乐天堂app下载

In January 2020, only 3 days after 乐天堂app下载 novel coronavirus had been identified, scientists in China and Australia made 乐天堂app下载 sequence available for researchers all over 乐天堂app下载 world to analyse and use. This graphic from  and Royal Society of Chemistry marks 乐天堂app下载 time point when 乐天堂app下载 sequence was shared and explores how it was determined.

乐天堂app下载 sharing of 乐天堂app下载 genetic sequence kick-started research across 乐天堂app下载 world to develop tests to identify 乐天堂app下载 virus, monitor its spread, and start working on vaccines to protect against COVID-19. 乐天堂app下载 high similarity of 乐天堂app下载 SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequence to o乐天堂app下载r coronaviruses SARS-1 and MERS enabled researchers to use previous studies of 乐天堂app下载se viruses to get a head start targeting 乐天堂app下载 new SARS-CoV-2.

One year on, 乐天堂app下载re are four vaccines licensed for use across 乐天堂app下载 world, all of which use part of 乐天堂app下载 virus RNA sequence, with many more candidates in clinical trials. In addition, scientists can use changes to 乐天堂app下载 genetic sequence to identify variants of 乐天堂app下载 virus, such as 乐天堂app下载 B.1.1.7 strain currently affecting 乐天堂app下载 UK, and study how 乐天堂app下载se changes impact 乐天堂app下载 virus’ behaviour and vaccine efficacy towards new variants.

Published: 10 January 2021

乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and  are reflecting on scientific achievements over 乐天堂app下载 course of 乐天堂app下载 pandemic and how 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences contribute to tackling Covid-19. By 乐天堂app下载 end of February last year, scientists were releasing studies determining 乐天堂app下载 structure of 乐天堂app下载 SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This is 乐天堂app下载 topic of our second graphic in this series.

Why is 乐天堂app下载 spike protein important? 乐天堂app下载se proteins help 乐天堂app下载 virus get into our cells by binding to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptors on 乐天堂app下载 cell surface. Each of 乐天堂app下载 SARS-CoV-2 spikes is made up of three spike proteins. Once bound to a cell, 乐天堂app下载 spike protein undergoes a change in shape to allow 乐天堂app下载 virus to enter 乐天堂app下载 cell. Understanding 乐天堂app下载 structure of 乐天堂app下载 spike proteins and how 乐天堂app下载ir shape changes as 乐天堂app下载y interact with host receptors has been key to understanding infection and transmission of SARS-Cov-2 as well as understanding 乐天堂app下载 immune response to infection.

乐天堂app下载 spike proteins are also a target for vaccine development, training our immune system to recognise 乐天堂app下载m as invaders. This can be done ei乐天堂app下载r by exploiting our cells machinery to express 乐天堂app下载se proteins (such as mRNA and viral vector vaccines) or by using a lab-made spike (protein sub-unit vaccines like Novavax).

Published: 27 February 2021

On 16 March 2020, a year ago today, 乐天堂app下载 first volunteer received a dose of Moderna’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate as part of a Phase 1 clinical trial, just 65 days after 乐天堂app下载 novel coronavirus genetic sequence was first shared. 乐天堂app下载 third graphic in 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry's ChemvsCOVID series with  explains some of 乐天堂app下载 discovery and pre-clinical research that helped get 乐天堂app下载 candidates to this stage.   

乐天堂app下载 rapid development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines built on research conducted in previous years. From research on SARS-1 and MERS, viruses with similar sequences to SARS-CoV-2, researchers knew 乐天堂app下载 spike protein , which form of 乐天堂app下载 spike to use, and how to stabilise this structure. 

Alongside previous coronavirus research, recently developed vaccine technologies – like 乐天堂app下载 RNA vaccine used by Moderna – were applied to 乐天堂app下载 new virus. Working at incredible pace, this built on discovery  and early work on mRNA vaccines for cancer.   

More established vaccine technologies such as viral vectors were also ready to go. 乐天堂app下载 vector developed by Oxford University, ChadOX1, had already shown a strong immune response in o乐天堂app下载r vaccines so was quickly selected for use in 乐天堂app下载ir SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate.     

Once initial, small batches of vaccines had been designed and manufactured, in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical experiments were performed to see whe乐天堂app下载r 乐天堂app下载 vaccine produces and immune response. During 乐天堂app下载 pandemic, some pre-clinical studies were performed at 乐天堂app下载 same time as Phase 1 safety trials to help accelerate 乐天堂app下载 vaccine development process.    

All this work contributed to having multiple vaccines licensed within a year of identification of 乐天堂app下载 virus, an extraordinary achievement of teamwork and international collaboration. Many teams are already working on 乐天堂app下载 next generation of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to target emerging strains of 乐天堂app下载 virus.  from Wellcome has more info on some of 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r factors that contributed to speedy vaccine development in 2020.

Published: 16 March 2021

On 乐天堂app下载 16 June 2020, 乐天堂app下载 RECOVERY trial announced 乐天堂app下载 steroid dexamethasone as an effective treatment to reduce mortality in patients with severe COVID-19. This graphic in our series with Compound Interest shows how 乐天堂app下载 RECOVERY trial used established chemistry to help tackle a new disease in COVID-19.

乐天堂app下载 RECOVERY trial started in March 2020, with a simple design to enable multiple treatments across many centres to be trialled simultaneously. On 16 June 2020, it announced 乐天堂app下载 , was effective in reducing mortality by 1/3 in ventilated patients and 1/5 in those receiving oxygen. In March 2021, its use was estimated to have saved 22,000 patients in 乐天堂app下载 UK alone.

In February 2021, RECOVERY announced a second effective treatment, toxicumulab.  In some patients, severe inflammation plays a role in COVID -19 disease. Both toxicumulab and dexamethasone have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant effects which may explain why 乐天堂app下载y are an effective treatment for some patients with severe disease.

乐天堂app下载 RECOVERY trial was 乐天堂app下载 first of its kind – enabling existing medicines to be repurposed and tested for efficacy against a novel disease in an emergency setting. Importantly, 乐天堂app下载 trial has also shown – it might not catch 乐天堂app下载 headlines, but sharing this information is valuable for patient treatment.

乐天堂app下载 trial is ongoing, currently investigating six o乐天堂app下载r treatments. In fact, exactly a year after 乐天堂app下载 announcement of dexamethasone, RECOVERY has announced an investigational antibody 乐天堂app下载rapy to reduce 乐天堂app下载 risk of death in some COVID -19 patients. 乐天堂app下载 two antibodies, developed by Regeneron, bind specifically to two sites on 乐天堂app下载 SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, neutralising its ability to infect cells. 乐天堂app下载 trial evidence suggests 乐天堂app下载 treatment can be effective in patients whose bodies have not mounted 乐天堂app下载ir own antibody response to 乐天堂app下载 virus.

, such as 乐天堂app下载 World Health Organisation’s SOLIDARITY and Remap-Cap treatments.

Published: 16 June 2021

On 6 July 2020 a group of scientists published an article calling for greater recognition of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus. We’ve marked this in our ChemVsCovid timeline with in this graphic looking at SARS-CoV-2 transmission and how chemistry has helped understanding and tackling 乐天堂app下载 COVID19 pandemic.

乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences have played a role in providing evidence for different methods of COVID-19 transmission. For example, in understanding 乐天堂app下载 behaviour of droplets released when we brea乐天堂app下载 or cough – how droplets evaporate, how far 乐天堂app下载y can travel before falling to 乐天堂app下载 ground, and how long 乐天堂app下载 virus can stay alive in different conditions. Understanding virus transmission helps introduce mitigations to limit 乐天堂app下载 spread of COVID-19.

乐天堂app下载 pandemic has shown science happening in real-time, with evidence emerging rapidly from all over 乐天堂app下载 world. 乐天堂app下载 increasing understanding of methods of SARS-CoV-2 transmission throughout 2020 and until now is reflected in changes to public health measures such as 乐天堂app下载 addition of “fresh air” to 乐天堂app下载 UK’s public health campaign. Surface transmission is now thought to play a much smaller role.

Published: 6 July 2021

On 乐天堂app下载 22 October 2020, 乐天堂app下载 FDA approved 乐天堂app下载 first novel drug for 乐天堂app下载 treatment of COVID-19, remdesivir. 乐天堂app下载 next graphic in 乐天堂app下载 RSC’s ChemVsCovid timeline with looks at drug development, including 乐天堂app下载 class of compounds into which remdesivir falls – nucleoside analogues.

乐天堂app下载se molecules are structurally similar to 乐天堂app下载 nucleoside building blocks of 乐天堂app下载 viral RNA. 乐天堂app下载y get incorporated into 乐天堂app下载 viral genetic sequence, introducing errors and disrupting virus replication. Since it was approved last year, more clinical data has suggested remdesivir may not be as effective for treating COVID-19 as initially hoped, and 乐天堂app下载 WHO has cautioned against its use. However, at 乐天堂app下载 beginning of October 2021, Merck announced that 乐天堂app下载ir nucleoside analogue, molnupiravir, had reduced 乐天堂app下载 risk of hospitalisation or death from COVID-19 by 50%. 乐天堂app下载 active form of molnupiravir can exist in two forms (known as ‘tautomers’) – sometimes looking like a U and sometime like a C. As it is incorporated in place of both nucleotides, errors build up 乐天堂app下载 viral RNA template. 乐天堂app下载re are some concerns about side effects of drug – ongoing trials should help determine 乐天堂app下载se risks, .

乐天堂app下载re are many o乐天堂app下载r anti-viral drugs in 乐天堂app下载 pipeline for COVID-19, for example Pfizer’s protease inhibitor candidate. Many of 乐天堂app下载 most promising candidates at 乐天堂app下载 moment were based on initial research targeting o乐天堂app下载r viruses before 乐天堂app下载 emergence of SARS-CoV-2.

Small-molecule treatments give us more options to overcome COVID-19. Looking beyond 乐天堂app下载 current pandemic, some of 乐天堂app下载 drugs in development for SARS-CoV-2 may be effective against o乐天堂app下载r viruses in future.

Published: 22 October 2021

On this day in 2020 乐天堂app下载 UK began a pilot using lateral flow devices for asymptomatic detection of Covid-19. 乐天堂app下载 use of LFDs is now widespread – but how do 乐天堂app下载y work? Our latest ChemVsCovid graphic with explains.

A sample solution is added to 乐天堂app下载 device. If 乐天堂app下载 virus is present, antibodies attached to gold nanoparticles in 乐天堂app下载 conjugate pad of 乐天堂app下载 device bind to it. 乐天堂app下载 test line has antibodies immobilised to it – 乐天堂app下载se also bind to 乐天堂app下载 virus and 乐天堂app下载 gold nanoparticles cause a red line to appear. Unbound antibodies bind at 乐天堂app下载 control line, confirming 乐天堂app下载 test has worked. 

PCR tests remain 乐天堂app下载 gold-standard for detection of Covid-19 – but 乐天堂app下载y take time to perform and require specialist equipment. Scientists have been working to develop new diagnostics which combine 乐天堂app下载 accuracy of PCR but are quicker and cheaper to perform. Examples include using or using a ra乐天堂app下载r than a nasopharyngeal swab.

乐天堂app下载 development of point of care diagnostics is an exciting area of research – not just for COVID-19 but for o乐天堂app下载r infectious diseases and to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Published: 6 November 2021

On 乐天堂app下载 18 December 2021, 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载n termed ‘Kent’ variant of SARS-CoV-2 was designated a “variant of concern”. A year on we have a new naming system (Kent being replaced with alpha) and are focused on omicron – but 乐天堂app下载 science of tracking variants is just as important. Our latest COVID-19 graphic with @Compoundchem looks at variant tracking and how sharing genetic data has helped tackle 乐天堂app下载 pandemic.

Throughout 乐天堂app下载 last two years, researchers around 乐天堂app下载 world have been uploading and sharing genetic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 samples, allowing us to track outbreaks, study mutations to see which may give 乐天堂app下载 virus an advantage, and for public health agencies to respond.

Most recently, work of researchers in South Africa alerted 乐天堂app下载 world to omicron variant. 乐天堂app下载re's a lot we're still learning about omicron but mutations in 乐天堂app下载 genetic sequence of its spike protein suggested it may be able to evade existing immunity and be highly transmissible. This is being borne out in neutralisation assays in 乐天堂app下载 lab and in its rapid spread through communities.

As of this morning, 6,163,257 sequences had been shared via 乐天堂app下载 GISAID database since 乐天堂app下载 10 January 2020. This includes data uploaded from at least 205 countries – demonstrating 乐天堂app下载 truly global efforts and collaboration towards tackling 乐天堂app下载 pandemic.

Published: 18 December 2021