At least eight bat species commute or forage over pig farms in Northern Italy, and the frequent absence of physical barriers and biosafety measures preventing contact between bats or bat feces and pigs could increase exposure risks to the diverse coronaviruses that circulate in these species

During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an unexpected increase in the number of cases of type 1 diabetes in Sweden, particularly among children under five and young adult men. The infection accelerated the onset of diabetes among children between the ages of five and nine.

Researchers from the Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) and the InnoHK Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics (CVVT), in collaboration with Sichuan University, have discovered a powerful bispecific inhibitor capable of combating all existing human-pathogenic coronaviruses, including those resistant to existing treatments like Paxlovid. This promising inhibitor, named TMP1, offers hope for more effective and resilient treatments against future outbreaks. A patent has been filed for further exploration in clinical applications. The study’s findings were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Communications.

Many traditional metapopulation models often overlook the spread of infectious disease through commuting, because they are designed primarily for migration, so in the journal Chaos, researchers from South Korea introduce a Commuter Metapopulation Model to include daily mobility patterns. The model was used to simulate the spread of COVID-19 with actual commuting data, revealing it could better capture spatial variety in outbreak patterns.

Un estudi liderat per GCAT-IGTP relaciona la proteïna VEGFA amb la COVID persistent, especialment en dones postmenopàusiques, i apunta a un mecanisme vascular com a causa dels símptomes. Els resultats subratllen la importància de tenir en compte el sexe i l'estat hormonal en la recerca i el tractament de la COVID persistent.

An international team of scientists has generated a new ring-shaped protein nanomaterial capable of strongly binding to and neutralising the SARS-CoV2 virus. The study, published in Advanced HealthCare Materials, highlights the versatility of the system devised to design the nanorings, which can integrate therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities, and be adapted to combat other viruses. The work was carried out by researchers from the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (IBB-UAB) and the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) of Argentina.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have discovered precursor T follicular regulatory cells (preTfr), comprising 30-50% of circulating Tfr in human blood. preTfr are significantly reduced in severe COVID-19 and sepsis, correlating with increased anti-interferon-gamma autoantibodies and activated atypical B cells. Unlike stable conventional naïve regulatory T cells, preTfr are specifically depleted during severe disease. When stimulated, preTfr up-regulate suppressive molecules including IL-1RA and show enhanced wound healing capacity. Conversely, mRNA vaccination increases preTfr frequency, suggesting controlled immune participation. The findings identify preTfr as a therapeutic target for preventing autoantibody production during severe infections.

A method for making medicines against COVID-19 can be used to fight other RNA-based viruses, including Marburg, influenza, Ebola and more, said chemist Matthew Disney, Ph.D.