Cyagen Biosciences

Introduction The novel coronavirus, now officially designated as SARS-CoV-2, was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December of 2019. This virus has led to an outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease in 2019), which is associated with acute respiratory illness and infection, as is common for diseases caused by the coronavirus family. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Emergency Committee declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020. The international community has been quick to respond with appropriate safety measures to minimize global spread of the virus. Virologists worldwide have been ramping-up efforts to characterize the novel coronavirus – accelerated publications now becoming available on a daily basis - as researchers rush to understand its viral pathogenesis and create effective preventives and treatments. Herein, we provide a quick guide to the characterization research of SARS-CoV-...

Coronavirus Infection Mechanisms and Options for Antiviral Drug Research   How does coronavirus invade cells? How can we respond to it? Dr. Huang | Mar, 2 2020 At the end of 2019, a large-scale illness broke out from Wuhan, Hubei Province - a central province of China. The virus that cased this illness could enter the respiratory tract through droplets - moreover, the increasingly busy traffic conditions and travel around the holiday season made the virus spread extremely rapidly. In just over a month, the epidemic spread throughout the land of China. The viral infection can lead to an illness with symptoms including fever, difficulty breathing, impaired liver and kidney function, serious cough and pneumonia - in some severe cases, the virus can cause shock or even death.   Outline of contents: What is the reason behind this epidemic? How can pathogenic coronaviruses spread from natural hosts to humans? The Structure of Coronavirus How do coronaviruses...

An outbreak of  COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease in 2019)  caused by the novel coronavirus, officially named  SARS-CoV-2 , swept across the world from Wuhan at the end of 2019 - having since brought a huge impact on the lives of people both in China and abroad. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Emergency Committee declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020. In order to effectively address COVID-19 as a public health threat, we need an in-depth understanding of its infection and immune mechanisms. Our experts have investigated the known characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, similarities to related coronaviruses, potential antiviral targets, and lessons learned from the outbreak from a research perspective – which we have assembled to assist in such research efforts. As we know, SARS-CoV uses angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) as a receptor for mediating cell entry and mainly infects epitheli...