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"Natural immunity" from omicron is weak and limited, study finds

In unvaccinated people, infection with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 provides little long-term immunity against other variants, according to a new study by researchers at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF), published today in the journal Nature.

In experiments using mice and blood samples from donors who were infected with Omicron, the team found that the Omicron variant induces only a weak immune response.

mRNA booster vaccines may be a good investment in developing countries

Vaccines based on inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus are commonly used in developing countries due to their low cost. New research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that a booster shot of mRNA vaccine to individuals who have received two doses of inactivated vaccine offers the same level of protection against COVID-19 as three doses of mRNA vaccine.

Blocking spike captors to counter COVID

Despite the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns worldwide, the threat posed by COVID-19 still exists. First of all, a new SARS-CoV-2 variant could very well emerge that may not respond to current vaccines. Secondly, the efficacy of the vaccines in the long term remains unknown. Lastly, cases of acute infection are continuing to be reported. And yet, there is no effective treatment to date.

Recurring brain tumor growth is halted with new drug

When a non-metastatic brain tumor - a meningioma - recurs after surgery and radiation treatment, a patient is out of options. No drugs are approved for these aggressive tumors, which occur in up to 20% of cases and can lead to patient disability or even death.

But now Northwestern Medicine scientists, in an international collaboration with scientists at the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Hong Kong, have identified a drug that inhibits growth of the most aggressive meningiomas and how to most accurately identify which meningiomas will respond to the drug.

Investigational COVID mucosal vaccine protects against disease and transmission

In animal studies that mimic human exposures, an investigational COVID vaccine designed to be taken orally not only protects the host, but also decreases the airborne spread of the virus to other close contacts.

The study, led by Duke researcher Stephanie N. Langel, Ph.D., demonstrated the potential of a COVID vaccine that works through the mucosal tissue to neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus, limiting infections and the spread of active virus in airborne particles.

Using AI to analyze large amounts of biological data

Researchers at the University of Missouri are applying a form of artificial intelligence (AI) - previously used to analyze how National Basketball Association (NBA) players move their bodies - to now help scientists develop new drug therapies for medical treatments targeting cancers and other diseases.

Cognitive impairment from severe COVID-19 equivalent to 20 years of ageing, study finds

Cognitive impairment as a result of severe COVID-19 is similar to that sustained between 50 and 70 years of age and is the equivalent to losing 10 IQ points, say a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.

The findings, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, emerge from the NIHR COVID-19 BioResource.

Research & Development News

"Natural immunity" from omicron is weak and limited, study finds

mRNA booster vaccines may be a good investment in developing countries

Blocking spike captors to counter COVID

Recurring brain tumor growth is halted with new drug

Investigational COVID mucosal vaccine protects against disease and transmission

Using AI to analyze large amounts of biological data

Cognitive impairment from severe COVID-19 equivalent to 20 years of ageing, study finds

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