Olfactory and taste dysfunction is a common symptom of COVID-19 and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Although vaccines have been suggested to influence chemosensory function both positively and negativel...

Long COVID, or postacute sequelae of COVID-19 from SARS-CoV-2 infection, is a persistent debilitating disease affecting multiple systems and organs. Long COVID pathophysiology is a complex and not fully established process. One prevailing theory is that the formation of fibrin amyloid microclots (fibrinaloids), due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, can induce persistent inflammation and capillary blockage. An association between the amyloidogenic Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and impaired fibrinolysis was made when it was observed that fibrin clots formed in the presence of a mixture of amyloid fibrils from the spike protein mediated resistance to plasmin lysis. Here, we use purified components from the coagulation cascade to investigate the molecular processes of impaired fibrinolysis using seven amyloidogenic SARS-COV-2 Spike peptides. Five of seven Spike amyloid fibrils appeared not to substantially interfere with the fibrinogen–fibrin–fibrinolysis process in vitro, while two spike fibrils were active in different ways. Spike601 amyloid fibrils (sequence 601–620) impaired thrombin-mediated fibrin formation by binding and sequestering fibrinogen but did not affect fibrinolysis. On the contrary, fibrin clots formed in the presence of Spike685 amyloid fibrils (sequence 685–701) exhibited a marked resistance to plasmin-mediated fibrinolysis. We conclude that Spike685 amyloid fibrils can induce dense fibrin clot networks as well as incorporate fibrin into aggregated structures that resist fibrinolysis. Our study proposes a molecular mechanism for how the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 could contribute to the formation of fibrinolysis-resistant microclots observed in long COVID.

Proposed budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by the current administration pose significant risk to academic and small biopharma drug discovery in the USA. Yet even in this challeng...

Researchers believe they have found a biologically unique subtype of Alzheimer’s that may affect 25% to 45% of people with this disease.

Scientific Reports - Ex vivo detection of SARS CoV 2 spike protein in human hair follicles and potential link to telogen effluvium

Scientific Reports - CT-based phenotyping of COVID-19: cluster analysis of pulmonary and extrapulmonary imaging markers from a multicentre retrospective cohort study

Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) have been linked to brain alterations, but association with cognitive problems are not well understood. Here, the authors analyze blood proteins and brain MRI ...

Engineered T cells that have been used to treat ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus show promising results.

Scientific Reports - Risk factors associated with cytomegalovirus reactivation and disease in critically-ill COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients, concomitantly admitted to intensive care

The epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome is a major public health concern internationally. There is increasing knowledge and research in areas o…

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

Long COVID, a complex condition characterized by persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection, has become a significant public health concern. E…

Viral pathogens are one of the most significant causes of human carcinogenesis, contributing to up to 15–20 % of worldwide cancers. The gastrointestin…

This study aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory and antiviral potential of herbal formulation through clinical trials in healthy volunteers and COVI…

Background and Objectives New coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) therapeutics, including intramuscular (IM) formulations, may increase patient access. In COMET-TAIL, sotrovimab 500 mg IM was non-infe...

Scientific Reports - Identification of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors from marine actinomycetes through integrated phylogeny-based metabolomics with functional screening and bioinformatic analysis

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about respiratory sequelae, particularly in the patients with preexisting interstitial lung disease (ILD). This study aimed to evaluate the longitu...

Background As the COVID-19 pandemic transitions to an endemic phase, long COVID symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection have emerged as a new global health challenge. However, its impact on university...

Adipose tissue as a potential reservoir for and modifier of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its complications. Schematic demonstrating the differences in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue and infecti...

Purpose Lingering inflammation after COVID-19 has been proposed as a contributor to long-term cardiovascular risk, yet the link between pulmonary and vascular inflammation remains insufficiently defin...

Pain and fatigue are common but poorly understood features of post-COVID Syndrome (PCS). To probe the mechanistic basis of these symptoms, we investigated sensory functions in patients with widesprea...

The authors previously pinpointed OLAH (oleoyl-ACP-hydrolase) as a driver of life-threatening viral diseases. Here, the authors identify increased IL-18Rα expression on CD8+ T cells, which acquire a r...

Background Convalscent plasma (CP) was identified as a potential therapy for COVID-19 available early in the pandemic. Aims To evaluate CP for the treatment of hospitalised adults with COVID-19 wi...