coronavirus blood testing program at UC San Diego Health is, for now, open-ended. “The greatest strength of our laboratory program at CALM is the team of clinicians who bring different expertise to the problem of managing this pandemic,” said Steve Gonias, MD, PhD, chair and chief of the Department of Pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “As a team, our goal is to continue to develop the most advanced assortment of diagnostic laboratory tests to assess COVID-19 in the state.” “There are worries about subsequent waves of outbreaks elsewhere or that the virus might reappear in places,” said McLawhon. “No one can yet say what will happen. Right now, I’m guessing we’ll be doing this type of testing for at least another 18 months. Or until a vaccine is developed. Or for as long as there continues to be a global pandemic.” To read the original article click here.

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