A new study reveals that pets can be infected with the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was first detected in southeast England and is commonly known as the UK variant or B.1.1.7. The study describes the first identification of the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant in domestic pets; two cats and one dog were positive on PCR…

The largest study to date has confirmed the link between the gut microbiome and the response to cancer immunotherapy therapy for melanoma. The study is published today in Nature Medicine and co-ordinated by King’s College London, CIBIO Department of the University of Trento and European Institute of Oncology in Italy, University of Groningen in the…

Researchers refute the link between increased levels of herpes virus and Alzheimer’s disease. About 50 million people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer’s disease, a type of progressive dementia that results in the loss of memory, cognitive abilities and verbal skills, and the numbers are growing rapidly. Currently available medications temporarily ease the symptoms or slow…

Gold foil, ornate labels and an intriguing backstory are product characteristics highly desired by premium chocolate consumers, according to new research. The study is one of the first to thoroughly research what American premium chocolate consumers find to be desirable attributes in their chocolate bars. The study is one of the first to thoroughly research…

The virus that causes tick-borne encephalitis appears to trick the immune system, misdirecting it into producing inferior antibodies. But new research shows some people produce more potent antibodies, providing hope for treatment. Now a new study describes antibodies capable of neutralizing the virus transmitted by tick bites. These so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies have shown promise…

Scientists take a promising step in the direction of developing an HIV vaccine using a unique native-like trimer to develop Tier-2 neutralizing antibodies — the kind that matter for combating HIV — in mice. The findings, published in Nature Communications, demonstrate the promise of using a unique native-like trimer to develop Tier-2 neutralizing antibodies —…

Legionellosis or Legionnaires’ disease affected more than 1 800 people in France in 2019 and caused 160 deaths. This emerging disease is caused by Legionella pneumophila, an environmental bacterium that thrives in hot water systems. Researchers have discovered a mechanism that allows Legionella pneumophila to target the immune response of the cells it infects by…

Bioengineershave found a way to radically increase the efficiency of single-cell RNA-sequencing, a powerful tool that can ‘read’ the genetic profile of an individual cell. Because scRNA-seq captures the activity of all genes in the cell’s genome — thousands of genes at once — it has become the gold standard for defining cell states and…

Castalagin, a polyphenol from the Amazonian fruit camu-camu, increases the efficacy of immunotherapy in mice by modifying their microbiome, researchers find. Canadian researchers have discovered that the Brazilian camu-camu berry, already recognized for its protective effects against obesity and diabetes, can also help to treat cancers. In a study published in Cancer Discovery, the team…

A new computational tool could help better determine which drugs should move from animal testing to humans. It could also sooner detect a reason why a drug might fail, guiding how a clinical trial should be set up. Scientists might be able to catch problems like this one earlier in the drug development process, when…