StemCell Therapy

News Release

Monday, March 9, 2020

New strategy could be applied to other infectious diseases.

A new approach to direct the body to make a specific antibody against HIV led to sustained production of that antibody for more than a year among participants in a National Institutes of Health clinical trial. This drug-delivery technology uses a harmless virus to deliver an antibody gene into human cells, enabling the body to generate the antibody over an extended time. With further development, such a strategy could be applied to prevent and treat a wide variety of infectious diseases, according to the study investigators.

Researchers from NIHs National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reported the findings on March 9 in an oral presentation at the 2020 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).

Antibodies are immune system proteins that help prevent or clear infections. Traditional vaccines induce the immune system to generate protective antibodies. Another approach to preventing infections is to deliver monoclonal antibodies preparations of a specific antibody designed to bind to a single target directly into people. Monoclonal antibodies also are used therapeutically, with many already approved for treating cancer, autoimmune diseases and other conditions and others being evaluated for treatment of infectious diseases, such as Ebola virus disease.

Administering proteins to people requires periodic injections or infusions to retain protective or therapeutic levels, which can be challenging, particularly in resource-limited settings. Delivery of antibody genes using a virus as a carrier, or vector, offers a potential alternative.

Monoclonal antibodies hold enormous promise for preventing and treating both established and emerging infectious diseases, said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. Novel delivery platforms such as viral vectors could facilitate the future development and deployment of antibody-based prophylaxis and therapy, and these findings are a promising first step in that direction.

The drug-delivery system developed by scientists at NIAIDs Vaccine Research Center (VRC) uses adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8) to deliver an antibody gene. AAVs small viruses that do not cause disease in humans have proven to be safe, well-tolerated vectors for gene therapy. In a previous study in animal models, VRC researchers found that using AAV8 to deliver genes for antibodies against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), the monkey equivalent of HIV, led monkeys to safely produce high levels of anti-SIV antibodies and protected them from acquiring SIV.

Building on this preclinical work, researchers designed a Phase 1 clinical trial known as VRC 603. It aims to assess the safety and tolerability of an AAV8 vector carrying an anti-HIV antibody gene in adults living with well-controlled HIV, and to evaluate whether it could cause human cells to produce the antibody. The vector carries the gene for an anti-HIV monoclonal antibody called VRC07, which was originally isolated from the blood of a person with HIV.

VRC07 is a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb), meaning it can stop a wide range of HIV strains from infecting human cells in the laboratory. Other clinical studies are underway to determine whether bNAb infusionscan protecthumansfrom acquiring HIV. Scientists also are evaluating whether combinations of HIV bNAbs can suppress the virus in people living with HIV.

The CROI presentation by Joseph P. Casazza, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator of VRC 603, described initial results from the first eight participants in the ongoing trial, which is being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Each of these individuals, aged 30 to 60 years, received a single dose by intramuscular injection of one of three different dose levels of AAV8-VRC07. They continued taking daily antiretroviral therapy.

Following injection with AAV8-VRC07, all eight participants produced VRC07 at levels detectable in the blood. VRC07 production reached an early peak four to six weeks after injection, then decreased, and slowly began to increase again roughly 16 weeks after the injection. The researchers have monitored the five participants who received low or intermediate AAV8-VRC07 doses for one and a half to two years. For three of these five individuals, antibody levels one year after injection were higher than those observed at four to six weeks. The three volunteers who received the highest AAV8-VRC07 dose have so far been monitored for five months to one year. Two produced VRC07 at concentrations higher than those seen in the low and intermediate dose groups.

Study participants have not experienced any major side effects due to AAV8-VRC07. Some volunteers experienced transient mild tenderness at the injection site or mild muscle pain.

To the best of our knowledge, this marks the first time that an AAV-based technology to deliver an antibody gene has resulted in safe and sustained levels of that antibody in blood, said NIAID VRC Director John Mascola, M.D. We hope that further development of this technology will yield a drug-delivery strategy applicable to a broad range of infectious diseases.

Administration of monoclonal antibody-based therapies sometimes results in a persons immune system developing antibodies against the therapy. Only three of the eight VRC 603 participants developed antibodies against VRC07; it is not yet clear whether these anti-drug antibodies could reduce VRC07s ability to neutralize HIV. The VRC 603 participants HIV was kept under control with continued antiretroviral therapy during the trial.

The concentrations of VRC07 observed in the study participants were lower than the antibody concentrations observed in animal studies of the AAV8-based technology. The VRC researchers are analyzing data from VRC 603 to better understand the factors that determine how much bNAb is produced by human cells. They also are continuing to monitor the VRC 603 participants and to enroll new volunteers into the trial.

AAV8-VRC07 was developed by VRC scientists in collaboration with David Baltimore, Ph.D., of the California Institute of Technology and Alejandro Balazs, Ph.D., of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard. AAV8-VRC07 was manufactured by the Clinical Vector Core of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. More information about the VRC 603 trial is available on ClinicalTrials.gov using identifier NCT03374202.

NIAID conducts and supports research at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

JP Casazzaet al. Durable HIV-1 antibody production in humans after AAV8-mediated gene transfer. Oral presentation at the 2020 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). Presented March 9, 2020.

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Drug-delivery technology leads to sustained HIV antibody production in NIH study - National Institutes of Health

Its been a long, wet winter. Everybody has got colds, and now we are braced for a coronavirus epidemic. Boosting our immune system has rarely felt more urgent, but, beyond eating more tangerines and hoping for the best, what else can we do?

Sheena Cruickshank, a professor of immunology at the University of Manchester, has a shocking cold when we speak at a safe distance, over the phone. To know how to take care of your immune system, she says, first you need to understand the weapons in your armoury a cheeringly impressive collection, it turns out.

When you come into contact with a germ youve never met before, she says, youve got various barriers to try to stop it getting into your body. As well as skin, we have mucus snot is a really important barrier and a microbiome, the collective noun for the estimated 100tn microbes that live throughout our bodies, internally and externally. Some of these helpful bugs make antimicrobial chemicals and compete with pathogens for food and space.

Beneath these writhing swamps of mucus and microbes, our bodies are lined with epithelial cells which, says Cruickshank, are really hard to get through. They make antimicrobial products including, most relevant to coronavirus, antiviral compounds that are quite hostile.

If a pathogen breaches these defences, it has to deal with our white blood cells, or immune cells. One type, called macrophages, inhabit all our body tissue and, says Cruickshank, have all these weapons ready to go, but theyre not terribly precise. They report to the cleverer, adaptive white blood cells known as lymphocytes. They are the ones that remember germs, so if you meet that germ again, says Cruickshank, theyll just deal with it probably without you even knowing. Thats when youve got immunity and is the basis of vaccination. Its trying to bypass all the early stuff and create the memory, so you dont have to be sick.

Our immune systems may have blind spots. This might mean that our immune response doesnt recognise certain bugs, she says, or the bugs have sneaky evasion strategies. Personally, my immune system is not necessarily very good at seeing colds. But a healthy lifestyle will ensure your defences are as good as they get.

Seeing as our bodies contain more cells belonging to microbes, such as bacteria and yeasts, than human ones, lets start with the microbiome. We live in a symbiotic relationship with our gut bacteria, says Prof Arne Akbar, the president of the British Society for Immunology and a professor at University College, London. Having the right ones around, that we evolved with, is best for our health. Anything we do that alters that can be detrimental.

Not only do our microbes form protective barriers, they also programme our immune systems. Animals bred with no microbiome have less well developed immune responses. Older people, and those with diseases that are characterised by inflammation, such as allergies, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, tend to have less varied gut microbiomes.

To feed your gut flora, Cruickshank recommends eating a more varied diet with lots of high-fibre foods. Being vegetarian isnt a prerequisite for microbiome health, but the more plant foods you consume, the better. The microbiome really likes fibre, pulses and fermented foods, she adds.

Kefir yoghurt and pickles such as sauerkraut and kimchi are among the fermented delicacies now fashionable thanks to our increasing knowledge of the microbiome. But the evidence for taking probiotic supplements, she says, is mixed. Its not a dead cert that they will survive the journey through your digestive tract, or that they will hang around long enough if they do. Its more effective to change your diet, says Cruickshank.

The skin microbiome is important, too, but we know less about it. High doses of ultraviolet light (usually from the sun) can affect it negatively, weakening any protective functions (as well as triggering immune suppression in the skin itself). Overwashing with strong soaps and using antibacterial products is not friendly to our skin microbiomes. Combinations of perfumes and moisturisers might well also have an effect, says Cruickshank.

To be immunologically fit, you need to be physically fit. White blood cells can be quite sedentary, says Akbar. Exercise mobilises them by increasing your blood flow, so they can do their surveillance jobs and seek and destroy in other parts of the body. The NHS says adults should be physically active in some way every day, and do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (hiking, gardening, cycling) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (running, swimming fast, an aerobics class).

The advice for older people, who are more vulnerable to infection, is to do whatever exercise is possible. Anythings better than nothing, says Akbar. But a lifetimes exercise could significantly slow your immune system declining with age. In 2018, a study by University of Birmingham and Kings College London found that 125 non-smoking amateur cyclists aged 55 to 79 still had the immune systems of young people.

The other side of the coin, says Akbar, is elite athletes who become very susceptible to infections because you can exercise to a point where it has a negative impact on your immune system. This problem is unlikely to affect most of us unless, says Cruickshank, youre a couch potato and suddenly try and run a marathon, this could introduce stress hormones and be quite bad for your immune system.

One of the many happy side-effects of exercise is that it reduces stress, which is next on our list of immune-boosting priorities. Stress hormones such as cortisol can compromise immune function, a common example of which, says Akbar, is when chickenpox strikes twice. If you have had it, the virus never completely goes away. During periods of stress, he says, it can reactivate again and we get shingles.

Forget boozing through the coronavirus crisis, because heavy drinking also depletes our immune cells. Some studies have suggested that the first-line-of-defence macrophages are not as effective in people who have had a lot of alcohol, says Cruickshank. And theres been suggestions that high alcohol consumption can lead to a reduction of the lymphocytes as well. So if the bug gets into you, youre not going to be as good at containing and fighting it off.

Cruickshank says that vitamin D has become a hot topic in immunology. It is used by our macrophages, and is something that people in Britain can get quite low on in the winter. Necking extra vitamin C, however, is probably a waste of time for well-fed westerners. Its not that vitamin C isnt crucial to immune function (and other things, such as bone structure). All the vitamins are important, says Cruickshank, but vitamin C is water soluble, its not one that your body stores. Eating your five a day of fruits and vegetables is the best way to maintain necessary levels.

Exercising and eating well will have the likely knock-on effect of helping you sleep better, which is a bonus because a tired body is more susceptible to bugs. One study last year found that lack of sleep impaired the disease-fighting ability of a type of lymphocyte called T cells, and research is demonstrating the importance of our natural biorhythms overall.

Janet Lord, a professor at the University of Birmingham, recently showed that vaccinating people in the morning is more effective than doing so in the afternoon. Your natural biorhythms are, to some extent, dictated by sleep, says Akbar. If youve got a regular sleep pattern, you have natural body rhythms and everythings fine. If they go out of kilter, then youve got problems.

The seriousness of an infection largely depends on the dose you are hit with, which could in turn depend on how contagious the carrier is when they cough near you. Were constantly exposed to germs, and we only get sick from a handful of those, says Cruickshank.

If youre reasonably young and healthy, says Akbar, the mild benefits you may achieve from being extra good probably wont fend off a severe dose of coronavirus or flu. The likely scenario if you catch the infection is, he says, youll be sick for a while and you will recover.

From a public-health perspective, when nasty viruses such as coronavirus are doing the rounds, Akbars priority is not boosting already healthy peoples immune systems, but protecting the vulnerable people. Older people dont respond that well to the flu jab, though its better for them to have it than not. Its a general problem of immune decline with ageing.

When we get older, he says, the barrier function in the gut doesnt work that well, so you have something called leaky gut syndrome, where bugs creep into our bodies causing mild infections. This causes inflammation around the body, as does the natural accumulation of old zombie cells, called senescent cells, and inflammation compromises the immune response.

Akbar is working on developing drug treatments to reduce inflammation in older people but they are a way off yet. Age 65 is when, medically, one is considered older, but thats arbitrary, says Akbar. Some old people might get problems much earlier. And there are older people who are totally healthy.

In terms of coronavirus, says Cruickshank, its mostly spread by droplet transmission, as far as we can tell, so the biggest thing is hygiene. So wash your hands, and sneeze and cough into tissues, she suggests, between sniffles. No one can completely avoid getting sick, not even top immunologists.

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How to boost your immune system to avoid colds and coronavirus - The Guardian

Posted: Mar 6, 2020 / 11:57 PM EST / Updated: Mar 6, 2020 / 11:57 PM EST

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) With all the viruses going around, many of us are looking for ways to strengthen our immune systems.

On Point Health and Wellness in Beckley has safe alternative methods to keep your family healthy.

According to owner and licensed acupuncturist, Kacy Korczyk, acupuncture can naturally boost immunity and help with inflammation by releasing neuromodulators in the brain. She said you can also relax in the salt cave, and breathe in the therapeutic salt in the air. It is both anti-bacterial and antiviral.

Its really something super easy and super affordable, said Korczyk. You literally just go sit in a room and breath in salt air, and it can work wonders for your sinuses and respiratory tract along with skin issues It can also help with muscle tension and sleep as well.

People can use the salt cave anywhere from two to three times a week to once a month depending on your needs.

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Alternative methods to boost your immune system - WVNS-TV

With the COVID-19 coronavirus spreading, should older adults be flying? (Photo: Getty)

If you are 65 years of age or older or have a chronic medical condition, you may want to think twice about air travel given the COVID-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) situation. Think twice may include trying to recall if you actually have your own private jet.

If you dont have your own airplane, then consider the recommendations that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website now has for those at higher risk for bad COVID-19 outcomes. As the CDC website explains, older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness. Early data suggest older people are twice as likely to have serious COVID-19 illness. (If you want to learn more about why such illnesses tend to be more serious in older adults, Miriam Knoll, MD has previously written for Forbes on this topic.) Nowhere on the CDC web page does it explicitly tell older individuals or those with weaker immune systems to avoid air travel. Nevertheless, take a look at the actual recommendations:

These recommendations dont exactly scream that its OK to get on a commercial flight. After all, commercial flights that arent ghost flights tend to have crowds on them called passengers. Completely avoiding other passengers might require either riding on the wing or spending the entire flight in the bathroom chanting, dont come in here. Theres bad stuff in here. Plus, how can you keep space between yourself and others when you are so close to your neighbors that you cant quite tell which seat belt is whose? These CDC web page even says, avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. And spring breeze is probably not the first thing that you think of when on a commercial flight.

Mike Stobbe reported for the Associated Press that the White House overruled health officials who wanted to recommend that elderly and physically fragile Americans be advised not to fly on commercial airlines because of the new coronavirus. However, Katie Miller, the Press Secretary for Vice President Mike Pence, tweeted the following about this AP report:

Regardless of who actually said what or did what, it is hard to reconcile the current CDC recommendations with older adults taking a commercial flight. Thus, if you are 65 years or older, have a chronic medical condition like diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or cancer, are on medications such as steroids that may weaken your immune system, or have some other reason why your immune system may not at peak condition, you may want to do whatever you can to avoid air travel. That includes canceling or postponing flights if feasible. Unless, of course, you have your own plane.

In fact, other aspects of the CDC recommendations essentially paint the general picture that older individuals and others with weaker immune systems should begin to distance themselves from others. That doesnt mean start acting aloof and cold and saying, bye, Felicia to everyone. Rather, it means maintaining more physical distance from others. If you are in the higher risk group, prepare to spend more time at home.

When you are older or have chronic medical medical conditions, the recommendation usually isnt too interact less with people. In fact, meeting new people can be a great way to cope with loneliness and other challenges. But these are not typical times. A potentially deadly and not yet well-understood infectious disease is spreading and the situation continues to evolve. Social distancing doesnt mean cut off all social ties. Technology now allows you to maintain and even grow social ties without always having to be physically next to each other. For example, you can start a massive amount of different hashtags or like everything that everyone says on Twitter. The CDC also isnt recommending that you become a hermit. Just make sure that face-to-face interaction is not literally face-to-face. Also, make sure that the people you do interact with in person are not sick and know what precautions to take to keep themselves and you from getting infected.

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Are You At Higher Risk For Serious COVID-19 Illness? Here Is What To Do - Forbes

WASHINGTON A team of scientists jostled for a view of the lab dish, staring impatiently for the first clue that an experimental vaccine against the new coronavirus just might work.

After weeks of round-the-clock research at the National Institutes of Health, it was time for a key test. If the vaccine revs up the immune system, the samples in that dish blood drawn from immunized mice would change color.

Minutes ticked by, and finally they started glowing blue.

Especially at moments like this, everyone crowds around, said Kizzmekia Corbett, an NIH research fellow leading the vaccine development. When her team sent word of the positive results, it was absolutely amazing.

Dozens of research groups around the world are racing to create a vaccine as COVID-19 cases continue to grow. Importantly, theyre pursuing different types of vaccines shots developed from new technologies that not only are faster to make than traditional inoculations but might prove more potent. Some researchers even aim for temporary vaccines, such as shots that might guard peoples health a month or two at a time while longer-lasting protection is developed.

Until we test them in humans, we have absolutely no idea what the immune response will be, cautioned vaccine expert Dr. Judith ODonnell, infectious disease chief at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Having a lot of different vaccines with a lot of different theories behind the science of generating immunity all on a parallel track really ultimately gives us the best chance of getting something successful.

First-step testing in small numbers of young, healthy volunteers is set to start soon. Theres no chance participants could get infected from the shots, because they dont contain the virus itself. The goal is purely to check that the vaccines show no worrisome side effects, setting the stage for larger tests of whether they protect.

First in line is the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. It is preparing to test 45 volunteers with different doses of shots co-developed by NIH and Moderna Inc.

Next, Inovio Pharmaceuticals aims to begin safety tests of its vaccine candidate next month in a few dozen volunteers at the University of Pennsylvania and a testing center in Kansas City, Missouri, followed by a similar study in China and South Korea.

Even if initial safety tests go well, youre talking about a year to a year and a half before any vaccine could be ready for widespread use, stressed Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIHs National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

That still would be a record-setting pace. But manufacturers know the wait required because it takes additional studies of thousands of people to tell if a vaccine truly protects and does no harm is hard for a frightened public.

I can really genuinely understand everybodys frustration and maybe even confusion, said Kate Broderick, Inovios research and development chief. You can do everything as fast as possible, but you cant circumvent some of these vital processes.

Behind-the-scenes in NIHs lab

The new coronavirus is studded with a protein aptly named spike that lets the virus burrow into human cells. Block that protein, and people wont get infected. That makes spike the target of most vaccine research.

Not so long ago, scientists would have had to grow the virus itself to create a vaccine. The NIH is using a new method that skips that step. Researchers instead copy the section of the virus genetic code that contains the instructions for cells to create the spike protein, and let the body become a mini-factory.

Inject a vaccine containing that code, called messenger RNA or mRNA, and peoples cells produce some harmless spike protein. Their immune system spots the foreign protein and makes antibodies to attack it. The body would then be primed to react quickly if the real virus ever comes along.

Corbetts team had a head start. Because theyd spent years trying to develop a vaccine against MERS, a cousin of the new virus, they knew how to make spike proteins stable enough for immunization, and sent that key ingredient to Moderna to brew up doses.

How to tell its a good candidate to test in people?

Corbetts team grew spike protein in the lab lots of it and stored it frozen in vials. Then with the first research doses of vaccine Moderna dubbed mRNA-1273, the NIH researchers immunized dozens of mice. Days later, they started collecting blood samples to check if the mice were producing antibodies against that all-important spike protein. One early test: Mix the mouse samples with thawed spike protein and various color-eliciting trackers, and if antibodies are present, they bind to the protein and glow.

Corbett said the work couldnt have moved so quickly had it not been for years of behind-the-scenes lab testing of a possible MERS vaccine that works the same way.

I think about it a lot, how many of the little experimental questions we did not have to belabor this time around, she said. When she saw the first promising mouse tests, I felt like there was a beginning of all of this coming full circle.

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INOVIOS APPROACH

Inovios approach is similar -- again using genetic code, in this case packaged inside a piece of synthetic DNA that acts as the vaccine. One advantage Broderick cites for a DNA approach is that unlike many types of vaccines, it may not need refrigeration.

A MERS vaccine that Inovio designed the same way passed initial safety studies in people, paving the way for testing the new COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Inovio is doing similar animal testing to look for presumably protective antibodies.

While it gets ready for human safety tests, Inovio also is prepping for another piece of evidence whats called a challenge study. Vaccinated animals will be put in a special high-containment lab and exposed to the new coronavirus to see if they get infected or not.

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PLACEHOLDER VACCINES?

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is exploring a different approach: simply injecting people with coronavirus-fighting antibodies instead of teaching the body to make its own. This method could provide temporary protection against infection or work as a treatment for someone already infected.

Regeneron vaccinated mice genetically engineered to make human antibodies. From small blood samples, researchers culled hundreds of different antibodies, and now theyre teasing out which seem most potent against that notorious spike protein, said Christos Kyratsous, Regenerons chief of infectious disease research.

Regeneron developed this monoclonal antibody approach as a life-saving treatment for Ebola. Last year, it performed a successful safety test of experimental antibodies designed to fight MERS.

The difference between using antibodies as a treatment or a vaccine? Low-dose shots in the arm every few months might give enough antibodies to temporarily ward off infection, while treatment likely would require far higher doses delivered intravenously, Kyratsous said. Regeneron is pursuing both, and hopes to begin first-step safety testing in early summer.

The antibodies are the same, he said. We would like to have an antibody that is as flexible in administration as possible.

Whichever of these approaches, or others in the pipeline, pan out, NIHs Corbett said scientists one day hope to have vaccines on the shelf that could be used against entire families of viruses. One frustration when scientists have to start from scratch is that outbreaks too often are waning by the time vaccine candidates are ready for widespread testing.

This is the fastest we have gone, Fauci said of the NIHs vaccine candidate, although he warned it might not be fast enough.

Still, he called it quite conceivable that COVID-19 will go beyond just a season, and come back and recycle next year. In that case, we hope to have a vaccine.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Behind the scenes, scientists prep for COVID-19 vaccine test - Northwest Herald

Coronavirus is far more deadly for men than women, with males 65 per cent more likely to die from an infection than females, new analysis shows.

The latest breakdown of figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Chinese scientists shows that, of all suspected cases, 1.7 per cent of women who contract the virus will die compared with 2.8 per cent of men.

In confirmed cases, the infection is fatal for 4.7 per cent of men but just 2.8 per cent of women, even though the gender balance for those testing positive is roughly split in half.

Some experts believe the sex imbalance relates to a higher prevalance of smoking or chronic alcohol use among men, while others think men are more likely to have underlying health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, making them more vulerable to an infection.

During the height of the Wuhan epidemic, 16 per cent of people receiving dialysis at Remnin Hospital contracted the disease, and 16 per cent died.

Although the overall global death rate is still being calculated, with estimates ranging from one to 3.8 per cent, the analysis by Worldometer shows it jumps hugely when people have health problems.

The risk of death rises to 10.5 per cent for people with cardiovascular disease, 7.3 per cent for diabetics, 6.3 per cent for those with chronic respiratory disease, six per cent for people with high blood pressure and 5.6 per cent for cancer sufferers.

However, Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, believes women may simply have better immune systems and are biologically better at fighting off the virus.

"Some of the differences are probably due to men smoking more and being chronic abusers of alcohol, but also, women are intrinsically different to men in their immune response," he said.

"Sometimes that works in women's favour. Women seem to have more powerful immune systems, which means they suffer more from autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, when the immune system responds over-aggressively and ends up attacking the body.

"This happens in men far less frequently, but itappears to be a good thing for a number of infections and particularly influenza, and there is evidence women produce better antibody responses to the influenza vaccine than men."

Older men may be particularly at risk because the death rate rockets in the elderly.

While the chance of dying from the virus for anyone under 50 is less than 0.5 per cent, it jumps to 1.3 per cent after the age of 50 and then nearly trebles to 3.6 per cent after 60.

By the time someone reaches 70, their risk of dying has hit eight per cent, which then rises to 14.8 per cent for the over 80s, far and away the most vulnerable group.

On Thursday evening,NHS Berkshire confirmed that the first person to die in Britain was an "older patient with underlying health conditions".

The British man who died after contracting the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined off the Japanese coast, was in his 70s.

Although many older people are often suffering from chronic disease which make them more vulnerable, the immune system itself begins to break down in later life.

Diseases that are largely harmless in youth, such as chicken pox, hide in the body and can become deadly shingles as people get older and their immunity begins to decline. The quality of antibodies produced also diminishes with age, preventing the body from clearing out viruses quickly and efficiently.

"Our immune systems start giving up the ghost," added Prof Hunter. "You're going to delay coming up with an antibody."

Yet young children seem to be oddly protected against coronavirus. So far there have been no deaths among the under 10s, and the disease is fatal for just 0.2 per cent of people aged between 10 and 40.

Dr Andrew Freeman, a reader in infectious diseases at Cardiff University, said: "I think, with children, it is likely that they are susceptible to infection but more likely get mild/asymptomatic infection.

"This does occur with some other viral infections such as Epstein-Barr virus infection which causes glandular fever in young adults, and also hepatitis A. We still have a lot to learn about this virus."

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Men far more likely to die from coronavirus than women, analysis shows - Telegraph.co.uk

USA TODAY answers a question you may be wondering: Is coronavirus worse than the flu? USA TODAY

You might be buying or making lots ofhand sanitizerto help protect yourself from the COVID-19 coronavirus, but health care professionals areasking you to do something a lot harder: Stop touching your face.

In addition to properly washing your hands, experts saykeeping your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth will help protect you from the coronavirus orthe flu and other infections.

Easier said than done.

"Even health experts have trouble not touching their faces!" the Santa Clara County, California Public Health Department posted to Facebook on Thursday.

That followed an article bythe Washington Post pointing out thatSara Cody, the county's public health director, had licked her finger moments after urging the public not to touch their face.

Its just subconscious behavior," infection prevention expertConnie Steed told USA TODAY on Friday.

She said trying to break the habit has taken a big effort for her and her family.

But it's a habit worthbreaking.

Your face contains multiple pathways for infections to easily enter your body, and your hands can be contaminated without you knowing it.

You can clean your hands all day, but as soon as you start touching things again ...the germs on your hands increase, said Steed,the president of theAssociation for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Hand washing: You're probably washing your hands wrong and don't even know it

Watch: Boost your immune system by doing these things and fend off coronavirus, flu

If we could only see the germs on our hands, we'd find it a lot easier to keep them away from our face,Steed said.

Reducing how often you touch your face is just part of "common-sense basics" for avoiding all types of illnesses, not just the coronavirus currently causing widespread anxiety.

Because it's a common habit most people do it all the time without realizing it. APIC estimates the average person touches their face23 times per hour, based on a small 2015 study.

It's something we start doing as young kids and most of us never stop, Steed said. Becoming self-aware of the problem is a good place to start.

That's what Verge journalistElizabeth Lopatto tried to do this week asshe attempted to count how often she touched her face in a day.

After a few hours she concluded "I am aborting the mission because I touch my face too often."

How-to guidesare popping upeverywhere.

One common thread: Try your best to do it less, but don't let it ruin your day. As one expert pointed out to the New York Times, stress is bad for your immune system and obsessing over breaking a common habit could create its own problems.

According Steed, there are a few simple things that may help:

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Health officials say not to touch your face. That's harder than it sounds even for them. - USA TODAY

On Monday, Donald Trump held a meeting in the White House to discuss his Administrations response to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has spread to every continent except Antarctica. At the time there had been more than a hundred and five thousand cases reported in at least eighty-three countries, leading to more than thirty-five hundred deaths. Seated around an oval table in the Cabinet Room were health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health, as well as pharmaceutical executives from Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, and others. With more than a hundred cases already discovered in the U.S., which had resulted in six deaths (the virus has since infected nearly four hundred people in the U.S., and killed at least nineteen of them), Trump was concerned. But he was also confused, despite having had several previous briefings with the Administrations top health officials. Grasping for some good news, he pressed the executives to deliver a vaccine within a few months, at which point Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (N.I.A.I.D.), spoke up. A vaccine that you make and start testing in a year is not a vaccine thats deployable, he said. The earliest it would be deployable, Fauci added, is in a year to a year and a half, no matter how fast you go.

The virus seems to have been circulating in the United States, particularly in Washington State, for the past month, and more cases are expected. A person can be infected but asymptomatic, and therefore unknowingly infect other people. This limits the ability of public-health tools to contain its spread. Even still, a COVID-19 vaccine developed, licensed, and manufactured at a global scale in twelve months would be an unprecedented, remarkable, even revolutionary achievement. No other vaccine has come close to being developed that quickly. The fastest effort to date was during the Zika outbreak, in 2015, when one was ready for testing in about seven months, but the epidemic fizzled out before an approved vaccine could be sent through clinical trials. At the meeting on Monday, Trump said, I like the sound of a couple months better, if I must be honest.

John Shiver, the global head of vaccine research and development at the multinational pharmaceutical company Sanofi, which is developing a COVID-19 vaccine, was at the meeting with Trump. There was some confusion there, Shiver said, that certain officials did not understand that being in people, as in human trials, is not the same as having a product. Clinical trials are conducted on healthy people, which is inherently challenging. You certainly dont want a vaccine that can make it worse, Shiver said. There have been some vaccine candidates historically that could actually enhance the disease. Sanofi is working with the United States Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a sort of biomedical DARPA, to advance a COVID-19 vaccine based largely on the vaccine candidate it had developed for SARS. Shiver told me that the authority doesnt expect to have anything ready for human trials until much later this year. Its difficult, Shiver said, to see how, even in the case of an emergency, a vaccine could be fully ready for licensure in a year and a half.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), an Oslo-based nonprofit organization, was established at Davos, in 2017, to help the world prepare for a disease X pandemic. One of its aims is to dramatically hasten the process of vaccine development. To create a viable, scalable vaccine takes vast amounts of funding and R. & D., Rachel Grant, the advocacy and communications director at CEPI, told me. It is a long and complex business. Its all doable, science can meet the challenges, but there is lots of attrition before any vaccine gets to the point of licensure. The problem is twofold. First, there may never be a market for a vaccine at the end of the development process, because the epidemic is contained, or never comes to pass. Then, traditionally, if there is an epidemic, it may take hold in a developing country where the costs of research and development cannot be recouped. The resources and expertise sit in biotech and pharma, and theyve got their business model, Grant said. Theyre not charities. They cant do this stuff for free.

CEPI, with funding from the government of Norway, the Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and several other countries (the United States is not among them), is trying to bridge the gap. The challenge of vaccine development is what CEPI was set up to solve, Grant told me, played out writ large in an episode like this. Since the novel coronavirus emerged, CEPI has ramped up its grant-making expenditures to more than nineteen million dollars. Two grant recipientsa Massachusetts-based biotech startup named Moderna and a lab at the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australiahave, remarkably, already developed a vaccine candidate that they will start testing in human trials in the next few months, and another biotech startup supported by CEPI is not far behind. But, ultimately, to get three different vaccines through the final phase of clinical testing, Nick Jackson, CEPIs head of programs and innovative technology, told me, will require an estimated two billion dollars.

Barney Graham is the deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center, at the N.I.A.I.D., in Bethesda, Maryland, which is collaborating with Moderna and other academic labs on a possible vaccine. Graham is one of the worlds experts on the structure of viruses and how they interact with human cells to make us sick. In the seven years before the COVID-19 virus appeared, one of Grahams projects had involved understanding the MERS coronavirus, in order to potentially develop a vaccine. (MERS, which can be transmitted from camels to humans, has been contained to the Middle East, and seems to spread mostly in confined spaces, like hospitals.) Theres several ways of delivering a protein to a human body that will make a vaccine-type response, he told me. Certain proteins, when injected into a human, are antigenic, provoking the bodys immune system to create antibodies. Traditionally, proteins are made in a microbrewery type of bioreactor, Graham saida common flu-virus vaccine, for instance, is grown in chicken eggsand it takes up to two years to get that protein ready. That is not fast enough if youre in a pandemic situation. Researchers have long been working on so-called vaccine-platform manufacturing technologies for future use. The idea is akin to creating a frozen-yogurt maker for vaccinessame machine, different flavors. With vaccine-platform technologies, the hope is that the way in which the vaccine is manufactured and delivered to the bodysuch as Modernas messenger-RNA (mRNA) technologywill transport any antigen and, therefore, theoretically protect against any infectious disease. You can make the RNA in the same way, purify it in the same way, release it in the same way, and yet make many different proteins, Graham said.

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How Long Will It Take to Develop a Coronavirus Vaccine? - The New Yorker

Coronavirus Can Quickly Progress to Severe Pneumonia and Even Death Due to Immune Hyperactivity Including Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS); CytoDyn's Trial Focuses on Patients Who Develop Mild-To-Moderate Respiratory Illness After Contracting Coronavirus

CytoDyn Negotiating to Expedite Setup of Treatment Clinics in New York and San Francisco

VANCOUVER, Washington, March 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytoDyn Inc. (OTC.QB: CYDY), (CytoDyn or the Company"), a late-stage biotechnology company developing leronlimab (PRO 140), a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications, announced today that the Company has submitted an investigational new drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a Phase 2 clinical trial with leronlimab (PRO 140) as a therapy for patients who experience respiratory complications as a result of contracting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Bruce Patterson M.D., CEO of IncellDX and advisor to CytoDyn explains: Leronlimab inhibits migration of Tregs, which can inhibit the innate immune response against pathogens, into areas of inflammation. Most importantly, the migration of macrophages and the release of inflammatory cytokines including TNF and IL-6 (cytokine storm) is what causes the profound damage in the lungs in some patients. Leronlimab binding to CCR5 changes the macrophages migration and cytokine production. Taken together, these activities may reduce the morbidity and mortality in moderate to severe cases of COVID-19. IncellDx has developed a suite of diagnostics to monitor these effects of leronlimab on the immune system in these critical patients.

Coronavirus deaths are linked to patients immune systems that have an inflammatory response to the virus causing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). With ARDS, the entire lung is affected, unlike pneumonia where often only part of the lung is affected, said Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of CytoDyn. Our scientists believe that our data in cancer patients indicated that leronlimabs role in blocking Tregs and macrophages demonstrates that leronlimab modulates the inflammatory response to more effectively provide effector function. With more than 840 patients treated with leronlimab in our clinical trials, we believe leronlimab could reduce the inflammation which contributes to ARDS, thereby potentially reducing morbidity and mortality rates in coronavirus patients. If we can show a similar response in our current Phase 2 trial, then leronlimab could have a powerful impact on improving the prognosis for coronavirus patients. With leronlimabs Fast Track designation from the FDA for the treatment of HIV and mTNBC (triple-negative breast cancer), we are expediting the initiation of this trial to address the rapid spread of this disease and are eager to test this proof of concept in clinical trials as a potential treatment for coronavirus, added Dr. Pourhassan.

The following is a brief summary of excerpts from the Companys Phase 2 clinical trial protocol:Indication for Use: Leronlimab is indicated for treatment of adult patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms of respiratory illness caused by coronavirus 2019 infection.Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of leronlimab administered as weekly subcutaneous injection in subjects with coronavirus 2019 infection.Primary Outcome (Endpoint) Measure: Clinical Improvement based on change in total symptom score (for fever, myalgia, dyspnea and cough)Note: The total score per patient ranges from 0 to 12 points. Each symptom is graded from 0 to 3 [0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, and 3=severe].Trial Design: This is a Phase 2, single arm, open-label, multicenter study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of leronlimab (PRO 140) in patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms of respiratory illness caused by coronavirus 2019 infection. Leronlimab (PRO 140) will be administered subcutaneously as weekly dose of 700 mg.The study will have three phases: Screening Period, Treatment Period, and Follow-Up Period.Treatment Period: 4 weeks allowed windows.Inclusion Criteria:

About Coronavirus Disease 2019The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.1 The origin of COVID-19 is uncertain and it is unclear how easily the virus spreads. COVID-19 is thought to be transmitted person to person through respiratory droplets, commonly resulting from coughing sneezing and close personal contact. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals. For confirmed COVID-19 infections, symptoms have included fever, cough and shortness of breath. It is believed that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days prior to exposure, and that symptoms in patients have ranged from non-existent to severe and fatal. There are currently no known antiviral treatments effective at suppressing COVID-19.

About Leronlimab (PRO 140)The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have granted a Fast Track designation to CytoDyn for two potential indications of leronlimab for deadly diseases. The first as a combination therapy with HAART for HIV-infected patients and the second is for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Leronlimab is an investigational humanized IgG4 mAb that blocks CCR5, a cellular receptor that is important in HIV infection, tumor metastases, and other diseases including NASH. Leronlimab has successfully completed nine clinical trials in over 800 people, including meeting its primary endpoints in a pivotal Phase 3 trial (leronlimab in combination with standard antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients).

In the setting of HIV/AIDS, leronlimab is a viral-entry inhibitor; it masks CCR5, thus protecting healthy T cells from viral infection by blocking the predominant HIV (R5) subtype from entering those cells. Leronlimab has been the subject of nine clinical trials, each of which demonstrated that leronlimab can significantly reduce or control HIV viral load in humans. The leronlimab antibody appears to be a powerful antiviral agent leading to potentially fewer side effects and less frequent dosing requirements compared with daily drug therapies currently in use.

In the setting of cancer, research has shown that CCR5 plays an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Increased CCR5 expression is an indicator of disease status in several cancers. Published studies have shown that blocking CCR5 can reduce tumor metastases in laboratory and animal models of aggressive breast and prostate cancer. Leronlimab reduced human breast cancer metastasis by more than 98% in a murine xenograft model. CytoDyn is therefore conducting aPhase 1b/2 human clinical trial in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and was granted Fast Track designation in May 2019. Additional research is being conducted with leronlimab in the setting of cancer and NASH with plans to conduct additionalclinical studies when appropriate.

The CCR5 receptor appears to play a central role in modulating immune cell trafficking to sites of inflammation and may be important in the development of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and other inflammatory conditions. Clinical studies by others further support the concept that blocking CCR5 using a chemical inhibitor can reduce the clinical impact of acute GvHD without significantly affecting the engraftment of transplanted bone marrow stem cells. CytoDyn is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical study with leronlimab to further support the concept that the CCR5 receptor on engrafted cells is critical for the development of acute GvHD and that blocking this receptor from recognizing certain immune signaling molecules is a viable approach to mitigating acute GvHD. The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to leronlimab for the prevention of GvHD.

About CytoDynCytoDyn is a biotechnology company developing innovative treatments for multiple therapeutic indications based on leronlimab, a novel humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the CCR5 receptor. CCR5 appears to play a key role in the ability of HIV to enter and infect healthy T-cells. The CCR5 receptor also appears to be implicated in tumor metastasis and in immune-mediated illnesses, such as GvHD and NASH. CytoDyn has successfully completed a Phase 3 pivotal trial with leronlimab in combination with standard anti-retroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients. CytoDyn plans to seek FDA approval for leronlimab in combination therapy and plans to complete the filing of a Biologics License Application (BLA) in the first quarter of 2020 for that indication. CytoDyn is also conducting a Phase 3 investigative trial with leronlimab as a once-weekly monotherapy for HIV-infected patients and plans to initiate a registration-directed study of leronlimab monotherapy indication, which if successful, could support a label extension. Clinical results to date from multiple trials have shown that leronlimab can significantly reduce viral burden in people infected with HIV with no reported drug-related serious adverse events (SAEs). Moreover, results from a Phase 2b clinical trial demonstrated that leronlimab monotherapy can prevent viral escape in HIV-infected patients, with some patients on leronlimab monotherapy remaining virally suppressed for more than five years. CytoDyn is also conducting a Phase 2 trial to evaluate leronlimab for the prevention of GvHD and a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial with leronlimab in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. More information is atwww.cytodyn.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press releasecontains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Words and expressions reflecting optimism, satisfaction or disappointment with current prospects, as well as words such as believes, hopes, intends, estimates, expects, projects, plans, anticipates and variations thereof, or the use of future tense, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The Companys forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and actual results could vary materially from those contained in or expressed by such statements due to risks and uncertainties including: (i)the sufficiency of the Companys cash position, (ii)the Companys ability to raise additional capital to fund its operations, (iii) the Companys ability to meet its debt obligations, if any, (iv)the Companys ability to enter into partnership or licensing arrangements with third parties, (v)the Companys ability to identify patients to enroll in its clinical trials in a timely fashion, (vi)the Companys ability to achieve approval of a marketable product, (vii)the design, implementation and conduct of the Companys clinical trials, (viii)the results of the Companys clinical trials, including the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, (ix)the market for, and marketability of, any product that is approved, (x)the existence or development of vaccines, drugs, or other treatments that are viewed by medical professionals or patients as superior to the Companys products, (xi)regulatory initiatives, compliance with governmental regulations and the regulatory approval process, (xii)general economic and business conditions, (xiii)changes in foreign, political, and social conditions, and (xiv)various other matters, many of which are beyond the Companys control. The Company urges investors to consider specifically the various risk factors identified in its most recent Form10-K, and any risk factors or cautionary statements included in any subsequent Form10-Q or Form8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements to take into account events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release.

CYTODYN CONTACTSInvestors: Dave Gentry, CEORedChip CompaniesOffice: 1.800.RED.CHIP (733.2447)Cell: 407.491.4498dave@redchip.com

References:1.Novel Coronavirus 2019, Wuhan, China. (2020, January 24). Retrieved fromhttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

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CytoDyn Files IND and Protocol for Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Treatment of Patients with Coronavirus with Leronlimab (PRO 140) - GlobeNewswire

A pestilence isnt a thing made to mans measure, Albert Camus observed in The Plague. Therefore we tell ourselves that pestilence is a mere bogey of the mind, a bad dream that will pass away. Panic is exhausting. Only so many witches can be tossed into wells or rolls of toilet paper hoarded before knee-jerk anxiety progresses to a steady state of fear. Cities go dark, governments quarantine exposed populations, institutions begin shutting down, and, as we have seen with the erratic stock market, economies sputter. A population huddled indoors cant till the fields or man the pin factories. Oxen, asses, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens and even dogs . . . were driven away and allowed to roam freely through the fields, Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in the Decameron. The crops lay abandoned.

According to Cirium, an aviation-industry consulting firm, more than 200,000 flights in and out of China have been canceled, a 60 percent decline. In 2003, in the midst of SARS, global air travel was down 25 percent. Planes flew into Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kongs international airport, completely empty of passengers. Hong Kong, a city renowned for its shopping, became a retail ghost town. The eighth-of-a-mile walk from one Prada boutique in Hong Kongs Admiralty district to another Prada boutique in Central, usually a 30-minute journey due to all the jukes and spin moves required to avoid the throngs of mainland shoppers, was now a five-minute straight shot.

Concerned about the health of my staff at Time Asia, I consulted other managers at various subsidiaries of what was then the Time Warner empire. The local boss of CNN was in New York with his family and would be staying there for the duration of the outbreak. The head of Turner Entertainment Asia hadnt made any plans, but was eager to hear what I had in mind. Nothing was more fatal, Defoe had warned, then the supine negligence of the people themselves. Determined not to repeat the folly of Defoes Londoners, I did what managers everywhere do when they want to look like they know what they are doing: I convened a meeting. But when I suggested that anyone who had been in contact with a possible SARS case should stay away from the office, it became clear that everyone in the room already knew someone who might be infected. In fact, our circulation manager had dined the evening before at her father-in-laws apartment at Amoy Gardens. There was really nothing we could do, I realized, besides shutting down our publication. But that wasnt an option: We were a newsmagazine, and this was news.

Fear dissipates eventually, replaced by a more realistic sense of the risks. An epidemic, even one of a disease as seemingly easy to transmit as COVID-19, while burdening public-health systems and potentially deadly for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, is eminently survivable by the majority of the population. This fact becomes obvious as people become sick, yet recover; doctors and nurses get a better handle on treatment; and most people go about their life and never succumb. In some ways we were lucky at Time Asia, because we had no choice but to continue visiting hospitals, talking with doctors, and interviewing virologists. We were worried, yes, but proximity to the professionals gave us clarity about the actual risks we were facing.

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The Pattern That Epidemics Always Follow - The Atlantic

Stronger immune systems are what we all need in order to successfully shield ourselves from being infected by harmful viruses and bacteria. Especially with the outbreak of the Coronavirus, this gives us even more reason to ensure that we build stronger immune systems. With or without the recent outbreak, we should be taking preventative measures in any case.

If we build stronger immune systems, our bodies will be more equipped to fend off viruses and bacterial attacks. To do this we must all practise good eating habits and choose food that builds stronger immune systems. This way you wont have to stress or panic as much as those who have weaker immune systems. Mainly because your body is ready for battle against any illnesses.

The point is not to panic but to instead focus on your own health. Not only does a strong immune system help fight infections caused by viruses, but it will also speed up the recovery process after an infection. Dont underestimate the power of your immune system. When youve got a strong one, it acts as your bodys defence against infectious organisms and other invaders.

For things first, what is the immune system? Basically it is a complex system in your body that is made up of a network of cells, tissues and organs that work together to protect the body. According to doctors, everyones immune system is different due to factors such as age, eating habits and lifestyle.

Therefore, it is important to make sure that your immune system is strong and fit to fight. Especially in times like these where unknown illnesses are on the loose. You need to look after your health and prioritize your protection. In fact, even if you think youre very healthy you should consider doing a few things to boost your immune system for additional protection against viruses. While there are no guarantees that taking these steps will help, they are very unlikely to hurt.

The most important tip from all health professionals:Wash. Your. Hands. Seems logical right? Well, just ensure youre doing it properly. And if you dont have any access to clean running water then you can also use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. There are also organic hand sanitizers available if youre worried about the environment.

Were going to share some useful tips to build stronger immune systems. Just be sure to remember to check in with your personal doctor or health professional before any change in your habits. Even if its just taking vitamin supplements or starting an exercise program.

Experts in health explain that one of the most important vitamins to build stronger immune systems is vitamin C. Why? Because when theres a lack of vitamin C it can make you more prone to getting sick.

Moreover, your body needs Vitamin B6, because it is vital in supporting biochemical reactions in the immune system. In addition to this, vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant that aids the body in fighting off infections. This means that its very important to get enough vitamins for stronger immune systems. You should be able to do this with a healthy and balanced diet.

We think that in light of the current outbreak, it will work in your favor to consume food that boosts the immune system. You can start by making sure your diet includes green vegetables, kiwi fruits, lemons and oranges. In addition, you can also consume nuts like almonds and cashews, which are high in vitamins and antioxidants.

Youll be glad to hear that cooked poultry and shellfish are also important immune boosters due to the protein and zinc they provide. However, experts warn us to avoid consuming half-cooked or raw food for a while. Shellfish that are high in zinc include crab, clams, lobster and mussels. Take note of the daily recommended amount (11mg for men and 8mg for women). Too much zinc can inhibit the immune system.

Then it is also integral that you dont develop any vitamin D deficiencies. This may lead you to encounter poor bone growth, cardiovascular problems and a weak immune system. Therefore, you need to choose supplements that contain D3 (cholecalciferol) since its good for raising your blood levels of vitamin D. Nutritionists recommend a balanced diet comprising carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. And of course, drinking enough water is essential to building stronger immune systems.

Any health expert will inform you that a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables is important for the body. These foods help to replenish and build stronger immune systems. Moreover, fruits and vegetables contain Vitamin C, E and antioxidants that all enhance the immune system to fight against infections and pathogens.

Its best to eat a variety of citrus fruits and berries for a strong immune system. Then in terms of vegetables, consume bell peppers, broccoli and spinach. Just like anything though, be sure to consume these in moderation. Usually, people without any underlying health issues will not be affected by slightly higher intake. However, if you have a pre-existing health condition be cautious about dietary changes, especially if youve had any medical procedures done, for example to the heart, its best to consult a nutritionist for a customised regime.

You may also want to include more seeds into your diet. These are essential for boosting the immune system. For example, sunflower seeds contain phosphorous, magnesium and Vitamin B6. To get more vitamin E you can try including more avocados, dark leafy greens and nuts. Lots of research also points to eating more garlic, ginger, dark chocolate and green tea. These are highly beneficial to the body. Be sure to also include Vitamin D and probiotics from yogurt to build stronger immune systems. Essentially its best to stay away from any processed food.

Its also important to avoid high-sugar food and drinks as they may weaken your immunity, accumulate unnecessary fats or lead to other medical problems. To really maximise your healthy immune system, complement your healthy diet with regular and moderate amounts of exercise.

Never skimp on your sleep. Getting quality sleep will help build stronger immune systems. Why? Sleep helps your T cells stick to and attack infections. So when you miss out on sleep your T cells are less sticky and arent as strong in fighting off viruses.

Every person is different when it comes to sleep requirements. However, the general guidelines state that we need between 7 and 9 hours of solid sleep each night. If you have restless sleep, wake up every night or snore, you may want to talk to a doctor.

Whatever you do, just dont panic. This is because anxiety weakens the immune system. In fact, being stressed can cause your body to release extra cortisol, which over time can negatively affect sleep quality and your immune system. A well-rested body will build stronger immune systems. Apparently acupuncture is also very beneficial to building stronger immune systems.

The aim of the game is to do all that we can to build stronger immune systems, so we dont have to panic or stress too much about the risk of getting infected. Take care of yourselves.

To be healthy means to maintain an optimal balance of all the functions in your body. Eating good food is the best way to get the right balance of vitamins and minerals. Heres how.

Make Sure Immune System Is Strong And Fit To Fight. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/01/560946/make-sure-immune-system-strong-and-fit-fight

How to Boost Your Immune System to Help Avoid Coronavirus COVID-19. Alexandria Living. https://alexandrialivingmagazine.com/health-wellness/how-to-boost-immune-system-coronavirus-2020/

Play Good Defense With These 66 Ways to Boost Your Immune System During Flu Season. Parade. https://parade.com/992175/marysauer/how-to-boost-immune-system/

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Stronger Immune Systems Fight The Risk Of Infection - Longevity LIVE

I dont know about you but Im getting Coronavirus fatigue.

Like all news cycles, I feel like its run its course of being front page headline fodder. The glaring example of that was yesterdays No new cases headline. We are now reporting that there is nothing to report.

One of the key things Ive learned throughout all this is that not living in fear and instead working to support our immune systems is a very good idea. It sure beats the alternative, which is to panic.

Being proactive about being preventative applies to all healthcare, but we so often focus on the fixes at the bottom of the cliff, instead of dealing to it at the top. Yes, we should wash hands and clean communal surfaces, but also, we should be boosting our immune systems so the chances of us getting anything at all are reduced.

So how do we do that?

Well, according to what Ive read, by reducing stress (that includes reducing how much youre stressing about Coronavirus), by getting good sleep, by eating well, by regularly exercising - all the things we know we should do, but often forget to.

By reducing our consumption of social media, by acknowledging that not everything we read needs to be alarmist and taken at face value.

But also, did you know you can even boost your immune system by just being positive? Easier said than done a lot of the time, but still, its worth a shot.

I also think it benefits our kids too, who have enough to worry and be anxious about with global warming, the ice caps melting and everything else theyre taught to be afraid of. I dont know that parents panic buying toilet paper and donning face masks is the most reassuring thing for kids to see. Especially when its not necessary.

I was at the supermarket with my daughter yesterday and we saw about three people with face masks on while we were there. She asked me if they had Coronavirus, I told her probably not, but perhaps they just dont want it and theyre being extra careful.

She asked if we should have masks on. I said no. But you can see how panic leads to panic. I was panicking about the shopping itself, that if I saw toilet paper maybe I should snap it up because the panic buyers were making me panic that its running out!

My mother in law was up from Christchurch this weekend and she was bemused by it all, what she called a very Auckland thing. But its not just Auckland, there have been arrests and tasers and all out punch ups in Australia over panic buying, Tescos in the UK has had to start rationing, Italy went beserk emptying shelves, so were not alone.

But with our number of confirmed cases sitting globally speaking very low at five, I think its prudent we all take some positive action like trying to boost our immune systems, rather than fear-driven actions like panic buying hand sanitizer.

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Kate Hawkesby on coronavirus: We need to be proactive, not panicky - Newstalk ZB

Credit: Pixabay.

As news of the novel coronavirus dubbed COVID-19 by the World Health Organization makes headlines as it spreads through China and the rest of the world, most attention has been directed towards prevention and quarantine. While properly washing your hands and avoiding crowds is a good idea if you live near an area that has reported cases, its important to also take steps to boost your immune system in case you actually come in contact with the virus so the body can effectively fight back.

The immune system is designed to fight off infection and disease. It has a number of ways to detect and destroy anything it recognizes as foreign to your body, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites or unhealthy cells such as cancer cells.

Viruses need the cell machinery in order to produce their own proteins. They are intracellular parasites that can only replicate inside cells, which is one of the reasons theyre not considered to be alive. The most effective mechanisms of the innate response against viral infections are mediated by interferon and by the activation of natural killer (NK) cells.

The strength of the immune system varies from person to person and, whats more, from day to day because its ability to fight off infection fluctuates depending on many factors. Here are a couple of things you can do to keep your immune system in check during the COVID-19 outbreak.

With all the daily headlines sowing doom and gloom about the novel coronavirus, its easy to stress over it. Some are so panicked that theyve begun stockpiling basic goods and food. Its a good idea to be prepared for any major emergency and this includes a viral outbreak however bear in mind that stress hormones tax the immune system, making its response to viral infections less effective.

In short supply, the stress hormone cortisol can boost immunity by limiting inflammation. But, once it crosses a certain threshold, too much cortisol in the blood opens the door for more inflammation. Stress also negatively impacts the production of lymphocytes the white blood cells that are the bodys first line of defense against infection putting you at risk of viral disease.

During this particularly stressful period, try not to panic because youll only make matters worse. Remember, the effects of stress are cumulative, meaning even ordinary, day-to-day activities can eventually lead to more serious health issues.

We already know that, for the vast majority of people that are already healthy, this is really more of an inconvenience to a lot of them than something that can be fatal or life-threatening, said Dr. Caroline Sokol, an immunology researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital.

To relieve stress, take breaks when you feel burned out and try to practice some relaxation techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, or positive thinking.

Regular exercise promotes cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and offers protection against diseases. Exercise also improves blood circulation, allowing immune system cells to move through the body more freely and do their job more effectively.

Although scientists have yet to establish a direct link between exercise and immune system health, its reasonable to presume that moderate regular exercise can help prevent disease by promoting overall health.

However, intense exercise can cause inflammation in the body that may send the immune system into overdrive. So, try not to take things overboard especially during times of seasonal viral outbreaks.

The immune system is the bodys natural defense system, and like any army, its warriors need sustenance. Its rather well established that people who live in poverty and are malnourished are more vulnerable to infectious diseases.

Although there are have been few studies that tie the effects of nutrition directly to the development of infectious diseases, there is evidence pointing to the fact that various micronutrient deficiencies such as those of zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E can alter the immune response in animals.

Make sure you eat a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables in order to receive the right proportion of micronutrients.

Smoking tobacco has several effects on immune system health, such as:

Studies show that people who dont get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus.

When we sleep, the body releases proteins called cytokines while sleep deprivation decreases their production. Cytokines are paramount during times of infection or inflammation. Whats more, the production of antibodies and immune cells is reduced when you dont get enough sleep.

The optimal amount of sleep for most adults is between 7 and 8 hours. However, school-aged children and teenagers might need up to 10 hours of sleep.

A note on supplements. Although youll find bottles of pills and herbal supplements claiming to promote immunity or otherwise boost the immune system, there is no evidence that they actually bolster immunity.

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How to the boost immune system against coronavirus - ZME Science

Dr Nicolas Poirier reveals how immunotherapies can be designed to recalibrate the immune system for long-term maintenance of autoimmune remission.

Autoimmune conditions affect more than 23.5 million Americans and as many as one in four in the UK. According to recent statistics these conditions are on the rise and some, including Type I diabetes, are three times more common that a few decades ago. While treatments have been developed, there is no cure for autoimmune conditions most therapeutics focus on relieving inflammation and the pain associated with it.

Drug Target Reviews Hannah Balfour spoke with Dr Nicolas Poirier, the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of OSE Immunotherapeutics, to understand their novel approach to targeting and treating autoimmune diseases; using immunology to rebalance the immune system.

because their therapeutics target the immune system, rather than a localised specific tissue, the products are transferable between different autoimmune conditions

A lot of companies focus on inhibiting or killing immune cells, but what we have learned in the last five to 10 years is that not all immune cells are pathogenic. There are bad guys of course, but there are also good guys in the immune system, which help to fight or control autoimmune attacks, explained Dr Poirier. He clarified that for each immune cell, there is a corresponding regulatory subtype, such as the well-known T regulatory (Treg) cells. B cells also have a regulatory subtype and so do macrophages.

Dr Poiriers team target their products to specifically inhibit the pathogenic cells and activate the regulatory cells, manipulating the balance of the immune system to reduce autoimmunity. While this may have various short-term effects on disease symptoms, the overarching goal is to maintain remission and prevent flare-ups in the long term.

At present, the company has two therapeutics in trials, which, according to their CSO, have similar effects but utilise different biologic mechanisms of action.

Both are therapies using monoclonal antibody (mAb) fragments as their active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Dr Poirier revealed the use of fragments was particularly important in establishing a safe level of toxicity.

OSE-104 is a mAb fragment therapy which selectively binds to the CD28 T-cell receptor to block activation of T cells that have the potential to be pathogenic. They also discovered that their fragment can promote Treg cell expansion.According to Dr Poirier, other companies have attempted to develop similar therapies using full mAbs and despite working well in a murine model, they turned out to be traumatically toxic in humans, because they activate the receptors and as a result the whole immune system. Instead, his team developed antibody fragments large enough to specifically bind target receptors, but that are unable to activate the receptors they bind to, blocking them instead.

Interleukin 7 (IL-7) is a haematopoietic growth factor secreted by stromal cells in the bone marrow and thymus. It is produced by keratinocytes, neurons and epithelial cells, but is not by normal T lymphocytes.

It is also thought that CD127 may be involved in transforming T cells into memory T lymphocytes.A second drug, OSE-127, with a similar mode of action, is expected to enter Phase II trials in 2020. These immunomodulatory mAb fragments target the CD127 receptors on the surface of T cells. CD127 receptors are alpha chains of IL-7 receptors (IL-1Rs) that bind IL-7 and are expressed on the surface of effector T cells. IL-7 regulates the migration of effector T lymphocytes, particularly in the gut. Therefore, the blockade of IL-7R prevents pathogenic T cells from entering gut tissue to cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Memory T cells circulate for years after an initial infection and prompt faster future responses to their specific antigens. According to Dr Poirier, the production of memory T cells against autoantigens is responsible for the chronicity of autoimmune conditions such as IBD, because each time we have an expansion of memory T cells which recognise autoantigens, we have a relapse of the disease.

Dr Poirier also added that OSE-127 has a further action; IL-7 signalling effects transcription, promoting the proliferation and survival of T cells. By blocking this action, OSE-127 prevents the long-term survival of immune cells such as memory T cells.

Dr Poirier explained that the main challenges in the field of autoimmune therapy research are obtaining and using models that accurately reflect the human condition and immune system.

He revealed: one of most challenging aspects of targeting the immune system is the translation from technical research which is based on in vitro assays on human cells and in vivo in mice to then a therapeutic in a human patient.

According to Dr Poirier, they are now involved in a human translational immunology programme to overcome the inaccuracies of animal models. Within this programme they are moving away from the use of animal models and instead are developing ex vivo tissue sample assays from patients. As part of the project, they have access to samples, such as skin from psoriasis patients or colon tissue from IBD patients, on which they can directly test drug candidates on the pathogenic tissue that contains both the pathogenic and regulatory immune cells. Using this we can directly demonstrate or identify if the drugs work exactly as we want.

Dr Poirier also revealed that these therapies are still proof-of-concept, from which they intend to learn and optimise their system. Due to their therapeutics targeting the immune system, rather than a localised specific tissue, the products are transferable between different autoimmune conditions. As a result, he suggested that the time spent modifying and developing these pharmaceuticals to be as efficacious and targeted as possible, will make future developments less costly because they can continue to modify and extend the indications. A further area of discovery Dr Poirier believes will be important in the future is working on actively resolving inflammation in autoimmune conditions.

Dr Poirier presents a novel approach for the treatment of autoimmune conditions, moving away from past techniques of broad immunosuppression and towards selectively activating and repressing different subtypes of immune cells. Moving forward, Dr Poirier suggests there will be further modification and development of their mAb fragments in order to target other immune cells related to different conditions.

He also highlighted that progression in R&D models, such as ex vivo patient tissue samples, should also contribute to future success and drug discovery.

Related topicsAntibodies, Biologics, Biopharmaceuticals, Disease research, Drug Development, Drug Discovery Processes, Drug Targets, Monoclonal Antibody, Research & Development, t-cells, Therapeutics

Originally posted here:
Rebalancing the immune system to treat autoimmune disease - Drug Target Review

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Its getting pretty real out there folks. The world has decided to put our immune systems to the test with the coronavirus. If we dont take the proper precautions, we can get sick and no one wants that. You can wash your hands all day long and keep away from people. But if your immune system isnt up to snuff, it can be all for naught. So head on over to Amazon to pick up the Genius Mushroom Lions Mane Immunity Booster to make sure it is.

When you pick up the Genius Mushroom Lions Mane Immunity Booster, you will be on the right road to having a healthier body. Even without the coronavirus shaking up the world, you dont want to get sick. Even the common cold can make day to day living difficult. These pills get your immune system in top shape because they are made with three of the best mushrooms in the world.

Not all mushrooms are the same. There are plenty of varieties out there. And the three that comprise the Genius Mushroom Lions Mane Immunity Booster work really well at improving your body. It is made with cordyceps, lions mane, and reishi mushrooms. Each one bringing a specific benefit to your life that will make your days a lot easier to get through.

The reishi mushroom is the mushroom that makes the Genius Mushroom Lions Mane Immunity Booster great for this current corona situation. Ingesting it gives your immune system a boost. But you wont just get those benefits from reishi. You will also help clean out your liver to help aid in the immune process. And it has been found to improve your mood.

Thats not all you will get with the Genius Mushroom Lions Mane Immunity Booster. With cordyceps, your energy will increase. No need to ingest caffeine. You will have all the juice you need to tackle the day. And with Lions Mane, you will get a big blast of cognitive clarity. Your memory will increase, as will your focus. Together that means you will be on the top of your game at work.

If you have any worries about the coronavirus, you should pick up the Genius Mushroom Lions Mane Immunity Booster. It will help you fight back against this annoying disease. Youll also get a boost during the day to make work so much easier to deal with. And for those of you that like to work out, all of this adds up to make it easier to lose weight and get into shape. So pick up a bottle now. No need to wait.

Get It: Pick up the Genius Mushroom Lions Mane Immunity Booster ($22; was $24) at Amazon

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Get Your Immune System In Top Shape With This Immunity Booster - Men's Journal

These cells play a key protective role in immunity to infection however, if unregulated, they can also cause tissue damage in autoimmune disorders.

The research, published in theJournal of Experimental Medicine, should help us design more effective vaccines to prevent infections such as MRSA and may also assist help us develop of new therapies for autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.

The immune system functions to control infection, utilising various immune cells, such as T cells to respond to and control invading microbes. However, if these immune cells are not highly regulated, they can attack and damage body tissues, leading to the development of autoimmune diseases.

Molecules called T cell receptors (TCRs) allow T cells to recognise components of infectious agents with exquisite specificity. The TCRs enable T cells to respond to and eventually eliminate the infectious agent.

Professor Kingston Mills, Professor of Experimental Immunology, School of Biochemistry and Immunology in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Dublin explained that: Until now scientists thought that there were two discrete populations of T cells, expressing either or TCRs. The s are the most common T cells in the body.

They play a key role in remembering prior infection or immunisation and thereby help protect us against re-infection and mediate vaccine-induced protective immunity. The s are more prevalent at mucosal surfaces, such as the lung or gut, and provide an immediate first line of defence against pathogens that invade through these routes.

We have discovered a new cell type that expresses both and TCRs. This rare population of chimeric or hybrid - T cells has properties of both and T cells. Importantly, they are normally highly activated and poised to act as first responders to control bacterial infection.

However, given this high level of activation, they are effectively Jekyll and Hyde cells because in certain contexts they can also precipitate autoimmune responses.

Using a model of Staphylococcus aureus infection, Mills and his team found that these cells are rapidly mobilised during infection and play a key role in quickly eliminating the microbes from the body.

By introducing these hybrid - T cells, it may represent a novel approach in the design of more effective vaccines against Staph aureus and other infectious diseases, while advancing our ability to control their response may yield additional therapeutic options.

Mills added: In a model of autoimmune disease, we found that the hybrid T cells can also trigger the inflammatory cascade that mediates tissue damage in autoimmunity. Therefore, approaches for inhibiting these highly activated immune cells in susceptible individuals may open up new approaches for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and multiple sclerosis.

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The 'Jekyll and Hyde' of immune cells - Health Europa

Its the time of year when we start reaching for the Berocca tablets in an attempt to keep those cold and flu viruses at bay.

But with the recent spread of coronavirus to the UK, its never been more important to keep your inner security guard in tip-top condition.

Its no surprise that eating well, getting a good nights sleep and washing your hands regularly can help support your bodys ability to fight off infections, but are there other ways to boost your bodys defence mechanism?

Heres how the immune system works, and how to keep it in balance...

So what is it?

The immune system is a network of cells, organs, proteins and antibodies that work to protect you against bacteria, viruses and parasites. It doesnt only work when we feel ill.

Every day we inhale one hundred million viruses, according to the Medical Research Council, and the immune systems job is to keep us safe. There are two main parts: the innate response and the acquired response.

The innate response works out what is friend and foe, then tries to flush out the invader its this that can make us feel feverish or snotty. The acquired response remembers specific invaders and sends the right cells to kill them off.

How do you stop germs spreading?

The NHS says the best defence against germs is to follow basic hygiene washing hands with hot soapy water, or using hand sanitiser.

Use a tissue or your sleeve to catch a cough or sneeze, and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth if your hands are not clean.

Does wearing a face mask help?

Since the outbreak of coronavirus, sales of face masks have risen 800%, and its likely youve seen people wearing them in busy locations, like at train stations or in airports.

But there is no conclusive evidence to suggest they can stop virus particles from entering the mouth and throat. They may stop you self-contaminating by putting your hands in your mouth or nose.

What about supplements?

Many over-the-counter products claim to boost your immune system, but there is little evidence to show that they do. If you have a poor diet, it may help to take a daily multi-vitamin, but if you are healthy and eat well getting lots of fibre, fruit, veg and healthy fats your immune system should have everything it needs to run optimally.

Age matters

Unfortunately, the immune system declines by about 2-3% a year from our 20s, which is why older people are more susceptible to infections, says Janet Lord, professor of immune cell biology at the University of Birmingham. Death rates from diseases like pneumonia and bronchitis are three times higher among elderly people.

1. Spice things up Season your food with garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper. These have antioxidant, detoxification and antimicrobial properties.

2. Drink green tea Its rich in antioxidants called Polyphenols, which are efficient infection fighters.

3. Get enough sleep A good nights sleep (were talking 7-9 hours) can bolster the T cells, which fight infection in the body. One study also showed that just one night of 4 hours sleep depleted the bodys natural killer cells by 70%.

4. Reduce stress The brain and the immune system are in constant communication when we are stressed, the brain produces more cortisol and prepares the body for emergency situations. But while it is doing that, it depresses our immune system. Try relaxation exercises like yoga or meditation. Positive thinking can also go a long way.

5. Keep warm It turns out its true what your mother said cold viruses are more infectious at temperatures lower than 37C, which is the average core body temperature. So wrap up warm when you go outside.

6. Fluids, fluids, fluids Staying hydrated helps your body naturally eliminate toxins and other bacteria that might cause illness. Aim for at least eight glasses of water a day.

7. Essential oils Lemon has powerful antibacterial properties and has been shown to stimulate the production of white blood cells, which fight off infections. Diffuse six drops of lemon oil in a diffuser (like the Tisserand Aroma Spa Diffuser, 39.95) to help give your immune system a boost.

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7 ways to improve your immune system that are better than coronavirus face masks - Mirror Online

Researchers have studied how the human body responds to viral infection when already infected by fungi, offering insights into the immune system.

New research has found that the bodys immune response to fungal infections changes when a patient is also infected by a virus.The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Birmingham, the Pirbright Institute and University College London, all UK, sheds fresh light on the immune systems ability to deal with co-infection.

Although clinicians understand how the immune system responds to fungal and viral infections, much less is known about what happens when both occur together.

Typically, white blood cells will attack pathogens through phagocytosis where a pathogen is engulfed by the white blood cell. In fungal infections, however, this process sometimes reverses ejecting the fungus back out of the white blood cell via a process called vomocytosis. The researchers were able to show that this process of expulsion is rapidly accelerated when the white blood cells detect a virus.

The team used advanced microscopy techniques to study live white blood cells exposed to two different types of virus, HIV and measles, alongside the fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans. This opportunistic pathogen is particularly deadly among HIV+ patients.

Instead of becoming simply less able to deal with the fungus, the researchers found that the white blood cells began expelling the fungal cells much more rapidly.

Lead author, Professor Robin May, Director of the Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham, explained: We found the macrophages ejected their prey the fungal cells much more quickly when the virus was present. This was very unexpected, but could be an attempt to free up those white blood cells to deal with the new viral invaders.

The team used advanced microscopy techniques to study live white blood cells

As the vomocytosis occurred with both viruses, the researchers concluded that the effect was likely to be a general response to viral co-infection.

Professor May added: This is the first time that scientists have studied our immune systems response to fungal infection in the much more realistic setting of a secondary (viral) infection. We dont yet know whether this mechanism makes the white blood cells more or less effective in fighting off either infection. Although expelling the fungal cell will free up the macrophage to attack the virus, it also sets free the fungal cell to continue its spread through the body.

Dr Dalan Bailey, head of the Viral Glycoproteins group at Pirbright, commented: This is another interesting example of transkingdom interactions between microbes, this time fungi and viruses. We are only beginning to understand the complexity of microbe interactions within the host and this collaboration sheds new light on this exciting new area of research.

Investigating these processes in animal models will be the next step for the team, with a longer term goal of harnessing the mechanisms used to trigger the expulsion of fungi and use them to help clear these pathogens from the body.

The study was published in PLOS Pathogens.

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Study reveals how immune system handles fungal and viral infections - Drug Target Review

BURLINGAME, Calif., March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Inflammatix, a pioneering molecular diagnostics company delivering precision medicine at the point of care, announced findings from a new study published today in Nature Communicationsthat demonstrate its ability to identify patients with bacterial versus viral infections using a data-driven approach that measures the immune system response. The molecular classifier used in the study forms the basis of Inflammatix's HostDx rapid tests, which the company is developing to overcome traditional challenges of diagnosing acute infections and sepsis.

"When seeing a sick patient with a suspected infection in the emergency room, most physicians are forced to basically make an educated guess about whether the patient has a bacterial or viral infection, and then treat accordingly. Unfortunately, despite best efforts, this guessing game can have terrible outcomes for patients and for our health system," said Tim Sweeney, M.D., Ph.D., cofounder and chief executive officer of Inflammatix.

"For 20 years, researchers have been looking for a way to use transcriptomics the study of the body's gene expression to classify patients with acute infections. To date, others' attempts to apply machine learning to this problem have not held up when applied to diverse patient populations. Our new study is the first time that a locked, multi-gene signature has been validated in a blinded, independent clinical cohort. It represents a major technical breakthrough in translating our tests to the clinic."

For the new publication, Inflammatix and Stanford University scientists applied advanced machine learning to develop a 29-gene classifier ("BVN-1") that can identify bacterial, viral or no infections across 1,069 blood samples from 18 prior studies of patients diagnosed with acute infections. The patients represented a wide range of geographic regions, clinical care setting and disease contexts.

The researchers then tested the locked classifier i.e., without modification or retraining on an independent cohort of 109 patients from Stanford University's intensive care unit who underwent evaluation for acute infection and sepsis. They found that the test was highly accurate in diagnosing infections, especially among patients tested within 36 hours of hospital admission a critical time for determining treatment. Among this subset, the test demonstrated an AUROC of 0.92 (95% CI; 0.83-0.99) for identifying patients with bacterial infections and 0.91 (95% CI; 0.82-0.98) for viral infections.

The molecular classifier also demonstrated higher accuracy than standard biomarkers -- procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) that have been associated with acute infections and sepsis. Among the subset of patients with PCT and CRP results in the Stanford ICU cohort, the Inflammatix test had an AUROC of 0.87 (95% CI; 0.8-0.94) for bacterial infections, compared to 0.83 (95% CI; 0.75-0.92) for PCT and 0.70 (95% CI; 0.6-.081) for CRP. Neither PCT nor CRP could positively identify viral infections.

"To wit, 100 percent of the patients in this cohort were on antibiotics, but many did not have an underlying bacterial infection. Improved diagnostics would benefit patients and have a major impact on the healthcare system," said Dr. Sweeney.

"Furthermore, our machine learning team has demonstrated the power of our computational platform in a highly heterogeneous and difficult field. We look forward to bringing the same computational tools to bear across multiple other infectious and inflammatory diseases."

Antibiotic resistance and sepsis lead to more than 700,0001 and 5 million2 respective deaths worldwide each year. Inflammatix's HostDx Sepsis and HostDx Fever tests use proprietary machine learning algorithms that incorporate the expression of multiple immune genes (host response) to identify the presence of bacterial or viral infections and to determine if a patient has or is likely to develop sepsis. Inflammatix's simple-to-use, sample-to-answer HostDx system is designed to produce results at or near the point of care in 30 minutes or less. The company plans to advance its HostDx tests through commercial launch in Europe and submission to the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2021.

In January 2020, Inflammatix announced it had received $32 million in Series C financing. Prior to that, in November 2019, the company announced a cost-sharing contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, to further develop its HostDx tests. The agreement is worth up to $72 million based on achieving certain milestones.*

CitationMayhew, MB et al. A generalizable 29-mRNA neural-network classifier for acute bacterial and viral infections. Nature Communications, 2020.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14975-w

About InflammatixInflammatix is a molecular diagnostics company that is reimagining diagnostics by "reading" the patient's immune system to deliver rapid results that improve patient care and reduce major public health burdens. The company's initial focus is on acute infection and sepsis, where its HostDx tests combine proprietary biomarkers and advanced machine learning to help physicians quickly get the right treatments to the right patients. Each test will be developed to run on the company's sample-to-answer isothermal instrument platform in under 30 minutes, enabling the power of precision medicine at the point of care. The Burlingame, Calif.-based company funders include Khosla Ventures, Northpond Ventures, Think.Health Ventures, Grey Sky Venture Partners and the Stanford-StartX Fund. For more information, please visit http://www.inflammatix.com and follow the company on Twitter (@Inflammatix_Inc).

*This project has been funded in part with Federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under Contract Nos. 75A50119C00034 and 75A50119C00044.

Media Contact: Tracy Morris650-380-4413tracymorrispr@gmail.com

1Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance. No Time to Wait: Securing the Future from Drug-Resistant Infections; Report to the United Nations. April 2019.2Rudd KE, et al. Global, regional, and national sepsis incidence and mortality, 19902017: analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet 2020; 395:200-211.

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SOURCE Inflammatix

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New Inflammatix Study in Nature Communications Outlines Breakthrough in Diagnosing Acute Infections by Reading the Immune System - BioSpace

As cases ofcoronavirusspread around the world, doctors are learning more about what it does to the human body. Most cases are mild, but the illness officially known as COVID-19 can become severe if a person's immune system cannot repair damage to the lungs caused by the virus, CBS News medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula said. The disease has infected almost 89,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,000 people. In the United States, the death toll rose to six on Monday.

"The issue with COVID-19 is that this virus can affect the lower tract of your airways," Narula, a cardiologist at Northwell Health, said Monday on "CBS This Morning." The virus can damage the cells that line the respiratory tract in the lungs, she explained. When that happens, "your immune system launches a response to try to clean up and repair."

But for some people, the immune system response "is so overwhelming, it's not in check," Narula said. If that's the case, the lungs can be flooded with fluid and cellular debris.

"Essentially the lungs start to drown, and that's a situation that can become a severe pneumonia. The pneumonia can then progress to what we call sepsis, where you can have a drop of blood pressure and multi-organ failure, and that's how it really causes death," she said.

In China, where the virus originated, 80% of cases have been mild, Narula said.

"Only about 14% were severe and even less were critical," she said.

Some research has estimated the death rate at about 2%, Narula said, but added that it's probably lower because there are likely more mild cases than what have been detected.

"In the grand scheme of things, for most people if they get it, it will end up being a mild disorder," she said.

Narula said the virus is transmitted through person-to-person contact by droplets.

"So if I cough or sneeze, those droplets can travel up to six feet and enter your mouth, or your nose or your lungs," she said. "Another way is if I cough or sneeze and it lands on a surface or an object and then you touch that same object or surface and touch your face."

Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. People could also have a headache, diarrhea, muscle aches, sore throat, runny nose and congestion, Narula said.

An infected person can pass on the virus to others even if they are not showing any symptoms.

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What the coronavirus does to the body and how it can become severe - CBS News