Human monoclonal antibodies that block infection with SARS-CoV-2 are being used to treat COVID-19 patients, but an alternative, antibodies produced in camelids (alpacas and llamas) might have advantages. Camelid monoclonal antibodies can be more cheaply produced in mass quantities in bacteria, and protein engineering can be quickly used to produce a better therapeutic product. Human …
COVID-19 vaccine candidates are garnering all the news these days, which is appropriate as they are our key to ending this pandemic. Earlier in this outbreak antiviral drugs received a good deal of attention, but they have proven less useful in curtailing infection. Less discussed are the many antiviral drug candidates that are in testing, …
An antiviral compound that blocks SARS-CoV-2 transmission in ferrets Read More »
Recently I had a false positive PCR result for SARS-CoV-2. To confirm that I was not infected, I did an assay for viral antibodies in my blood using a rapid, at home, lateral flow assay. In this video I explain how the assay works and what my results mean.
Cigarette smoking appears to be associated with more severe COVID-19, but the underlying mechanisms have not been deciphered. The results of infection of airway cells in culture with SARS-CoV-2 provide some insight. Smoking is the most important cause of chronic lung disease, which in turn is a risk factor for severe COVID-19. Some studies have …
Cigarette smoke increases infection severity of SAR-CoV-2 in airway cells in culture Read More »
After SARS-Cov came and went in 2003, we learned that bats in China harbor SARS-like coronaviruses with the capacity to infect human cells. This information was largely ignored, otherwise we would have stopped this pandemic in its tracks. A coronavirus that went from bats to pigs might represent yet another threat to human health. Swine …
We missed SARS-CoV-2, what other coronaviruses are we ignoring? Read More »
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine has been awarded to Harvey Alter, Michael Houghton, and Charles Rice for their work leading to the discovery of hepatitis C virus. To me this prize makes a great deal of sense because each of the recipients produced key sequential discoveries, all of which were needed to find a …
