COVID-19

[Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology] Using ex vivo cell models, investigators analyzed SARS-Cov2 interactions with kidney tubular cells and assessed direct tubular injury. These models comprised primary human kidney epithelial cells and more quiescent three-dimensional kidney spheroids.

[Cell Reports] Scientists investigated SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific memory B cells and their dependence on CD4+ T cell help in different settings of COVID-19.

[Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy] Scientists review the current knowledge and crucial information about how SARS-CoV-2 attaches on the surface of host cells through a variety of receptors, such as ACE2, neuropilin-1, AXL, and antibody–FcγR complexes.

[Nature Reviews Immunology] The authors review recent insights into the role of NK cells in viral infections, with particular emphasis on human studies.

[MigVax Ltd. (BusinessWire, Inc.)] MigVax Ltd., a startup company developing an oral subunit vaccine against COVID-19, today announced promising results from preclinical tests that demonstrated the effectivity of its MigVax-101 subunit oral vaccine as a booster for previously vaccinated persons.

[Immunity] Researchers showed that metformin inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and interleukin (IL)-1β production in cultured and alveolar macrophages along with inflammasome-independent IL-6 secretion, thus attenuating lipopolysaccharide- and SARS-CoV-2-induced Acute respiratory distress syndrome.