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Vipin M. Vashishtha

@vipintukur

Apr 2

Even after 5 yrs since its arrival, SARS-CoV-2 mutations keep emerging. A new variant LP.8.1 is rising. Almost 1 in 5 COVID cases in New South Wales are it. In the UK, it accounts for at least 3 in 5 cases. Just what is LP.8.1? Is it worrying? 1/

LP.8.1 was first detected in July 2024. It’s a descendant of Omicron, specifically of KP.1.1.3, which is descended from JN.1, a subvariant that caused large waves of COVID infections around the world in late 2023 and early 2024. 2/

The WHO designated LP.8.1 as a variant under monitoring in January. This was in response to its significant growth globally, and reflects that it has genetic changes which may allow the virus to spread more easily and pose a greater risk to human health. 3/

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Vipin M. Vashishtha

@vipintukur

Apr 1

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds fibrinogen, causing thrombo-inflammation, according to a recent study. The virus must bind to fibrinogen, but why? Could this relationship help the virus evolve? Could this cause post-COVID heart attacks? 1/

Scientists often think they grasp a virus's anatomy, tricks, and body movement. But occasionally, we discover something unexpected that radically transforms how we view an infection. 2/

Some strategies are well documented: antigenic drift, glycan shielding, immune suppression. But every so often, we stumble upon a novel mechanism that redefines our understanding of viral pathogenesis. 3/

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Vipin M. Vashishtha

@vipintukur

Mar 27

COVID-19 increases the risk of autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes. The virus alters the immune system in unknown ways, making it difficult to design medicines to prevent post-COVID autoimmunity. 1/

One leading hypothesis involves viral “molecular mimics”—proteins from the virus that resemble the body’s own proteins. These mimics may trigger an immune response against the virus but unintentionally cause the immune system to target healthy tissues as well. 2/

Thanks to recent advancements in data analysis and machine learning, scientists have now identified a set of SARS-CoV-2-derived molecular mimics that may play a role in initiating autoimmune responses. 3/

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Vipin M. Vashishtha

@vipintukur

Mar 27

mRNA-COVID-19 vaccines train the 'long-term memory' of immune system

Researchers have determined that the novel mRNA-COVID-19 vaccines not only induce acquired immune responses such as antibody production, but also cause persistent epigenetic changes in innate immune cells 1/

Thus, vaccination with mRNA vaccines could lead to an enhanced immune response to future encounters with pathogens which are not specifically targeted by the vaccine. 2/

These findings reveal that mRNA vaccines cause epigenetic 'training' of innate immune cells, sustaining immunological response. Epigenetic alterations may enable long-lasting innate immunity that enhances acquired immune system protection. 3/

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Vipin M. Vashishtha

@vipintukur

Mar 26

In a proof-of-concept study, people with cognitive impairment in #LongCOVID were found to have asymmetrical glymphatic dysfunction in the left hemisphere of the brain which also correlated with disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). 1/

A group of researchers used special MRI techniques to assess perivascular spaces in the brain of 14 individuals with LongCOVID compared to 10 healthy controls. 2/

A significant reduction in the DTI-ALPS index—a measure of glymphatic function—in the left hemisphere of LongCOVID patients was found, indicating impaired waste clearance in the brain. 3/

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Vipin M. Vashishtha

@vipintukur

Mar 25

Sugar coatings aren't only for candies; they also help viruses, like the ones that cause COVID-19, hide from their hosts' immune system.

Now, researchers have developed a universal vaccine that targets coronaviruses and the sugars that they use as cover. 1/

As demonstrated in animal studies, the vaccine removed sugar molecules from an area of a coronavirus spike protein that rarely mutates and created effective and plentiful antibodies to inactivate the virus. 2/

Researchers say that the premise of this research is simple: it's an effective vaccine that targets more than one coronavirus at a time, which will allow individuals to receive a single shot for protection against multiple infectious agents. 3/

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