NIH begins the first large randomized controlled trial of the combination of interferon beta-1a and remdesivir for treating COVID-19
As reported on Thursday, August 6, 2020, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD – one of the world’s foremost medical research agencies – has begun the first large randomized controlled trial of the combination of interferon beta-1a and remdesivir for treating COVID-19. This clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the antiviral […]
WHO Director – a ‘silver (magic) bullet’ for COVID-19 is most likely elusive
Reuters, BBC and other major media reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that, despite strong hopes for a vaccine, there might never be a ‘silver bullet’ for COVID-19. In addition, the WHO stated that the road to normality would be long with some countries requiring a reset of their current strategies. […]
The European Commission Approves Remdesivir for the Treatment of Severe Cases of COVID-19
Following the recommendation of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Commission has authorized on Friday, July 3rd, the use of remdesivir to treat severe cases of COVID-19. Recently, the EMA and its human medicines committee (CHMP) recommended the drug’s use in adults and adolescents of at least 12 yrs of age with severe cases […]
First Evidence that the Antiviral Remdesivir Shows Efficacy in an Animal Model (Rhesus Macaques) of COVID-19
As reported by Brandi Williamson et al. in bioRxiv, remdesivir is the first antiviral treatment with proven efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in an animal model of COVID-19. This study involving four laboratories from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA, USA, indicates […]
Stress, Dyshomeostasis and COVID-19 Mortality: A Big Picture View
Commentary Note that the information contained herein is NOT instructional for medical diagnosis or treatment, see the BrainImmune DISCLAIMER at the end of this article! The pandemic viral illness COVID-19 is especially life-threatening in the elderly and in people with any of a variety of underlying medical conditions. No conceptual framework has been offered as […]
β2-Adrenoceptor-Mediated Upregulation of IL-17 May Contribute to Pulmonary Immunopathology in COVID-19: Does Blockade of IL-17 and β-Adrenergic Effects Hold a Therapeutic Potential?
Research Hypothesis Note that this is a research hypothesis – the information contained herein is NOT instructional for medical diagnosis or treatment, see the BrainImmune DISCLAIMER at the end of this article! It has been reported that nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) can also function as a cytoplasmic viral pattern recognition receptor (PRR) by triggering […]
New Evidence for Key Factors that Drive COVID-19 Severity
Posted on July 23, 2020 By Gabriel Bassi Commentaries
Commentary On: Viral and host factors related to the clinical outcome of COVID-19, by Zhang et al., Nature, 2020 Jul;583(7816):437-440. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2355-0. The COVID-19 outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, China. Despite the causal agent being closely related to a bat coronavirus (RaTG13), several questions remain regarding the origin, evolution and host interaction of COVID-19. […]