by University of California, Los Angeles Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new study has identified potential broad-spectrum antiviral agents that can target multiple families of RNA viruses that continue to pose a significant threat for future pandemics. The study, led by Gustavo Garcia Jr. in the UCLA Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, tested a library...
by Eric Hamilton, University of Wisconsin-Madison Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The antiviral therapies remdesivir, molnupiravir, and the active ingredient in Pfizer’s Paxlovid pill (nirmatrelvir), remain effective in laboratory tests against the BA.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The BA.2 variant also remains susceptible to at least some of the monoclonal antibodies used...
IMAGE: PEPTOIDS (BLUE, LEFT) PIERCE THE PROTECTIVE COAT OF A VIRUS, CAUSING ITS DISINTEGRATION AND INACTIVATION (RIGHT). CREDIT: MAXWELL BIOSCIENCES ATLANTA, Aug. 24, 2021 — In addition to antibodies and white blood cells, the immune system deploys peptides to fight viruses and other pathogens. Synthetic peptides could reinforce this defense but don’t last long in...
Due to the devastating worldwide impact of COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there has been unprecedented efforts by clinicians and researchers from around the world to quickly develop safe and effective treatments and vaccines. Given that COVID-19 is a complex new disease with no existing vaccine or specific treatment, much effort is...
(HealthDay)—For older patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy is effective, according to a study published online May 25 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Chiara Mazzarelli, M.D., from King’s College Hospital in London, and colleagues conducted a retrospective review involving individuals aged 65 years and older treated with DAA therapy for HCV. Participants were...
