Physiology

Meet the microbe that is making mosquitoes malaria-free – sciencefocus.com

A single-cell microbe that prevents mosquitos from being able to carry and transmit malaria parasites has been discovered by scientists at the International Centre of Insect Physiology (icipe) and Ecology in Kenya and the University of Glasgow.

The microbe, named Microsporidia MB was found to be naturally occurring in mosquito populations in Kenya.

Caused by a species of parasite called Plasmodium, malaria accounts for 200 million cases and 400,000 deaths annually. The disease is transmitted when someone is bitten by a mosquito infected with Plasmodium parasites.

The mosquito, though not affected by the parasites, carries the virus in its saliva, which is then injected into its victim before blood is drawn.

Currently, preventative measures such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets and insecticide sprays are used to reduce the spread of the disease. However, the results of the study, published in the journal Nature Communications, offer hope of a new control method.

The microbe identified by the researchers stops the Plasmodium parasites from colonising the mosquitos salivary glands.

Scientists gave mosquitos with the microbe a food source containing the malaria virus and found that the presence of Microsporidia MB prevented the virus from establishing itself.

Nine per cent of the mosquito populations tested already had the Microsporidia MB microbe in their midgut. The relationship between the microbe and the mosquito is thought to be symbiotic meaning mutually beneficial.

Read more about malaria:

Healthy insects often have microbial symbionts inside their bodies and cells, said Dr Jeremy Herren,the iciperesearch scientist who led the study. These symbionts can have major effects on the biology of their hosts, and our team is trying to learn more about this type of microbe in insects that are important to human health.

The microbe was found to enter the ovaries of female mosquitos and pass onto their offspring without causing any harm, which will hopefully allow Microsporidia MB to spread through the mosquito population quickly.

However, further studies are needed to determine precisely how the microbe could be used to control malaria infections, said Herren.

Asked by: John Leslie Boden, Northampton

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against malaria, despite decades of intense research and development.

More than 20 potential malaria vaccines are in their trial phases though, which aim to efficiently eliminate certain stages of the life cycle of Plasmodium the malaria-causing parasite that some mosquitoes carry and inadvertently infect us with.

There has been a proof-of-concept study that shows mosquitoes could deliver a candidate vaccine through their saliva, but how much they deliver depends on how many times they bite someone, so delivering the right dose of a vaccine would be incredibly challenging.

Read more:

Continue reading here:
Meet the microbe that is making mosquitoes malaria-free - sciencefocus.com

Embryology

Islam and Science: Convergence and Divergence – The Nigerian Voice

Let me begin with operational definition of terms and interrogation of issues.

Islam is a world view (Q30:30). It is a Deen based on the ideology of Ibrahim requiring submission and offering of all(Q6:161-165).

It is a totalist system based on a Book that contains everything (Q6:38).

Hence, the book teaches:1) New knowledge about: a)The Creator - Allaahb)The vicegerent to the Creator- human beings andc) The world- material and immaterial.2) Guidance and Counseling(Laws on do's and don'ts, stories of peoples and civilizations etc) and

3) Prophecy about the world and the human inhabitants.

Science is the study of the nature and behaviour of natural things and the knowledge that we obtain about them. A science is a particular branch of science such as physics, chemistry, or biology. Physics is the best example of a science which has developed strong, abstract theories.

The best discoveries in science are very simple

There are four major branches of science; each branch is categorized in different type of subjects that cover different areas of studies such us chemistry, physics, math, astronomy and so forth.

The four major branches of science are, Mathematics and logic, biological science, physical science and social science.

Assumed father of ScienceGalileo Galilei is often referred to as the "father of modern astronomy" and the "father of modern physics". Albert Einstein called Galileo the "father of modern science." Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564 in Pisa, Italy but lived in Florence, Italy for most of his childhood.

Geography is sometimes considered as the mother of all sciences due to its links and influences on a range of other scientific fields including biology, mathematics, anthropology, geology, astronomy and chemistry.

Science is the concerted human effort to understand better the history of the natural world and how the natural world works with observable physical evidence as the basis of that understanding.

Convergence of Islam and ScienceIn my view, Islam is the basis of Science and therefore the relationship is not that of convergence but Concord.

The first five ayaats (verses) revealed formed the basis of SCIENTIFIC enquiry and subsequent revelations continued to challenge readers to look, observe, measure, contemplate, consider and conclude.

There are quite a number of geographic facts that challenge current knowledge of the subject in the Qur'an. Seven heavens and seven Earth's(Q65:12 ), the relationship between the Day and Night and the Sun and the Moon(Q36:37-40) have yet to be fully discovered by Science.

Qur'anic embryology is just being discovered by modern Science while Artificial Intelligence , big data and deep learning are trailing behind the Qur'anic concepts of the communication capacity of all things (in the Tasbih of Allaah), the response of nature to blasphemy and the future intra-personal communication between man and the beast of the earth(Q19:88-92).

New trends in Science has not fully grasped the tremendous interaction between man and jinn as well as the tremendous exploitation of the constant descent of the angels(especially during Ramadhan) and the reality of supplication and genuflections.

In short, Science could be said to be still far behind Islam based on the all pervading scientific (previous, current and future) contents of the Qur'an on which Islam is based.

No wonder that major scientific discoveries were made by the Muslims as response to their reading of the Qur'an and their desire to worship and please Allaah.

The Compass, the Clock, zero in Mathematics, Algorithm, coffee, and robotics are few examples. Indeed, the world have remained in darkness without the Muslims.

Taofiq AbdulAzeez is a professor of English at the University of Abuja, Nigeria.

Excerpt from:
Islam and Science: Convergence and Divergence - The Nigerian Voice

Anatomy

Avengers Anatomy: The 5 Weirdest Things About Vision’s Body, Explained – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Not quite human and not quite robot, Marvel's Vision has one of the weirdest anatomies in comics.

Visionhas always been an invaluable member of the Avengers, but when trying to define everything he can do it's easy to see just how weird his body gets. Though he was created by the villainous Ultron as a tool for the Avengers' destruction, he soon became one of their most powerful members who underwent recurrent cycles of discovery with his humanity and inhumanity.

With a foot in both worlds, not quite man and not quite machine, it's time to narrow down the five absolute strangest things aboutVision's body.

RELATED:Original Sin: How the Marvel Crossover's Secrets SHATTERED the Avengers

Perhaps the most valuable ability in Vision's arsenal is his ability to alter his density, with his control over his molecular structure so complete and so minute that he can move his atoms closer or further away from each other. When he pulls them apart he decreases his density, allowing him to fly and even "phase" his molecules through solid objects. When he draws them closer he can pull in the molecules around him to increase his mass and density, making him an unbreakable heavy object that can smash meteorically into the Earth.

This allows Vision to, at least for brief spurts, become one of the strongest and most durable Avengers on the entire super team. Maintaining such heightened states can be strenuous and require an excess of power, so Vision rarely keeps himself at such a level consistently.

RELATED:Avengers: Age of Ultron Has Some of the MCU's Best Moments

Shifting his molecules works in the other direction as well. Vision can decrease his density to allow himself to phase into other objects, but what's truly awe-inspiring is that it need not always been a defensive move -- it can also be an attack. While Vision's go-to defense most frequently involves phasing through his attackers' offense, rendering physical force useless against him, he can also turn the tables by shifting his hand into his opponent and partially increasing his density to semi-phase with their molecules.

The result is agonizing pain, often rendering his foe unconscious in a matter of moments. The phase attack creates molecular interference with the atomic state of his target and it's actually pretty gruesome when one imagines an android hand just partially appearing inside their nervous system.

RELATED:X-Men Anatomy: The 5 Weirdest Things About Jean Grey's Body, Explained

Building up from the molecular level, Vision is perhaps even more unique on the cellular level. While most machines don't even have cells, Vision is not a typical robot. Instead he's what's known as a "synthezoid," meaning his body is artificial, butmimics many biological processes. Such a biological structure lends itself to something analogous to cells that compose Vision's body, an example of nanotechnology that is astonishingly advanced even by the Marvel Universe's standards.

Such a structure allows Vision to encode much of the data composing his consciousness into every individual cell. With his schematics backed up so thoroughly, the survival of even a shred of Vision's body allows him to be rebuilt almost perfectly following devastating destruction. Vision's been no stranger to such destruction over the years, but he always comes back with a new body and the same moral fiber that makes him more than an appliance.

RELATED:Avengers Anatomy: The 5 Weirdest Things About Spider-Man's Body

The psuedo-biology of Vision's body not only allows him to regenerate like a living creature would, but for his body to defend itself with a series of obstacles quire similar to an immune system.

When Ant-Man and some of his insectoid companions endeavored to explore Vision's anatomy alaFantastic Voyage, they found resistance from a series of nanobots that released electrical charges to defend Vision from such invaders. Yikes! No wonder he never gets sick.

In the MCU one of the Vision's chief qualities is the Mind Stone embedded in his forehead, tied in intrinsically with his origins and, unfortunately for the android, his death at Thanos' hands. In the comics, the Vision's origins have nothing to do with the Infinity Stones. Instead, the jewel on his head serves a completely different purpose: It's a power source. The Vision fuels himself off solar energy the diamond in his head gathers up, allowing the synthezoid to bypass the need for sleep or food.

It also grants Vision an additional ability akin to heat vision. The android can release powerful blasts of stored thermal energy from the jewel, forming a white-hot beam of energy that can turn tanks to pools of useless slag. Given that the same energy fuels Vision himself, the ability comes with a limited reservoir of power. Now that's some bling.

Keep Reading:Ultimate Captain America Was Marvel's BEST Captain America

Pokemon Theory Reveals the Horrors of Staying Too Long Inside a Pokeball

See more here:
Avengers Anatomy: The 5 Weirdest Things About Vision's Body, Explained - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Anatomy

Dublin actor turning heads on Grey’s Anatomy – RTE.ie

Irish Grey's Anatomy fans will be delighted to hear that Dublin actor Richard Flood, who has joined the cast as Dr Cormac Hayes, look set to become a permanent fixture on the show as a possible love interest for Meredith Grey.

The 37-year-old Red Rockactormade his first appearancein the episode Let's All Go to the Bar as the "package". Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) best friend Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) sent her a text asking her had she received "the package" and in a later text referred to him as "Mc Widow".

Meredith's former husband Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) who died was called Mc Dreamy. Of course, the actor may be replacing Karev, who played Meredith's best friend up until his shock announcement that he would be leaving thisseries.

Fans of Grey's are particularly intrigued as Cristina Yangrecommended this surgeon. Viewers are now hopingthat,despite having left the show in season 10, that the Killing Eve actress may make a return.

Theshow recently donated all it's PPE gear to hospitals in the fight against Covid-19.

Grey's Anatomy continues on RT 2 on Wednesdays at 9pm.

Click here for more TV news

Here is the original post:
Dublin actor turning heads on Grey's Anatomy - RTE.ie

Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy season 17 delayed: Will the new series be delayed? EP gives update – Express

This is when all previous 16 outings of the medical drama have aired on ABC.

However, this would require filming to begin once again this summer, with showrunner Krista Vernoff confirming to TV Line they plan to hope to start in July in a new interview.

She told Michael Ausiello: Im going to start up the writers room in May, but its going to be Zoom room.

The hope is that we will be able to start production when we usually do, which is in July.

But we have to wait and see how this thing plays out, obviously.

See original here:
Grey's Anatomy season 17 delayed: Will the new series be delayed? EP gives update - Express

Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy’s T.R. Knight Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary of Meeting Husband Patrick Leahy – Just Jared

T.R. Knight and Patrick Leahy are celebrating a milestone together.

The Greys Anatomy actor posted a sweet tribute on the 10th anniversary of meeting his ballet dancer and writer husband on Friday (May 1) on his Instagram.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of T.R. Knight

Ten years ago, @bridgeteverett @zshaffer1 and @jasoneagan made meeting this magnificent human possible. My goal for the next ten? Keep trying to deserve him. (: from one of my favorite adventures together the next day we found Traveler!), he captioned the post, which featured the two posing in Dolores, Col.

They got married back in 2013 after three years of dating.

T.R. recently reunited with this Greys Anatomy former co-star.

Congratulations to the happy couple! See the sweet tribute

Read the original here:
Grey's Anatomy's T.R. Knight Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary of Meeting Husband Patrick Leahy - Just Jared

Anatomy

Guy Breaks Up With His Girlfriend After She Mocks Him For Not Knowing Where Women Pee From – Comic Sands

Women's anatomy remains a mystery to most men.

Somehow this is also the case for straight men, as a man found out the hard way when he had no idea that the vagina and the urethra were separate orifices and the clitoris was not the same as a penis.

On the popular Reddit forum "Am I The A**hole?" or "AITA," a young woman wondered if she was in the wrong for making fun of her boyfriend's lack of knowledge.

Redditor peefromclit asked the forum:

Nick Offerman Giggles GIF Giphy

The conversation began innocuously enough:

James Franco Reaction GIF Giphy

But then boyfriend insisted upon his very limited knowledge of how women's bodies work:

Spoiler alert: she did think he was an idiot.

Idiot Facepalm GIF Giphy

And then he got all mad:

side eye wtf GIF Giphy

The worst part came in an update:

shocked chris tucker GIF Giphy

Redditors showed up en masse to tell our original poster, or "OP," that she was certainly not to blame for her boyfriend's lack of knowledge.

Folks determined how to assign blame by declaring:

You Right GIF by memecandy Giphy

People are especially confused that he went so far as to break up with her.

Mila Kunis Lol GIF by IFC Giphy

You Right GIF by memecandy Giphy

Before men make blanket statements about how they believe women's bodies function, it would behoove them to do research.

Our OP's ex-boyfriend may have learned his lesson the hardest of hard ways.

*If you enjoyed this article, you can read more like it by clicking on the AITA link below.*

The Atlas of Human Anatomy is available here.

See the original post:
Guy Breaks Up With His Girlfriend After She Mocks Him For Not Knowing Where Women Pee From - Comic Sands

Immunology

AB Science announces that the European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (EAACI) 2020 Annual Congress has accepted its phase 3 study…

Paris, 7 May 2020, 6.45pm

The European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (EAACI) 2020 Annual Congress has accepted AB Science phase 3 study AB07015 results with masitinib in severe asthma to be delivered as a late breaking oral presentation

AB Science SA (Euronext - FR0010557264 - AB) today announced that an abstract reporting findings from its Phase 3 AB07015 study on severe asthma uncontrolled by oral corticosteroids, has been selected for an oral platform presentation at the upcoming European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (EAACI) 2020 Congress, which this year will be held digitally June 6-8, 2020.

Lavinia Davidescu (MD, PhD), Professor of Pulmonology at the University of Oradea, Romania, and coordinating investigator of study AB07015, will present key data from this positive Phase 3 trial as part of a Late Breaking Oral Abstract Session entitled Allergy Diagnosis and Asthma.

EAACI is one of the most prestigious academic meetings for pulmonary medicine and the worlds largest congress specializing in the field of allergy and clinical immunology. The Annual Congress regularly attracts 7,000-8,000 participants and experts from across the globe. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, EAACI will deliver the Annual Congress 2020 as a digital event consisting of pre-recorded content available beginning June 6, 2020 on the EAACI website.

Presented abstract texts will also be published on the EAACI Media Library and in the official EAACI journal Allergy after the congress.

Professor Lavinia Davidescu said: Unlike other drugs for severe asthma, masitinib targets the dual mechanisms of mast cell-related asthma pathophysiology and PDGFR-related airway remodeling. Selection of this abstract for a late breaking oral presentation at the upcoming Digital 2020 EAACI Congress is an indication of the interest being generated by this innovative approach and masitinibs potential impact on the treatment paradigm for severe asthma.

Olivier Hermine (President of the Scientific Committee of AB Science and member of the Acadmie des Sciences in France) said: Biologics for severe asthma are typically only effective in patients with a high eosinophil count of greater than 300 cells/L. In contrast, masitinib is effective across a broad population, regardless of the eosinophil level, and may therefore provide a new treatment option for biologic-ineligible patients or patients in failure to biologics.

Details for the presentation are as follows:Presentation Title: Efficacy and Safety of Masitinib in Severe Asthma: Eosinophilic Subgroup Analysis from Study AB07015Session Title: Allergy Diagnosis and Asthma: Late Breaking Oral Abstract Session (LB OAS) Late Breaking Clinical TrialsDate: Pre-recorded digital content will be available beginning June 6, 2020 at 9:00 am CEST on the EAACI website

Detailed results will be presented during the conference with an emphasis on data from a key predefined subgroup analysis in patients with initial eosinophil count of at least 150 cells/L. It is the policy of the EAACI that all scientific research-related content included in an abstract to be presented at the EAACI Digital Congress be withheld until after the abstract has been presented.

Masitinib has a unique positioning in severe asthma, in terms of administration (oral administration), mechanism of action, targeted population, and broad eosinophil level.

Masitinib is a first in class oral drug in severe asthma, selectively targeting mast cells through inhibition of tyrosine kinases c-Kit, LYN and FYN. There is a strong scientific rationale to target mast cells in asthma and study AB07015 was the first positive large-scale study in severe asthma utilizing a drug targeting mast cells [1]. Additionally, masitinib is a potent inhibitor of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor (PDGFR), which is associated with airway remodeling in asthma [2]. Masitinib is therefore capable of simultaneously modulating independent mechanisms of asthma pathophysiology, which is an attractive therapeutic strategy for severe asthma.

[1] Bradding P, Arthur G. Clin Exp Allergy. 2016 Feb;46(2):194-263.[2] Kardas G, et al. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Feb 14;11:47.

About masitinibMasitinib is a new orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets mast cells and macrophages, important cells for immunity, through inhibiting a limited number of kinases. Based on its unique mechanism of action, masitinib can be developed in a large number of conditions in oncology, in inflammatory diseases, and in certain diseases of the central nervous system. In oncology due to its immunotherapy effect, masitinib can have an effect on survival, alone or in combination with chemotherapy. Through its activity on mast cells and microglia and consequently the inhibition of the activation of the inflammatory process, masitinib can have an effect on the symptoms associated with some inflammatory and central nervous system diseases and the degeneration of these diseases.

About AB ScienceFounded in 2001, AB Science is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development and commercialization of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs), a class of targeted proteins whose action are key in signaling pathways within cells. Our programs target only diseases with high unmet medical needs, often lethal with short term survival or rare or refractory to previous line of treatment. AB Science has developed a proprietary portfolio of molecules and the Companys lead compound, masitinib, has already been registered for veterinary medicine and is developed in human medicine in oncology, neurological diseases, and inflammatory diseases. The company is headquartered in Paris, France, and listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: AB).

Further information is available on AB Sciences website: http://www.ab-science.com.

Forward-looking Statements - AB ScienceThis press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates as well as the assumptions on which they are based, statements based on projects, objectives, intentions and expectations regarding financial results, events, operations, future services, product development and their potential or future performance.

These forward-looking statements can often be identified by the words "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "estimate" or "plan" as well as other similar terms. While AB Science believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of AB Science and which may imply that results and actual events significantly differ from those expressed, induced or anticipated in the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include the uncertainties related to product development of the Company which may not be successful or to the marketing authorizations granted by competent authorities or, more generally, any factors that may affect marketing capacity of the products developed by AB Science, as well as those developed or identified in the public documents filed by AB Science with the Autorit des Marchs Financiers (AMF), including those listed in the Chapter 4 "Risk Factors" of AB Science reference document filed with the AMF on November 22, 2016, under the number R. 16-078. AB Science disclaims any obligationor undertaking to update the forward-looking information and statements, subject to the applicable regulations, in particular articles 223-1 et seq. of the AMF General Regulations.

For additional information, please contact:

AB ScienceFinancial Communication & Media Relations investors@ab-science.com

Read more:
AB Science announces that the European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (EAACI) 2020 Annual Congress has accepted its phase 3 study...

Immunology

GenScript and Avidea Technologies to Exhibit at Virtual Summit on Cancer and Immunology Research – P&T Community

PISCATAWAY, N.J., May 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GenScript USA announced today it is collaborating with Avidea Technologieson a presentation at the SelectScience Virtual Summit on Cancer and Immunology Research 2020, taking place May 11-13.GenScript will showcase the company's Neoantigen Peptide Synthesis Services as part of Avidea Technologies' virtual presentation on personalized cancer vaccines based on self-assembling nanoparticles (SNAP) for inducing anticancer T cell immunity (Lynn et al. Nat Biotech, 2020). The presentation by Avidea Technologies' CEO Geoffrey Lynn, Ph.D. will take place May 11 at 8:45 a.m. EDT.

GenScript will also be presenting its neoantigen peptide synthesis service with partners at future virtual events, such as Oligonucleotide and Peptide Therapeutics (TIDES), LabRoots Immuno-Oncology 2020, and Protein Engineering and Cell and Gene Therapy Summit (PEGS).

"With social distancing measures, meetings like these are as critical as ever to enabling the dissemination of scientific findings and exchange of ideas that fuel innovation," Lynn said. "I'm looking forward to attending the Virtual Summit to catch-up on the latest advances in Immuno-Oncology and to discuss Avidea's own work utilizing GenScript's neoantigen peptide synthesis service to systematically develop a personalized cancer vaccine. Our findings have broad implications for the development and deployment of T cell-based immunotherapies, and I'm excited to discuss this work with attendees."

As the spread of COVID-19 forces the postponement of key scientific events, this new Virtual Summitoffers a forum for scientists and manufacturers to continue to connect to advance science.Hosted by leading science publisher SelectScience, scientists and scientific manufacturers will be joining the online event from across the world to explore headline topics including immunology and COVID-19, CAR T-cell therapy, immunotherapy, genomic research and CRISPR technology, cancer diagnostics, liquid biopsies, cancer imaging, drug delivery mechanisms, the microbiome and more.

The Summit will reach 1 million+ scientists, researchers and lab directors globally, and feature presentations by top scientists and technology innovators, workshops, video interviews, virtual resource hubs, video interviews, the latest product and application news, as well as live-chat opportunities. The Summit will be open daily from May 11-13, 2020, and interested participants may register for free here.

For more information on GenScript's neoantigen peptide synthesis services, please visit http://www.genscript.com/neoantigen-peptide-service.html.

About GenScript

GenScript is the leading contract research organization in the world providing gene, peptide, protein, CRISPR, and antibody reagents globally. Since its founding in 2002, GenScript has grown exponentially through partnerships with scientists conducting fundamental life science research, translational biomedical research, and early stage pharmaceutical development. GenScript provides life science services and products to scientists in over 100 countries worldwide. The company is recognized as having built a best-in-class capacity and capability for biological research services, encompassing gene synthesis and molecular biology, peptide synthesis, custom antibodies, protein expression, antibody and protein engineering, and in vitro and in vivo pharmacology all with the goal to Make Research Easy. For more information, visit http://www.genscript.com.

Contact:

CorporateEric Wang, vice president of marketingGenScript(732) 885-9188 ext. 131ericw@genscript.com

MediaSusan ThomasPrincipal, Endpoint Communications(619) 540-9195susan@endpointcommunications.net

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genscript-and-avidea-technologies-to-exhibit-at-virtual-summit-on-cancer-and-immunology-research-301054589.html

SOURCE Genscript Biotech Corporation

Continue reading here:
GenScript and Avidea Technologies to Exhibit at Virtual Summit on Cancer and Immunology Research - P&T Community

Immunology

Herd immunity in Ireland is almost impossible without a vaccine – The Irish Times

Science and in particular immunology the study of how the body fights infections is key to controlling Covid-19.

It will tell us why the virus causes severe disease in some individuals such as older people, obese people, men and diabetics and not in others.

Immunology is central to the design of vaccines and treatment approaches for a disease where the fatal outcome is a consequence of an over-active immune response to the virus.

Immunology will play a pivotal role in development and implementation of antibody testing.

It is key to decisions being made to control the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is of great concern that there is no scientist and no immunologist on the near 40-member National Public Health Emergency Team.

Most, if not all, people hospitalised for Covid-19 develop antibodies against the virus as part of the bodys immune response to the infection. People with asymptomatic infections can also develop antibodies.

Despite reports of second infections in some individuals, there is no convincing scientific evidence that an individual can be re-infected with Sars-CoV-2 and this suggests that infection induces immunity, at least in the short term.

The testing for antibodies to identify individuals previously infected with Sars-CoV-2 will serve as an important adjunct to testing for the virus. It will provide crucial epidemiological data on the prevalence of the infection in the community; studies in other countries suggest that at least 5-15 per cent of the population have been infected.

Antibody testing, with reliable assays, will also identify those who have generated an immune response to the virus and may therefore be safe to return to work.

Having antibodies against Sars-CoV-2 does not absolutely guarantee immunity from infection. However, this is the case with other viral infections and, indeed, induction of antibodies is the fundamental basis of all effective anti-viral vaccines in use today.

How close are we to a vaccine or to herd immunity?

Herd immunity is achieved when a critical threshold, usually 80-95 per cent of individuals in a target population (the herd) are rendered immune by previous infection or vaccination. It can provide protection for people who have not themselves developed immunity by eliminating the spread of the virus within the population and is particularly important in protecting the most vulnerable.

The suggestion that a level of herd immunity through Sars-CoV-2 infections is being built up in the community is not true. A community or country either has herd immunity or it does not.

A very optimistic figure of 60 per cent has been suggested as being the threshold for herd immunity against Covid-19, but this is not backed up by reproducible research findings. Estimates of 5-15 per cent of the population being infected are a long way off those required for herd immunity.

An effective vaccine is the safest and most effective means of generating herd immunity and is potentially the best medical intervention against Covid-19. More than 70 candidate Covid-19 vaccines are in development; seven of these have started the first of three phases of clinical testing. The University of Oxford Vaccine Group have predicted that they may a have a vaccine tested and ready for use in six months, but most scientists estimate it will take 12-18 months.

In order to achieve herd immunity, the entire population, including children, would have to be vaccinated. Therefore, vaccine manufacturers will have to satisfy regulatory agencies that the vaccine is not only effective but has passed stringent safety testing before it is licensed for widespread use.

Although there is no guarantee that the first vaccines will be effective, significantly, early studies in animal models are very encouraging and have suggested that certain candidate Covid-19 vaccines will be effective in humans.

How close are we to effective drugs for the treatment of Covid-19?

A huge international effort to develop drugs to control Covid-19 is ongoing.

The most promising of these is the anti-viral drug Remdesvir, which was granted an emergency use authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration on May 1st. A report from China suggested treatment with remediation did not reduce deaths in patients with severe Covid-19. However, recent clinical trials in the US and Europe showed that the drug reduced the time of recovery from Covid-19 from 15 to 11 days.

Transfer of serum or antibodies from patients who have recovered from Covid-19 is another promising treatment approach. Plans to develop this treatment for Irish patients will be facilitated by immunology-based assays that will identify potential donors with high levels of antibodies that neutralise the virus.

In severe Covid-19, the immune systems attempt to eliminate the virus becomes uncontrolled resulting in severe inflammation in the lungs that spreads to other parts of the body. This can manifest in a syndrome called a cytokine storm. Drugs that specifically block the activity of these cytokines are another treatment option. Although the first trials have been disappointing, clinical trials with alternative drugs are ongoing.

The antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin are being tested on the basis of their anti-inflammatory properties, but convincing data from controlled trials is still lacking.

Recent studies from Italy have shown that the inflammation associated with Covid-19 may promote blood clots leading to lung damage that may be potentially fatal. Therefore, drugs that prevent such thrombosis are being tested and may have therapeutic benefit.

In short, drugs that slow down virus replication, suppress severe inflammation and prevent thrombosis may form part of future combination approaches to combat Covid-19 disease. Scientists and clinicians are united in their efforts to identify optimum treatment strategies before an effective vaccine is developed.

Kingston Mills is professor of experimental immunology and academic director at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin

See the original post here:
Herd immunity in Ireland is almost impossible without a vaccine - The Irish Times