An improved COVID-19 vaccine shows promise against Omicron in experimental models Omicron Vaccine Coronavirus Disease COVID spike nucleocapsid proteins utmbhealth PennMedicine MayoClinic ScienceTM
This mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine encoded a full-length nucleocapsid protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ancestral strain Wuhan-Hu1. They evaluated its immunogenicity and efficacy in mice and hamster models against all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern alone and combined with the current clinically used mRNA-based vaccines based on spike protein.
About the study In the present study, researchers evaluated the immunogenicity of mRNA-N vaccine formulation in BALB/c mice. They created two groups, with seven mice each, and vaccinated them with phosphate-buffered saline or 1 μg of m-RNA N vaccine intramuscularly at week zero and week 3 . Following primary vaccination, the team collected serum samples for antibody analysis. After booster vaccination, they euthanized mice for further immunological analyses.
Study findings The mRNA-N was highly immunogenic but only moderately controlled SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the combination mRNA-S+N vaccination more robustly controlled the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron VOCs in the lungs of infected mice than mRNA-S alone and provided additional protection against both variants resulting in reduced viral load in their upper respiratory tract .
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Against expectations, covid-19 retirees are returning to workIn the second quarter, 75,000 Britons in paid work said that they had been retired the year before. This is far higher than the pre-pandemic norm—and it is a similar story in America
Read more »
Alzheimer-stricken gran 'trapped' in Lanarkshire hospital as family fight to bring her homeJacqueline Clark, who suffers from Alzheimer's, has been in Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride for the last six months after enduring a massive stroke while recovering from Covid-19.
Read more »
Lung function and radiological findings 1 year after COVID-19: a prospective follow-up - Respiratory ResearchBackground The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has already affected more than 400 million people, with increasing numbers of survivors. These data indicate that a myriad of people may be affected by pulmonary sequelae of the infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate pulmonary sequelae in patients with bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia according to severity 1 year after hospital discharge. Methods COVID-FIBROTIC is a multicenter prospective observational cohort study for admitted patients with bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia. Pulmonary functional outcomes and chest computed tomography sequelae were analyzed 12 months after hospital discharge and we classified patients into three groups according to severity. A post hoc analysis model was designed to establish how functional test changed between groups and over time. A multivariable logistic regression model was created to study prognostic factors for lung diffusion impairment and radiological fibrotic-like changes at 12 months. Results Among 488 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, 284 patients had completed the entire evaluation at 12 months. Median age was 60.5 ± 11.9 and 55.3% were men. We found between-group differences in male sex, length of hospital stay, radiological involvement and inflammatory laboratory parameters. The functional evaluation of pulmonary sequelae showed that severe patients had statistically worse levels of lung diffusion at 2 months but no between group differences were found in subsequent controls. At 12-month follow up, however, we found impaired lung diffusion in 39.8% unrelated to severity. Radiological fibrotic-like changes at 12 months were reported in 22.7% of patients (102/448), only associated with radiological involvement at admission (OR: 1.55, 95% CI 1.06–2.38; p = 0.02) and LDH (OR: 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–0.99; p = 0.046). Conclusion Our data suggest that a significant percentage of individuals would develop pulmonary sequelae after COVID 19 pneumonia, regardless of
Read more »
Back-to-School COVID Vaccine Clinic Held in BostonFamilies lined up to get their COVID-19 vaccines at White Stadium in Boston on Saturday as children begin school for the year. Teachers and children ages 6 months and older who received the vaccine also walked away with a $75 gift card. The event, part of the Boston Public Health Commission and CIC Health’s B Healthy back to school campaign,…
Read more »
SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination, and antibody response trajectories in adults: a cohort study in Catalonia - BMC MedicineBackground Heterogeneity of the population in relation to infection, COVID-19 vaccination, and host characteristics is likely reflected in the underlying SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses. Methods We measured IgM, IgA, and IgG levels against SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid antigens in 1076 adults of a cohort study in Catalonia between June and November 2020 and a second time between May and July 2021. Questionnaire data and electronic health records on vaccination and COVID-19 testing were available in both periods. Data on several lifestyle, health-related, and sociodemographic characteristics were also available. Results Antibody seroreversion occurred in 35.8% of the 64 participants non-vaccinated and infected almost a year ago and was related to asymptomatic infection, age above 60 years, and smoking. Moreover, the analysis on kinetics revealed that among all responses, IgG RBD, IgA RBD, and IgG S2 decreased less within 1 year after infection. Among vaccinated, 2.1% did not present antibodies at the time of testing and approximately 1% had breakthrough infections post-vaccination. In the post-vaccination era, IgM responses and those against nucleoprotein were much less prevalent. In previously infected individuals, vaccination boosted the immune response and there was a slight but statistically significant increase in responses after a 2nd compared to the 1st dose. Infected vaccinated participants had superior antibody levels across time compared to naïve-vaccinated people. mRNA vaccines and, particularly the Spikevax, induced higher antibodies after 1st and 2nd doses compared to Vaxzevria or Janssen COVID-19 vaccines. In multivariable regression analyses, antibody responses after vaccination were predicted by the type of vaccine, infection age, sex, smoking, and mental and cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions Our data support that infected people would benefit from vaccination. Results also indicate that hybrid immunity results in superior antibody responses and
Read more »