CoVaRR-Net Funded Publications
CoVaRR-Net was extremely productive with regards to scientific outputs relative to the research funding investments it received. In its four years of operation, the Network’s members produced 139 peer-reviewed research publications, 12 preprints and 15 other types of publications, including live systematic reviews and public health recommendations.
In an effort to make the science more understandable to a wider audience, CoVaRR-Net wrote lay summaries of many of its funded publications, listed below.
Homotypic and heterotypic immune responses to Omicron variant in immunocompromised patients in diverse clinical settings
Immunocompromised patients are predisposed to severe symptoms of COVID-19. Organ transplant recipients are typically treated with life-long immunosuppressants that can impair their immune responses to infectious pathogens.
Preclinical evaluation of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine PTX-COVID19-B
Vaccines have been instrumental in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of publication (January 2022), more than 300 vaccine candidates had been designed, produced, and tested in animals.
Germicidal efficacy of continuous and pulsed ultraviolet-C radiation on pathogen models and SARS-CoV-2
CoV-2 can survive on surfaces for days. The pressing need for efficient high-touch surface disinfection and sterilization methods has led to a flood of unproven radiation-emitting UV lights and handheld UV devices on the market.
Thiopurines inhibit coronavirus Spike protein processing and incorporation into progeny virions
Most antiviral drugs inhibit viral enzymes. A good example of this is Paxlovid, the front-line antiviral drug of the COVID-19 pandemic that has an active ingredient that directly inhibits the activity of a SARS-CoV-2 protease enzyme, thereby inhibiting an essential early step in viral replication.
A universal sequencing read interpreter
The rapid advancement of DNA sequencing technology has revolutionized biological research, allowing scientists to conduct complex experiments that produce a vast amount of data.
A multi-kingdom genetic barcoding system for precise target clone isolation
Clonal heterogeneity underlies diverse biological processes, including viral infection, cancer progression, cell differentiation, and microbial evolution.
Nanomolar anti-SARS-CoV-2 Omicron activity of the host-directed TMPRSS2 inhibitor N-0385 and synergistic action with direct-acting antivirals
Over the past 20 years, intense research efforts have focused on understanding and developing therapies for viruses with pandemic potential that have demonstrated the capacity to cross the species barrier, spread through respiratory routes, and lead to high hospitalization and mortality rates, such as coronaviruses and influenza viruses.
SARS-CoV-2 rapidly evolves lineage-specific phenotypic differences when passaged repeatedly in immune-naïve mice
The persistence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, despite vaccines and some level of immunity in the population, is because the virus is changing over time, making vaccines and treatments less effective.
Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in wastewater: an assessment of nine computational tools using simulated genomic data
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) is an important epidemiological and public health tool for tracking pathogens across the scale of a building, neighbourhood, city, or region.