An international team of scientists has generated a new ring-shaped protein nanomaterial capable of strongly binding to and neutralising the SARS-CoV2 virus. The study, published in Advanced HealthCare Materials, highlights the versatility of the system devised to design the nanorings, which can integrate therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities, and be adapted to combat other viruses. The work was carried out by researchers from the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (IBB-UAB) and the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) of Argentina.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have discovered precursor T follicular regulatory cells (preTfr), comprising 30-50% of circulating Tfr in human blood. preTfr are significantly reduced in severe COVID-19 and sepsis, correlating with increased anti-interferon-gamma autoantibodies and activated atypical B cells. Unlike stable conventional naïve regulatory T cells, preTfr are specifically depleted during severe disease. When stimulated, preTfr up-regulate suppressive molecules including IL-1RA and show enhanced wound healing capacity. Conversely, mRNA vaccination increases preTfr frequency, suggesting controlled immune participation. The findings identify preTfr as a therapeutic target for preventing autoantibody production during severe infections.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented several challenges, leaving the specific impact of class closures on student performance unclear. To address this, researchers examined the effect of pre-pandemic class closures due to influenza outbreaks on students’ test scores in Japan. They found that class closures adversely affected the math scores of elementary school boys from low-income households, likely due to lost instructional time and unhealthy behaviors. Fortunately, high-quality teachers could help students recover from the learning loss.

Long COVID is a chronic condition that causes cognitive problems known as “brain fog,” but its biological mechanisms remain largely unclear. Now, researchers from Japan used a novel imaging technique to visualize AMPA receptors—key molecules for memory and learning—in the living brain. They discovered that higher AMPA receptor density in patients with Long COVID was closely tied to the severity of their symptoms, highlighting these molecules as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Exercise can help to restore a more normal, well-regulated immune system in people with post-COVID syndrome, according to a gold-standard randomised-controlled trial presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.