by Matthew McKenzie, University of Manchester A little-known non-toxic antiseptic developed in the Soviet Union during the Cold War has enormous potential to beat common infections, say University of Manchester scientists. Miramistin, developed for the Soviet Space Program and little known in the West, can inhibit or kill influenza A, human papilloma viruses that cause...
June 23, 2020, 10:31 AM EST Pien Huang A CT scan of the chest of a 66-year-old male reveals patchy rounded hazy spots throughout the lungs. He had tested positive for the coronavirus and experienced shortness of breath. Even if someone is infected by the novel coronavirus and remains asymptomatic — free of coughing, fever,...
Research demonstrates how Rensselaer-made peptides can bind to cells and potentially block viruses Designer peptides show potential for blocking viruses, e TROY, N.Y. — Chemically engineered peptides, designed and developed by a team of researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, could prove valuable in the battle against some of the most persistent human health challenges. The...
by University of Birmingham A type of virus that preys on bacteria could be harnessed to combat bacterial infections in patients whose immune systems have been weakened by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, according to an expert at the University of Birmingham and the Cancer Registry of Norway. Called bacteriophages, these viruses...
by Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have created a next-generation drug called Ciapavir (SBI-0953294) that is effective at reactivating dormant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The research, published in Cell Reports Medicine, aims to create a functional HIV cure by activating and then eliminating all pockets of...
by eLife Electron micrographs of hepatitis C virus purified from cell culture. Scale bar is 50 nanometers. Credit: Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University. By discovering a trick the hepatitis C virus uses to evade the immune system, scientists have identified a new antiviral defense system that could be used to...
Washing your hands with plain soap and water can destroy the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. But how does soap work to keep you healthy? “There are so many unknowns about this pandemic that are driving fear and leading to irrational actions, like panic-buying of toilet paper,” says Bill Wuest, an associate professor in the chemistry...
by Rosemary Brandt, University of Arizona In the battle to slow or prevent the transmission of viruses, such as the novel coronavirus, continuously active disinfectants could provide a new line of defense, according to a recent University of Arizona study released on the health sciences preprint server MedRxiv. While disinfecting high-contact surfaces is an important...
A group of scientists has called for urgent research into whether readily-available mouthwash could be effective in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The group carried out a review of scientific research in this area, published in the journal Function, to assess whether mouthwash could have the potential to reduce transmission in the early stages of infection. The...
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a coating that can be used to create textiles that repel viruses, along with bodily fluids such as saliva and blood. Interestingly, the coated textiles are reusable, and can be washed and scrubbed repeatedly without losing their virus-repelling properties. These characteristics may make them highly suited for...
