Studies provide insights into characteristics and clinical effect of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant
Two new studies, published in
The Lancet Infectious Diseases and
The Lancet Public Health, found no evidence that people with the B.1.1.7. variant experience worse symptoms or a heightened risk of developing long COVID compared with those infected with a different COVID-19 strain. However, viral load and R number were higher for B.1.1.7., adding to growing evidence that it is more transmissible than the first strain detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
The emergence of variants has raised concerns that they could spread more easily and be more deadly, and that vaccines developed based on the original strain might be less effective against them. Preliminary data on B.1.1.7. indicates that it is more transmissible, with some evidence suggesting it could also be associated with increased hospitalisations and deaths. However, because the variant was identified only recently, these
Beyond vaccination, the broad-spectrum antiviral medication remdesivir has robust clinical evidence and is known as the best antiviral treatment to reduce severe COVID-19 infection in hospitalized patients. Research led by John F.X. Diffley of the Chromosome Replication Laboratory suggests a potential therapeutic target for treatment development is the viral RNA cap methyltransferases, essential for viral protein translation and immune evasion.
Screening for SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 14 inhibitors
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome generates 16 distinct non-structural proteins (nsp) that constitute the enzymes and accessory proteins responsible for virus replication once inside a host cell. These protein complexes produce and cap RNA strands that will go on to be translated by the host machinery. Capping the RNA in a manner that is recognized as similar to endogenous mRNA ensures compatibility, lessens RNA degradation rates and lowers the probability of triggering an immune response in the host cell.
In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server
et al. (April 8
th, 2021), inhibitors of one essential SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein are explored, with four compounds, in particular, identified as potential antiviral leads that exhibit synergistic effects with antiviral drug remdesivir.
Leopards are among the most widespread carnivores today, living in a wide range of habitats, from deserts to rainforests, and from the lowland plains to the mountainous highlands.
Over the past century, they’ve experienced extreme habitat losses due to human activity, both directly from hunting and indirectly from habitat reduction and prey competition. This has led to the land they occupy being reduced by over 50% in Africa, and over 80% in Asia, involving the local extinction of many populations.
Genetic analysis of leopards is important to understand their population history, structure and dynamics. Particularly important is the analysis of whole nuclear genomes, which means all the DNA contained in the cell core – approximately 2.5 billion DNA bases (pairs of DNA building blocks).
Researchers unveil new SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor that targets viral immune evasion
In a recent quest for an effective antiviral compound, UK researchers have purified a specific enzyme of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) known as nsp15 and optimized fluorescent biochemical endoribonuclease assays to screen a custom chemical library with over 5,000 commercial compounds. The study is currently available on the
bioRxiv preprint server
.
SARS-CoV-2 is a causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a human disease that resulted in millions of deaths, burdened global health systems to near-breaking point, and imperiled economies of countries and families in an unprecedented fashion.
Although vaccination endeavors are well underway, not all countries can access them, and specific antiviral treatments to combat this disease are currently lacking. Remdesivir is the only antiviral drug approved for the treatment of COVID-19; however, its effectivene