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“ How is your expertise relevant in the current COVID context?
Cytokines like the interferons are crucial to fight all kinds of infections including those caused by SARS-CoV2. For example, it could recently been shown that the risk of getting severe COVID-19 is increased in individuals with autoantibodies against interferons or with genetic defects in interferon signaling. However, “too much” of cytokines can be detrimental. Indeed, many patients with very severe COVID-19 suffer from a “cytokine storm”, a hyper-inflammation syndrome with often fatal consequences. The understanding of the role of cytokines in COVID-19 is therefore important, especially for working towards a therapy as reflected by these examples:
Using cytokines as drugs: interferons have been applied to COVID-19 patients in (small scale) clinical studies. In particular as inhaled drugs, they may have the potential to restore the lung’s immune response and thereby accelerate recovery from disease.”
https://wwwen.uni.lu/layout/set/print/university/news/latest_news/article_series_the_experts_behind_luxembourg_s_covid_19_fight23
“ For sicker, hospitalized patients, SNG001, an inhaled (nebulized) interferon beta-1a from Synairgen, is showing promise, with Phase 3 trials now underway.”
https://microbiozindia.com/business-news/mark-copley-chief-executive-officer-at-copley-scientific-interview-with-microbioz-india/
“ Human coronaviruses (HCoV) are respiratory pathogens which have been known since the 1960’s. In December 2019, a new betacoronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was reported and is responsible for one of the biggest pandemics of the last two centuries. Similar to the HCoV-OC43 strain, available evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 neuroinvasion associated with potential neurological disorders. Coronavirus infection of the central nervous system (CNS) is largely controlled by a viral factor, the spike glycoprotein (S) and a host factor, innate immunity. However, the interaction between these two factors remains elusive. Proteolytic cleavage of the S protein can occur at the interface between receptor binding (S1) and fusion (S2) domains (S1/S2), as well as in a position adjacent to a fusion peptide within S2 (S2’). Herein, using HCoV-OC43 as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2, we report that both S protein sites are involved in neurovirulence and are required for optimal CNS infection. Whereas efficient cleavage at S1/S2 is associated with decreased virulence, the potentially cleavable putative S2’ site is essential for efficient viral infection. Furthermore, type 1 interferon (IFN 1)-related innate immunity also plays an important role in the control of viral spread towards the spinal cord, by preventing infection of ependymal cells. Our results underline the link between the differential S cleavage and IFN 1 in the prevention of viral spread, to control the severity of infection and pathology in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice. Taken together, these results point towards two potential therapeutic anti-viral targets: cleavage of the S protein in conjunction with efficient IFN 1-related innate immunity to prevent or at least reduce neuroinvasion, neural spread, and potential associated neurovirulence of human coronaviruses.”
https://jvi.asm.org/content/early/2021/02/23/JVI.00140-21
“ SAGE member @GrahamMedley has told LBC he doesn't plan on booking a foreign holiday until after 2022 and has urged Brits to be cautious.”
https://twitter.com/lbc/status/1364132761200689159?s=21
https://twitter.com/hziauddeen/status/1364022757344890891?s=21
Reopening is only happening in UK which I personally think is politically motivated. Other countries are starting to see rise in number of cases experiencing new wave caused by new strains.
Entire globe needs to be vaccinated and even then SNG will still have its place.
“ Polish minister: EU responsible for pandemic’s third wave”
https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/polish-minister-eu-responsible-for-pandemics-third-wave/
“ India bracing up for the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic”
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-bracing-up-for-the-second-wave-of-covid-19-pandemic-11613999656468.html
“ Beware The Next Wave: What To Expect From Covid-19”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2021/02/22/beware-the-next-wave-what-to-expect-from-covid-19/
Covid-19 is likely to be a problem "for the next few winters," says England's chief medical officer
“Covid-19 is likely to be a problem for the next few winters -- despite vaccination programs -- the chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty, said during a news conference Monday.
“This is something that we have to see for the long term and, in my view, is likely to be a problem in particular during the winter for the next few winters,” Whitty said.
The chief medical officer for England said that other respiratory diseases, for which there are vaccines, still cause a significant number of deaths every year -- and so will Covid-19
“I am afraid, for the foreseeable future, the coronavirus is going to be added to that list of things that those who are vulnerable, even despite vaccination, can be at risk of,” he said.
“We vaccinate against flu, we vaccinate against pneumococcal pneumonia and still there are cases and there are deaths. “
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-vaccine-updates-02-23-21/index.html
“ Some 30% of patients discharged after being admitted to hospital with community-acquired COVID-19 had been readmitted or died within 60 days, a study by Oxford researchers has shown.
In a paper published in the European Journal of Public Health, they found that, as anticipated, rates of readmission or death were higher among older adults. However, rates were twice as high among women than men, in contrast with studies of in-hospital mortality and morbidity for COVID-19, which have tended to find that men had higher rates of admission to critical care or death than women.
The study, which looked at electronic patient data from Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust as part of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Informatics Collaborative, was carried out by researchers from the University of Oxford and OUH, with support from the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
The study’s lead author, Dr Nazrul Islam, of the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute and Nuffield Department of Population Health, said: “We believe this is the first study to describe clinically meaningful variations by demographic factors in longer-term outcomes among patients admitted with community-acquired COVID-19 in the UK.
“Previous studies have focused mainly on survival during hospitalisation and data on patients discharged following hospitalisation for COVID-19 have been scarce.” Dr Islam is now leading a World Health Organisation study looking at COVID-19 mortality demographics worldwide.
Senior author Dr Ben Lacey said: “One of the main findings from the first wave in the UK was that men are more likely to have severe outcomes, including ventilation and death. It is only now, however, that we are getting a clear picture of the effects among survivors from COVID-19 hospitalisations. It’s important to recognise that just because people are surviving their first admission, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the story.”
National studies have now been initiated to understand the high rates of readmission or death following COVID-19 discharge in the UK, and to assess what can be done to prevent the adverse long-term effects of COVID-19.
Another author on the paper, Prof Jim Davies of the Big Data Institute and the NIHR Oxford BRC’s Co-theme Lead for Clinical Informatics, said: “This study is another example of how Oxford is utilising the rich supply of NHS data at its disposal and increasing our understanding of the pandemic, identifying important trends and allowing us to develop strategies to tackle them.””
https://oxfordbrc.nihr.ac.uk/oxford-study-shows-high-level-of-readmissions-and-death-after-covid-19-discharge/
Excellent find wetdream.
The chart reads to me the FDA submission and approval is in March.
This is where SNG comes to rescue
“ Dr Seyed Mehdi Jafarnejad, Principal Investigator from the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University, explains: “Our study has found that certain viruses “hijack” this natural process in order to neutralize Interferon-ß and block the immune system, resulting in unrestrained viral infection which can make people incredibly sick.
“We hope this new understanding of how viruses can hijack existing cellular processes in the body will lead to better treatments of viral infections and ultimately save lives.””
https://www.qub.ac.uk/News/Allnews/Researchdiscoveryshowsvirusescanhijackcellularprocessinordertoblockimmuneresponse.html
lol. I am no expert in Korean but just scroll to 10:14 and pause
We might have Investor’s from Korea coming Monday ;-)
https://youtu.be/52w6juJBEMw
Nothing new from what we already know but over the pond we are called by our name but a shame BBC can’t.
“ Testing started through the "Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV)" program, which prioritizes and speeds up development of promising COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.
The studies will test several new interventions for safety and efficacy:
SNG001, an inhalable beta interferon delivered by nebulizer (Synairgen)
The first volunteer enrolled in the SNG001 sub-study on Feb. 10. The other studies are expected to begin enrolling participants soon. The trial will allow for comparison of multiple interventions with a shared group of placebo recipients.
"To ensure that the trial is being conducted in a safe and effective manner, an independent data and safety monitoring board oversees the trial and periodically reviews the accumulating data," the NIH wrote.“
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/4-potential-covid-19-therapeutics-advance-in-trials
Link: https://institute.global/policy/covid-19-therapeutics-still-matter-even-vaccines
“ Interferon beta (IFN-beta) is emerging as a promising antiviral. The naturally occurring protein has been shown to protect cells from infection against a number of respiratory viruses. The UK’s University of Southampton and the company Synairgen are partnering on the development of SNG001, an inhaled interferon beta. What makes the drug unique is the oral inhalation approach. In December, the company announced that it was beginning phase III trials for the drug in the UK and 19 other countries, and that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted the drug fast-track status and approved it for US studies.”
“ What other drugs are being used to treat Covid-19?
Interferon beta is a protein treatment that can be inhaled directly into the lungs has been shown to accelerate recovery and reduce the odds of developing severe Covid-19 in hospital patients.
Results of a UK clinical trial suggest patients who received the drug, known as SNG001, were more than twice as likely to recover from Covid-19, compared with those who received a placebo – a substance designed to have no therapeutic value.”
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-02-11/covid-arthritis-drug-tocilizumab-could-save-one-in-25-coronavirus-patients-study-finds
Note: I ignored what Prof Peter Horby is saying in this news. On Synairgen(not called the name) below is mentioned in dailymail.
“ Another drug, called interferon beta, has shown early promise in trials.
Interferon beta is a protein which the body naturally produces when it gets a viral infection. The medicine is used for treating multiple sclerosis.
It's being given to hospitalised Covid patients in the form of a spray which is inhaled as part of a major trial in Leeds.
Experts hope the drug will stimulate a better immune response in people who struggle to fight off the virus.
Early findings suggest interferon beta can cut the odds of a Covid hospital falling critically ill by almost 80 per cent.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9240951/Injected-arthritis-drug-reduces-risk-death-Covid-19-4-study-finds.html
Interferons explained by Dr Lee
Listen from 27:55
https://youtu.be/LZg-Tb2zhNA
“ Even with the most aggressive vaccination globally and a national lockdown, the B.1.1.7 strain can be challenging to contain”
https://twitter.com/erictopol/status/1358811569656721409?s=21
“ A team of scientists from Sweden and India has recently conducted a study to evaluate type I interferon (IFN-I) responses in cells infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The findings reveal that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a delayed and dysregulated IFN-I response and that pretreatment with IFN-I can reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.”
“ Regarding the therapeutic potential of IFN-I, it was observed that pretreatment of cells with IFN significantly reduced the viral replication.”
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210207/SARS-CoV-2-delays-interferon-signaling-in-host-cells.aspx
“ Well-funded life sciences firms are making long-term progress – and their investors are too
This is an exciting time for British biotech and pharma, as the intense efforts to find a solution to COVID-19 offer a way out of the pandemic.
As the intense efforts to find a solution to COVID-19 finally start to bear fruit – with, for example, Synairgen showing promising results with SNG001”
https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_intelligence/Well-funded_life_sciences_firms_are_making_long-term_progress_and_their_investors_are_too_1362494?SQ_DESIGN_NAME=2&