First-of-its-kind study identifies 13 new Alzheimer’s disease genes
In the first study to use whole genome sequencing (WGS) to discover rare genomic variants associated with Alzheimer s disease (AD), researchers have identified 13 such variants (or mutations). In another novel finding, this study establishes new genetic links between AD and the function of synapses, which are the junctions that transmit information between neurons, and neuroplasticity, or the ability of neurons to reorganize the brain s neural network. These discoveries could help guide development of new therapies for this devastating neurological condition.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center report these findings in
Antibodies produced from infection with SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 protect against other variants
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to claim thousands of lives daily around the world, the pathogen responsible for it, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to undergo mutational changes. A recent paper in the journal
Nature shows that while earlier lineages do not elicit antibodies capable of efficiently neutralizing the newly emerged South African variant, SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 (B.1.351), the converse does occur.
The SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 variant
The constant occurrence of mutations in the various regions of the viral genome has led to the emergence of a multitude of variants, some of which have become global variants of concern (VOCs).
COVID-19 surges are driven by appearance of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, genome sequencing shows
Genome sequencing of thousands of SARS-CoV-2 samples shows that surges of COVID-19 cases are driven by the appearance of new coronavirus variants, according to new research from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis published April 1 in
Scientific Reports.
As variants emerge, you re going to get new outbreaks.
Bart Weimer, Professor of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis
The merger of classical epidemiology with genomics provides a tool public health authorities could use to predict the course of pandemics, whether of coronavirus, influenza or some new pathogen.
One COVID-19 patient can infect 400 people, says Maharashtra health official
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Last Updated: Apr 01, 2021, 07:32 PM IST
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Synopsis The coronavirus infection generally spreads through our nose. One COVID-19 patients can infect at least 400 people. Hence, there is no alternative to wearing mask, hygiene and social distancing, the senior health official said.
AP
The head of Maharashtra s COVID-19 task force Dr Sanjay Oak on Thursday said a COVID-19 patient can infect 400 people, and hence, there is no alternative to masks, hygiene and social distancing. Speaking to reporters, Oak said a new range of symptoms such as common cold, mild body ache and fatigue has emerged in COVID-19 patients in the state.
Compromised immunity can allow SARS-CoV-2 to evade the immune system
The vast majority of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 clear the virus, but those with compromised immunity such as individuals receiving immune-suppressive drugs for autoimmune diseases can become chronically infected. As a result, their weakened immune defenses continue to attack the virus without being able to eradicate it fully.
This physiological tug-of-war between human host and pathogen offers a valuable opportunity to understand how SARS-CoV-2 can survive under immune pressure and adapt to it.
Now, a new study led by Harvard Medical School scientists offers a look into this interplay, shedding light on the ways in which compromised immunity may render SARS-CoV-2 fitter and capable of evading the immune system.