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Latest preprint by @tianyangmao et al shows that a stem-loop RNA RIG-I agonist in mice can
1) Block viral replication and disease when given early after SARS-CoV-2 infection (including VOCs)
2)Eliminate chronic infection in immunodeficient mice
🧵(1/)
biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
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The increases in antibodies to EBV and VZV antigens were also detected using independent assays like ELISA and @serimmune epitope mapping. However, seroprevalence for EBV and VZV were similar in LC and CC. These data suggest recent reactivation of EBV and VZV in LC. (18/)
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Somewhat unexpectedly, we also see that some of these cytokines remain elevated at 7 weeks post infection in both sera and CSF. Similarly elevated cytokines have been reported from the sera of long COVID patients by others, months after primary infection. (6/)
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Long COVID group reported significant increases in the intensity of symptoms and dramatically worsened quality of life. Survey outcomes put together into a single classification metric “Long COVID Propensity Score or LCPS” demonstrated significant diagnostic potential. (5/)
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Finally @rahuldhodapkar used machine learning and found that immune features alone can predict long COVID with efficient discriminative performance (AUC=0.96)! The most informative individual data blocks contributing to efficient separation of groups are flow and cytokine. (21/)
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An important study from @blish_lab and Tracey McLaughlin groups showing that mature adipocytes and adipose tissue macrophages become infected with SARS-CoV-2. Another potential viral reservoir?
By @RoniNYTimes with comments from @VishwaDeepDixi1
biorxiv.org/content/10.110… twitter.com/NYTScience/sta…
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Congratulations to @FabrizioChiodo and colleagues who worked so hard to develop conjugate vaccine against COVID-19 in Cuba 🇨🇺 Now with [RBD-TT]➡️ [RBD-TT] ➡️ [RBD-RBD] shots, efficacy is 91.2% 👏🏼 👏🏼
Adding this vaccine strategy as another success story in the fight against COVID! twitter.com/FabrizioChiodo…
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An excellent piece on why we should be looking to nasal spray as the future of COVID booster vaccines by @Carolynyjohnson
@NIAIDNews please include our Prime and Spike in the upcoming vaccine bake-off 🥺
washingtonpost.com/health/2022/04…
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Long COVID patients also had increases in CD4 T cells that secrete IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6, as well as some that secrete both IL-4 and IL-6. These T cells correlated with the levels of EBV reactive antibodies. Follow me down this thread further to find out more! (9/)
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What other changes are happening in the brain of mice with mild respiratory infection? Within just 7 days of infection, we found a loss of ~1/3 of oligodendrocytes, which persisted for at least 7 weeks! Analysis by @ThisIsAnthonyFC and @AnnaGeraghty2 (12/)
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The intranasal spike protein booster will also be much easier to administer (via nasal spray), quite stable (just protein) and is much more likely to be accepted by people who are hesitant of mRNA or those with needle phobia. (16/)
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So what do systemic (serum) and local (cerebrospinal fluid; CSF) cytokines look like after this mild respiratory-only infection? Not surprisingly, we see many elevated cytokines 7 days after infection in the serum. We also see elevated cytokines in the CSF. (5/)
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So the problem in #longCOVID is not necessarily O2 supply (thus normal cardiopulmonary function) but O2 extraction and thus consumption by tissue. What could cause such defects? Microvascular abnormality? I would love expert input here. @KaminskiMed, @CharleszYaleMed?
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To achieve this goal, @peowenlu & @ericsongg used a mouse model developed by @BenIsraelow & @ericsongg in which we can control where the infection happens. Using AAV-hACE2 intratracheally, we can confine the SARS-CoV-2 infection only to the lungs. (3/)
rupress.org/jem/article/21…
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It’s finally happening! I will be giving a talk today at the #AAI2021 with Dr. Fauci and Dr. Saif in the session, COVID-19 and the Science of Pandemics (12-2PM ET).
My talk will be on “Protective vs. harmful immune responses in COVID-19”. See you there!
immunology2021.org/scientific-pro…
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Thank you @ASlavitt for speaking up about #longCOVID 🙏🏼 We need a lot more public attention, research, therapy and drugs to combat this debilitating disease. We also need similar attention/resources/research/treatment for #MECFS that results after infection with other pathogens. twitter.com/ASlavitt/statu…
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This new preprint by Stadler et al. integrated data from 37 randomized controlled trials to ask how the timing and dose of passive antibodies (monoclonal Ab & convalescent plasma) predict protection from SARS-CoV-2 disease. A short 🧵 (1/)
medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
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A very informative thread by @angie_rasmussen on how the delta variant may be more contagious. Striking findings 👇🏽
virological.org/t/viral-infect… twitter.com/angie_rasmusse…
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In contrast to autoantibodies, REAP detected elevation in IgG against herpesvirus antigens. In particular, antibody reactivity to glycoproteins and early antigens of Epstein-Barr virus, Varicella zoster virus were elevated in long COVID over other groups. (17/)
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What can lead to impaired neurogenesis in hippocampus? We looked into a chemokine called CCL11 (eotaxin-1) which was shown to reduce neurogenesis (Villeda et al). In our mice, CCL11 was elevated in the CSF 7 weeks after mild respiratory infection. (10/)
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21886162/
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In CoronaVac fully vaccinated (2x) people, there was NO detectable neutralization against the infectious Omicron virus. Antibodies were assayed at mean days from second Coronavac shot of 113 days (with SD 33 days). (5/)
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So grateful to receive the 2022 Johadamis ME/CFS Research Grant! In collaboration with @polybioRF @BjornBragee we will test blood & CSF samples from #MECFS patients for immune phenotypes and antibodies to various pathogens. This will inform us about potential drivers of disease. twitter.com/Tempi_Stiftung…
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However, REAP did find notably elevated autoantibodies to sodium ion transporters in a subset of Long COVID patients who displayed reactivities agains 6-9 different proteins of this family. Those with tinnitus and nausea had elevated levels of these AABs. (16/)
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Previously infected people had higher neutralization against variants than the uninfected in response to vaccination. Future vaccine boosters may help to overcome such NAb reduction observed for the variants with the L452R (B.1.617.2) or E484K & N501Y combo (P.1 , B.1.351). (15/)
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This is a cross-sectional multi-dimensional immune phenotyping & patient surveys in people with or without LC, who got COVID during the 2020 first wave, on average more than a year from infection. Most were not-hospitalized, ♀ dominant, younger to middle age. (4/)
We study innate and adaptive immunity against viruses and study disease pathogenesis. #COVID19 #longCOVID #vaccines @HHMINEWS @YaleIBIO @YaleMed @YaleCII