Immune cell analysis reveals that the amount of SARS-CoV-2 in the blood is a strong predictor of mortality
As SARS-CoV-2 continues to cause worldwide mortality, it has become increasingly important to define molecular markers that can identify individuals at risk of developing severe COVID-19, and even death.
Using a glowing SARS-CoV-2 virus and mice to explain how antibodies protect from infection and severe disease
An international multisite research collaboration, including CITF-funded researcher Dr. Andrés Finzi from the Université de Montréal, used genetically modified mice that mimic COVID-19 disease in humans to study how antibodies from people who have recovered from COVID-19 could prevent severe disease in other people.
Weaker antibody response to first COVID-19 vaccine dose found in long-term care residents
New data stemming from a study in British Columbia evaluating the strength and magnitude of antibody responses following one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine indicate that older adults generate a much weaker antibody response to one vaccine dose compared to younger adults.
A new testing strategy for the prompt detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern
As the pandemic continues to evolve, it has become increasingly important to systematically adapt testing capacities to detect all variants of concern.
Why do some people experience mild COVID-19 symptoms and others have severe illness? Pre-existing antibodies could explain the range of COVID-19 illness
CITF-funded researcher Dr. Pascal Lavoie from the University of British Columbia and his collaborators are suggesting that the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 may not necessarily indicate a previous infection. Using highly sensitive tests, they discovered pre-existing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in many uninfected adults. The study was funded in part by the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF). Since the beginning of the COVID-19 [...]
A novel mechanism leading to blood clot formation found in severely ill COVID-19 patients
Dr. Ishac Nazy and the McMaster Platelet Immunology Laboratory have found some of the reasons behind why some patients with severe COVID-19 have blood clots.
Tracking and mapping new mutations of SARS-CoV-2 across the globe
Dr. Marc-André Langlois and his team at the University of Ottawa analyzed mutations in SARS-CoV-2 from December 2019 to December 2020, including the impact on virus biology, therapeutics and vaccine effectiveness.
Passport to normal: CITF researcher Kumanan Wilson comments on the future of immunity passports
With vaccine coverage on the horizon, many people are starting to think about how to document immunization.
A novel high-throughput method to screen convalescent plasma
Dr. Andrés Finzi from the Université de Montréal and Dr. Renée Bazin from Héma-Québec and their teams recently describe a novel high-throughput method to track levels of antibodies made against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in the plasma of donors that recovered from COVID-19 in a recent issue of Transfusion.