Cell-like decoys could mop up viruses in humans – including the one that causes COVID-19

Nanoparticles dressed up in cell membranes snag SARS-CoV-2 virus particles before they reach human cells.

Liangfang Zhang, Professor of Nanoengineering, University of California San Diego • conversation
July 9, 2020 • ~5 min
Tags: covid-19 coronavirus immune-system nanotechnology pandemic vaccines treatment covid-19-vaccine biomedical-research covid-19-therapy

Coronavirus: could it be burning out after 20% of a population is infected?

There is speculation about whether a population can achieve some sort of immunity to the virus with as little as 20% infected.

Joacim Rocklöv, Professor of Epidemiology, Umeå University • conversation
June 29, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: covid-19 immune-system immune-cells antibodies herd-immunity coronavirus-2020 sweden genetic-epidemiology

Am I immune to COVID-19 if I have antibodies?

If you have had COVID-19 already, are you protected from another bout of the illness? And is the presence of antibodies in your blood a guarantee of immunity?

William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia • conversation
June 12, 2020 • ~6 min
Tags: covid-19 immune-system sars-cov-2 immunity immune-response antibody spike-protein

COVID-19's deadliness for men is revealing why researchers should have been studying immune system sex differences years ago

Why does COVID-19 hit men harder than women? Is the disparity in mortality rates due male hormones or an underlying difference in the male versus female immune system?

Adam Moeser, Matilda R. Wilson Endowed Chair, Associate Professor of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University • conversation
June 9, 2020 • ~8 min

Tags:  covid-19  immune-system  pandemic  sars-cov-2  immune-response  testosterone  estrogen  androgen

Coronavirus deaths and those of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery have something in common: Racism

Racism – and the chronic stress it causes – leads to poor health among African Americans. It may change the way genes are expressed, leading to increased levels of dangerous stress hormones.

April Thames, Associate Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences • conversation
June 9, 2020 • ~9 min

Tags:  covid-19  coronavirus  inflammation  immune-system  pandemic  health-disparities  racism  african-americans

Antigen tests for COVID-19 are fast and easy – and could solve the coronavirus testing problem despite being somewhat inaccurate

An antigen test was given emergency use authorization by the FDA in early May. A biochemist explains how COVID-19 antigen tests work.

Eugene Wu, Associate Professor of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Richmond • conversation
May 29, 2020 • ~9 min
Tags: public-health covid-19 coronavirus immune-system biology antibodies sars-cov-2 testing antibody-testing pregnancy-test false-negative

Coronavirus: why we're using llamas to help fight the pandemic

'Nanobodies' produced by the llama immune system can neutralise the virus that causes COVID-19.

Gary Stephens, Professor of Pharmacology, University of Reading • conversation
May 26, 2020 • ~7 min
Tags: covid-19 coronavirus immune-system antibodies

Blocking the deadly cytokine storm is a vital weapon for treating COVID-19

We blame the coronavirus for the thousands of deaths, but it is actually a hyperactive immune reaction that is the cause of death. An immunologist explains.

Alexander (Sasha) Poltorak, Professor of Immunology, Tufts University • conversation
May 20, 2020 • ~7 min
Tags: covid-19 coronavirus inflammation immune-system pandemic sars-cov-2 viruses immune-response pathogen

Coronavirus: we must step up research to harness immense power of the immune system

Figuring out how the immune system responds to and defeats coronavirus is our best way out of the pandemic.

Sheena Cruickshank, Professor in Biomedical Sciences, University of Manchester • conversation
May 11, 2020 • ~7 min
Tags: covid-19 coronavirus immune-system

To regulate weight gain, control inflammation?

"...we believe it may be possible to control obesity and the complications of obesity by better regulating inflammation."

Jim Dryden-WUSTL • futurity
May 10, 2020 • ~5 min
Tags: metabolism obesity inflammation immune-system health-and-medicine body-weight

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