IMMUNOGENICITY to SARS-COV-2 ?
(Mega-thread🧵 with 7 studies just published ! 💯)
We need to approach this topic, with a lot of humility, acknowledging that we are just starting to grasp the complexities of our immune system's response to SARS-CoV-2.
2) "Real-world assessment of immunogenicity in immunocompromised individuals following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination: a two-year follow-up of the prospective clinical trial COVAXID"
3)..leading to the need for extra booster shots. In a 2-year study of 364 patients from a trial, blood samples showed that more vaccine doses and past infections improved immune responses, despite some treatments weakening them. Continuous boosters are crucial for these patients.
4) "Broad immunogenicity to prior SARS-CoV-2 strains and JN.1 variant elicited by XBB.1.5 vaccination in nursing home residents"
The XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine enhances immunity among nursing home residents (NHRs) and healthcare workers (HCWs)
... link.springer.com/article/10.100…
5) ...particularly against new variants. A study showed that NHRs who had prior COVID-19 infections produced higher antibody levels after vaccination. This suggests the XBB.1.5 vaccine is effective in boosting protection for vulnerable populations.
6) "Functional Activity and Binding Specificity of small Ankyron Repeat Proteins against SARS-CoV-2 variants"
To manage COVID-19 effectively, we need both vaccines and treatments. Researchers have created special proteins called Ankyrons ... biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
7)...that can attach to the virus. These proteins can be made in the lab and bind tightly to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Tests showed that some Ankyrons work against different virus variants. They also can neutralize the virus in lab tests and could help develop new treatments quickly
8) "Structural insights into the RNA binding inhibitors of the C-terminal domain of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid"
The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein helps protect and package the virus's genetic material. A study tested 3 antibiotics, ceftriaxone ... biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
9)..cefuroxime, and ampicillin to see if they could disrupt this packaging. Results showed that these drugs can inhibit RNA binding to the N protein. Structural analysis revealed new interaction sites, suggesting that targeting the N protein could lead to new antiviral treatments
10) "A Modular Bacteriophage T4 Nanoparticle Platform Enables Rapid Design of Completely Protective Multivalent Mucosal Dual Vaccine Against COVID-19 and Flu"
11) Current vaccines have issues like weak protection and less effectiveness against new variants. A new vaccine design uses bacteriophage T4 nanoparticles to target both COVID-19 and flu. It delivers vaccines through the nose for better immunity and includes various antigens...
12)..for wider protection. Tests in mice show strong immune responses, including antibodies and T cells, offering complete protection. This T4 platform can quickly create vaccines and is easy to produce, making it suitable for global use, especially in areas with fewer resources.
13) One of my favourite 🤗
"Distinct proteomic signatures in Ethiopians predict acute and long-term sequelae of COVID-19"
This study focuses on COVID-19 in African patients, who may react differently compared to other populations. medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
14) Researchers looked at proteins in patients' blood to find markers that could predict severe illness and the risk of Long COVID. They found specific proteins linked to severe cases and identified some that could indicate a higher or lower chance of developing Long COVID.
15) And to conclude a study posted yesterday.
Thanks for reading 🙏
Why is Identifying "Non-Trivial SARS-CoV-2 Population Structure within Hosts" Important for Understanding SARS-COV-2 Evolution and the Emergence of New Variants?
2) The "non-trivial population structure" refers to the viral population within a host consisting of two or more distinct, independently evolving subpopulations, rather than a single, homogeneous population.
3) The key points about non-trivial population structure are:
▶️ It was relatively common, found in 5 out of the 9 chronic SARS-CoV-2 infection cases examined.
▶️ It was more prevalent in severely immunocompromised individuals compared to those not significantly immunocompromised
2) Viruses are not living things. They are tiny particles that can only make copies of themselves inside the cells of living things, like humans. When a virus makes copies of itself, it doesn't always make perfect copies.
3) Sometimes, little mistakes happen, and the new virus has a small change, or mutation, in its genes.
Most of the time, these mutations don't do anything useful for the virus. But every now and then, a mutation might happen that makes the virus better at infecting people.
2) This study looks at the risks of COVID-19 for people traveling to space.
Space travel is becoming more common, with over 600 people having gone to space. But COVID-19 could be a big problem for astronauts in the unique environment of space.
3) The study aims to understand how COVID-19 might behave differently in space compared to on Earth.
The researchers reviewed studies on other airborne diseases in space. They found that some diseases, like Epstein-Barr virus and Serratia bacteria ...
From Lung Damage to Gut Dysbiosis:
The Lasting Implications of SARS-CoV-2 Variant-Specific Microbiome Changes (From Wuhan strain to Omicron) labanimres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11…
2) The Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 caused serious damage to the lungs of infected mice. The mice had a very high chance of dying from this strain. The researchers also looked at the bacteria in the lungs and guts of the infected mice.
3) The Wuhan strain increased harmful bacteria like E. coli in the lungs. This can make the lungs more prone to other infections.
The Omicron variant caused different changes in the gut bacteria of the mice. It increased certain bacteria linked to inflammation in the gut.
What are GAMMA CORONAVIRUSES ?
And why did we decide to talk about it?
2) A brief reminder :
▶️ SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the family Coronaviridae, is classified as a coronavirus and is responsible for COVID-19
▶️ Bird Flu refers to various strains of the influenza virus, particularly those in the Orthomyxoviridae family including H5N1 and H7N9.
3) ▶️ Gammacoronavirus belongs to the family Coronaviridae like SARS-COV-2.
Some notable gammacoronaviruses include:
- Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV): A major pathogen in poultry responsible for respiratory disease and reduced egg production.
A TREATMENT that Could Finally END Long COVID Suffering ?
This isn't the first time a treatment has been announced, and as millions continue to struggle with long Covid, we need to remain both cautious and hopeful 🤗
2) Researchers at WEHI announced that they discovered a new drug that can stop long COVID symptoms in mice. This drug is more effective than the current top treatment, Paxlovid, for both long COVID and acute COVID cases.
3) They focused on a specific protein called PLpro that other treatments haven't targeted well. This breakthrough could lead to new medicines for long COVID, a condition where people continue to feel sick long after their COVID-19 infection.