Vero cells are a type of cell line that is commonly used in laboratory research to study the growth and behavior of viruses. Vero cells are derived from the kidney cells of an African green monkey and are known for their ability to support the growth of a wide rangeRead More →
Glenn J Rapsinski, University of Pittsburgh Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. How does a COVID-19 vaccine work in the body? – Wixy, age 12, New York The COVID-19 pandemic, causedRead More →
Connor Bamford, Queen’s University Belfast Right now, there’s just one virus on everyone’s minds: SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. But humanity is plagued by many respiratory viruses, such as influenza A (IAV) and respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV), which cause hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. Most of theseRead More →
Charlotte Thålin, Karolinska Institutet Israel was way ahead of the rest of the world when it came to COVID vaccination, so it’s not surprising that data from this corner of the Mediterranean causes a lot of excitement – it’s a glimpse into the future. Indeed, this happened recently when researchersRead More →
Jennifer T. Grier, University of South Carolina As someone who studies immune responses to respiratory infections, I’ve watched news of the emerging coronavirus variants with concern. I wondered whether vaccination or previous infection would provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 strains, especially the new, highly transmissible delta variant, which has rapidly spreadRead More →
Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) or “immune enhancement” of viral entry has been observed for many viruses and is a major concern for vaccine development and antibody-based drug therapies. ADE occurs when antibodies from a previous infection or vaccination facilitate viral entry into host cells and enhance viral infection in these cells.Read More →
In a new study published in the esteemed journal JAMA researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital have examined the association between a positive SARS-CoV-2 test during pregnancy and complications in mothers and their newborn babies. Almost two out of three pregnant women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were asymptomatic andRead More →
Sticky webs of DNA released from immune cells known as neutrophils may cause much of the tissue damage associated with severe COVID-19 infections, according to two new studies published September 14 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM). The research, conducted by independent groups in Belgium and Brazil, suggests that blocking the release of theseRead More →
A COVID-19 outbreak in a refugee settlement will likely overwhelm the available healthcare capacity and infrastructure and spread through nearly the entire settlement population if left unchecked, according to a new study published June 16 in PLOS Medicine by Paul Spiegel of Johns Hopkins University, United States, and colleagues. Forcibly displaced populations,Read More →
ASU researcher explores pests, parasites, diseases on a global scale Countries looking to contain the spread of harmful species and diseases like COVID-19 should work together in multiple hotspots, according to a new model developed by an Arizona State University researcher. Because it would be difficult to completely eliminate theRead More →
