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 ...

CONNECTICUT: In a new study by Yale's Akiko Iwasaki, the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology, it was found that intranasal vaccination provided broad-based protection against heterologous respiratory viruses in mice. The research has been published in the 'Science Immunology Journal'. "The best immune defence happens at the gate, guarding against viruses trying to enter," said Iwasaki, senior author of the study. Mucous membranes contain their own immune defence system that combat air- or foodborne pathogens. When challenged, these barrier tissues produce B cells which in turn secrete immunoglobin A (IgA) antibodies. Unlike vaccines which elicit a system-wide immune response, IgA antibodies work locally on mucosal surfaces found in the nose, stomach, and lungs. While the protective role of IgA-producing cells had been well established in combating intestinal pathogens, Iwasaki's lab wondered if triggering IgA response might also produce a loca...

LOS ANGELES: Two doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine are highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants, but protection against Delta infection decreases over time, according to a study conducted in the US. At the time of the study, the omicron variant had not yet been detected in the Southern California region, the researchers said. The research, published in The British Medical Journal on Wednesday, showed the vaccine was effective against Covid-19 hospitalisation associated with the Delta variant. However, vaccine effectiveness against the variant moderately declined with increasing time after vaccination. "This study confirmed effectiveness against all variants during the study period, although we did find a drop in effectiveness over time against Delta infection, from 94 per cent effectiveness in the first 2 months after vaccination to 80 per cent effectiveness after 6 months," said Katia Bruxvoort, from Kaiser Permanente, US. "Protection against hospitalisation due...

WASHINGTON: People who are infected after getting vaccinated develop a greatly enhanced immune response to variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, according to a lab study. The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), shows that a breakthrough infection generates a robust immune response against the Delta variant. The findings suggest that the immune response in such people is likely to be highly effective against other variants as the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to mutate. "You can't get a better immune response than this. These vaccines are very effective against severe disease," said study senior author Fikadu Tafesse, an assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in the US. "Our study suggests that individuals who are vaccinated and then exposed to a breakthrough infection have super immunity," Tafesse said. The study found that antibodies measured in blood samples of breakthro...