My Revolution of PARTs

WASHINGTON: An RNA molecule that stimulates the body's early antiviral defence system may provide protection against a range of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta, according to a study conducted in mice. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a single stranded molecule essential in various biological roles and expression of genes. Researchers at Yale School of Medicine in the US noted that the molecule could lead to new treatments for Covid-19 in immunocompromised patients. The research, published recently in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), could also provide an inexpensive therapeutic option for many developing countries that currently lack access to vaccines. The study was conducted before Omicron was identified and did not test for the variant which is behind the current spike in Covid-19 cases in many countries. The researchers noted that the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are highly effective at preventing severe disease and death. However, vaccine availability is extremely ...

WASHINGTON: Investigators have reported on the design and testing of a breathalyzer, known as the Bubbler that relies on viral RNA detection to diagnose SARS-CoV-2. Its name is derived from the bubbling sound that occurs when the patient exhales into the device. The findings were published in a new study in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, published by Elsevier. The Bubbler not only reverse transcribes RNA from airborne virus particles into DNA to be tested via PCR but can also barcode that DNA, allowing samples to be linked directly to the patient they have come from and be used for sequencing. It can be used for simultaneous batches of pooled samples and provides additional information such as viral load and strain identity and eliminates the need for stabilizing a sample, potentially allowing the assay to be performed at home. "Involvement of the lower respiratory tract is often a precursor to severe Covid-19, so there is an argument for a more direct sampling focused ...