Children have reduced severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rates and a substantially lower risk for developing severe coronavirus disease 2019 compared with adults.

However, the molecular mechanisms underlying protection in younger age groups remain unknown. 

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Mutations

As viruses create more of themselves within a host, they are prone to copying errors. These mutations or recombinations are single point changes in the virus’ genetic code. This blog will be about the different mutations of SARS-CoV-2 we have been seeing recently.

The Effect of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Lasts At Least 4 Months

N Engl J Med reported the durability of immunity response of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, mRNA-1273 (Moderna). The data was from 34 healthy adults with two vaccine injections. They have performed RBD binding assay and antibody neutralization assay, which revealed that there was no significant change in both RBD binding ability and neutralized inhibitory effect of antibodies over time. The results suggest that the effect of vaccination can last at least 4 months. (Widge et al., 2021)

Learn about novel coronavirus SARS-COV-2, the emergence of COVID-19, and biotech industrys' reaction to this global health issue.

August 2017: The Antibody Update

In the August Antibody Update, you can expect to find news of Zika virus herd immunity, the novel technique used to map the 3D structure of chromatin inside the nucleus, and the new way Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) can be detected early using CD4+ and CD8+ T cell blood concentration. Learn more at ProSci.

May 2017: The Antibody Update

In the May Antibody Update, you can expect to find news of an enzyme inhibitor that increases the efficacy of anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy, the generation of induced pluripotent blood stem cells, and the rapid employment of the latest Ebola vaccine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Learn more at ProSci.

April 2017: The Antibody Update

In the April 2017 Antibody Update, ProSci presents to you a virucidal peptide found in the skin of frogs, evidence of new and hopeful RNA-drugs, and the innate immune systems role in congenital autoimmunity. 

March 2017: The Antibody Update

This month the Antibody Update showcases caffeine as a potential anti-inflammatory agent, how mTOR is related to granuloma formation, and a retinal transplant using induced pluripotent stem cells. Learn more here!

February 2017: The Antibody Update

This month's Antibody Update includes news on how your skin bacteria regulate levels of Staphylococus aureus, a new study using single cell sequence analysis to create 3D models of tumor tissue, and development of chimeric antigen receptor T-cells using CRISPR/Cas9 to enhance immunotherapy.

January 2017: The Antibody Update

The start of the new year has brought some interesting new stories in science and science policy. This Antibody Update looks at The Reproducibility Project's efforts in cancer drug research, changes to encourage vaccine development against less known, but still threatening viruses, and a new study on the mechanism of how macrophages cross the vascular endothelium.