A while ago, some researchers had suggested that blocking a set of proteins, known as bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins, might be a way to fight COVID-19. However, in a surprising study, scientists at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) discovered that BET proteins are actually crucial for the body to fight the infection. In fact, the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself blocks the proteins to try to gain an advantage and continue to spread.
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Scientists explain why getting infected with omicron doesn’t protect you from other COVID variants
Researchers in San Francisco discovered new characteristics of the highly transmissible omicron variant.
ABC7 News reporter Luz Pena went inside the Gladstone Institutes lab where scientists say their discovery is shedding light on why vaccinated and boosted are getting infected.
Omicron Infections, Without Vaccinations, Provide Little Immunity
This past winter, the Omicron variant surged through the country, causing a wave of COVID-19 cases. Now, several months later, those affected are left with a nagging question: how protected am I from future variants? This question is particularly germane as another variant, BA.2.12.1, is causing a recent spike in cases. Now, a team of researchers may have an answer.
It’s happening again: COVID-19 cases are back on the rise. There are 3 main reasons why.
COVID-19 infections continue to rise, driven by new and more infectious omicron subvariants, waning immunity from both vaccines and previous infections and fewer people masking up, health officials said at a White House briefing Wednesday.
About a third of Americans now live in an area with medium or high COVID-19 rates, with reported cases up 26% from last week, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control an Prevention.
‘Natural immunity’ from omicron is weak and limited, study finds
In unvaccinated people, infection with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 provides little long-term immunity against other variants, according to a new study by researchers at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF), published today in the journal Nature.
What the current spike in Covid-19 cases could say about the coronavirus’ future
As the Omicron wave subsided in the United States earlier this year, many experts anticipated a sort of reprieve. We certainly weren’t done with Covid, but perhaps we would get a well-deserved rest.
That break seems to be over.
An increase in infections that began in places including the Northeast and Puerto Rico is now being seen in other parts of the country. Cases will rise and fall going forward, but more worryingly, hospitalizations have started to increase as well — up 20% over two weeks. The decline in deaths has bottomed out at some 350 a day.
How do Vaccines Work?
Over the course of 2020, the world watched with bated breath as biotechnology companies—in less than one full year—developed, tested, and released vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
In some ways, these vaccines upended the paradigm of vaccines that came before; they were deployed on a faster timeline and it was the first time mRNA vaccines were used and mass-produced. But the science behind all COVID-19 vaccines rests on decades of research on infectious diseases, the human immune system, and vaccination.
Mini-Livers on a Chip
A vaccine for hepatitis C has eluded scientists for more than 30 years, for several reasons. For one, the virus that causes the disease comes in many genetic forms, complicating the creation of a widely effective vaccine. For another, studying hepatitis C has been difficult because options in animals are limited and lab methods using infected cells have not adequately reflected the real-life dynamics of infection.
Do you need a 4th dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer
In clinical trials, multiple leading COVID-19 vaccines were tested as a two-shot regimen. In the real world, three doses have proven to offer strong protection against serious illness. And now, in multiple countries, fourth doses are being explored as a way to ward off waning immunity.
So does that mean you should rush out and get another shot if the opportunity arises? Not necessarily.
The human immune system is a broad, multi-faceted defence network. It starts off rather immature in your infancy, typically sharpens as you age, and tends to struggle more to fight off pathogens in your golden years.
Disease in a dish: What mini-hearts and other organs reveal about Long COVID
The attack of the COVID-19 virus on the human heart is completely hidden from view, revealed only by the damage that’s left behind.
But San Francisco scientists have designed a way to witness the assault. In lab-grown globules of throbbing heart cells, they can watch signs of distress, then death.