health and wellness
New test may predict COVID-19 immunity
Last Updated on June 1, 2024 by Daily News Staff
The paper test measures the level of neutralizing antibodies in a blood sample and could help people decide what protections they should take against infection.
Newswise — CAMBRIDGE, MA — Most people in the United States have some degree of immune protection against Covid-19, either from vaccination, infection or a combination of the two. But, just how much protection does any individual person have?
MIT researchers have now developed an easy-to-use test that may be able to answer that question. Their test, which uses the same type of “lateral flow” technology as most rapid antigen tests for Covid-19, measures the level of neutralizing antibodies that target the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a blood sample.
Easy access to this kind of test could help people determine what kind of precautions they should take against Covid infection, such as getting an additional booster shot, the researchers say. They have filed for a patent on the technology and are now hoping to partner with a diagnostic company that could manufacture the devices and seek FDA approval.
“Among the general population, many people probably want to know how well protected they are,” says Hojun Li, the Charles W. and Jennifer C. Johnson Clinical Investigator at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. “But I think where this test might make the biggest difference is for anybody who is receiving chemotherapy, anybody who’s on immunosuppressive drugs for rheumatologic disorders or autoimmune diseases, and for anybody who’s elderly or doesn’t mount good immune responses in general. These are all people who might need to be boosted sooner or receive more doses to achieve adequate protection.”
The test is designed so that different viral spike proteins can be swapped in, allowing it to be modified to detect immunity against any existing or future variant of SARS-CoV-2, the researchers say.
Li, who is also an attending physician at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, is the senior author of the study, which appears online today in Cell Reports Methods. Guinevere Connelly, a former Koch Institute research technician who is now a graduate student at Duke University, and Orville Kirkland, a research support associate at the Koch Institute, are the lead authors of the paper.
A simple test
Li, who joined the Koch Institute in the fall of 2019, studies blood cell development and how blood cells become cancerous. When SARS-CoV-2 emerged, he started thinking about ways to help combat the pandemic. Many other researchers were already working on diagnostic tests for infection, so he turned his attention to developing a test that would reveal how much immune protection someone has against Covid-19.
Currently, the gold standard approach to measuring immunity involves mixing a blood sample with live virus and measuring how many cells in the sample are killed by the virus. That procedure is too hazardous to perform in most labs, so the more commonly used approaches involve noninfectious modified “pseudoviral” particles, or they are based on a test called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), which can detect antibodies that neutralize a fragment of a viral protein.
However, these approaches still require trained personnel working in a lab with specialized equipment, so they aren’t practical for use in a doctor’s office to get immediate results. Li wanted to come up with something that could be easily used by a health care provider or even by people at home. He drew inspiration from at-home pregnancy tests, which are based on a type of test called a lateral flow assay.
Lateral flow assays generally consist of paper strips embedded with test lines that bind to a particular target molecule if it is present in a sample. This technology is also the basis of most at-home rapid tests for Covid-19.
Li did not have experience working with this type of test, so he reached out to two MIT faculty members with expertise in devising diagnostics based on lateral flow assays: Hadley Sikes, an associate professor of chemical engineering, and Sangeeta Bhatia, the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and a member of the Koch Institute.
With their help, his lab developed a device that can detect the presence of antibodies that block the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) from binding to ACE2, the human receptor that the virus uses to infect cells.
The first step in the test is to mix human blood samples with viral RBD protein that has been labeled with tiny gold particles that can be visualized when bound to a paper strip. After allowing time for antibodies in the sample to interact with the viral protein, a few drops of the sample are placed on a test strip embedded with two test lines.
One of these lines attracts free viral RBD proteins, while the other attracts any RBD that has been captured by neutralizing antibodies. A strong signal from the second line indicates a high level of neutralizing antibodies in the sample. There is also a control line that detects free gold particles, confirming that the solution flowed across the entire strip.
To develop the reagents needed for the test, members of Li’s lab worked with the labs of Angela Koehler, an associate professor of biological engineering, and Michael Yaffe, a David H. Koch Professor in Science, who are both members of the Koch Institute.
Predicting immunity
Along with a testing cartridge, which contains the paper test strip, the testing kit also includes a finger prick lancet that can be used to obtain a small blood sample, less than 10 microliters. This sample is then mixed with the reagents needed for the test. After about 10 minutes, the sample is exposed to the test cartridge, and the results are revealed in 10 minutes.
The output can be read two different ways: One, by simply looking at the lines, which indicate whether neutralizing antibodies are present or not. Or, the device can be used to obtain a more precise measurement of antibody levels, using a smartphone app that can measure the intensity of each line and calculate the ratio of neutralized RBD protein to infectious RBD protein. When this ratio is low, it might suggest that another booster shot is needed, or that the individual should take extra precautions to prevent infection.
The researchers tested their device with blood samples collected in December 2020 from about 60 people who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and 30 people who had not. They were able to detect neutralizing antibodies in the samples from people previously infected by the virus, with accuracy similar to that of existing laboratory tests. They also tested 30 serial samples from two people before they received an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine and at several time points after vaccination. The level of neutralizing antibodies in the vaccinated individuals peaked around seven weeks after the first dose, then began to slowly decline.
Previous studies of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses have shown a strong correlation between the amount of neutralizing antibody circulating in an individual’s bloodstream and their likelihood of infection.
The test could be easily adapted to different variants of SARS-CoV-2 by swapping in a reagent that is specific to the RBD from the variant of interest, Li says. The researchers now hope to partner with a diagnostics company that could manufacture large quantities of the tests and obtain FDA approval for their use.
https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/health-and-wellness
Author
Lifestyle
Women are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease − in part because doctors don’t take major sex and gender differences into account
Heart disease impacts women differently than men due to genetic and gender biases in healthcare. Awareness and improved treatment approaches are essential for better outcomes.
Last Updated on April 20, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Amy Huebschmann, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Judith Regensteiner, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
A simple difference in the genetic code – two X chromosomes versus one X chromosome and one Y chromosome – can lead to major differences in heart disease. It turns out that these genetic differences influence more than just sex organs and sex assigned at birth – they fundamentally alter the way cardiovascular disease develops and presents.
While sex influences the mechanisms behind how cardiovascular disease develops, gender plays a role in how healthcare providers recognize and manage it. Sex refers to biological characteristics such as genetics, hormones, anatomy and physiology, while gender refers to social, psychological, and cultural constructs. Women are more likely to die after a first heart attack or stroke than men. Women are also more likely to have additional or different heart attack symptoms that go beyond chest pain, such as nausea, jaw pain, dizziness and fatigue. It is often difficult to fully disentangle the influences of sex on cardiovascular disease outcomes versus the influences of gender.
While women who haven’t entered menopause have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than men, their cardiovascular risk accelerates dramatically after menopause. In addition, if a woman has Type 2 diabetes, her risk of heart attack accelerates to be equivalent to that of men, even if the woman with diabetes has not yet gone through menopause. Further data is needed to better understand differences in cardiovascular disease risk among nonbinary and transgender patients.
Despite these differences, one key thing is the same: Heart attack, stroke and other forms of cardiovascular disease are the leading cause of death for all people, regardless of sex or gender.
We are researchers who study women’s health and the way cardiovascular disease develops and presents differently in women and men. Our work has identified a crucial need to update medical guidelines with more sex-specific approaches to diagnosis and treatment in order to improve health outcomes for all.
Gender differences in heart disease
The reasons behind sex and gender differences in cardiovascular disease are not completely known. Nor are the distinct biological effects of sex, such as hormonal and genetic factors, versus gender, such as social, cultural and psychological factors, clearly differentiated.
What researchers do know is that the accumulated evidence of what good heart care should look like for women compared with men has as many holes in it as Swiss cheese. Medical evidence for treating cardiovascular disease often comes from trials that excluded women, since women for the most part weren’t included in scientific research until the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993. For example, current guidelines to treat cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure are based primarily on data from men. This is despite evidence that differences in the way that cardiovascular disease develops leads women to experience cardiovascular disease differently.
In addition to sex differences, implicit gender biases among providers and gendered social norms among patients lead clinicians to underestimate the risk of cardiac events in women compared with men. These biases play a role in why women are more likely than men to die from cardiac events. For example, for patients with symptoms that are borderline for cardiovascular disease, clinicians tend to be more aggressive in ordering artery imaging for men than for women. One study linked this tendency to order less aggressive tests for women partly to a gender bias that men are more open than women to taking risks.
In a study of about 3,000 patients with a recent heart attack, women were less likely than men to think that their heart attack symptoms were due to a heart condition. Additionally, most women do not know that cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death among women. Overall, women’s misperceptions of their own risk may hold them back from getting a doctor to check out possible symptoms of a heart attack or stroke.
These issues are further exacerbated for women of color. Lack of access to health care and additional challenges drive health disparities among underrepresented racial and ethnic minority populations.
Sex difference in heart disease
Cardiovascular disease physically looks different for women and men, specifically in the plaque buildup on artery walls that contributes to illness.
Women have fewer cholesterol crystals and fewer calcium deposits in their artery plaque than men do. Physiological differences in the smallest blood vessels feeding the heart also play a role in cardiovascular outcomes.
Women are more likely than men to have cardiovascular disease that presents as multiple narrowed arteries that are not fully “clogged,” resulting in chest pain because blood flow can’t ratchet up enough to meet higher oxygen demands with exercise, much like a low-flow showerhead. When chest pain presents in this way, doctors call this condition ischemia and no obstructive coronary arteries. In comparison, men are more likely to have a “clogged” artery in a concentrated area that can be opened up with a stent or with cardiac bypass surgery. Options for multiple narrowed arteries have lagged behind treatment options for typical “clogged” arteries, which puts women at a disadvantage.
In addition, in the early stages of a heart attack, the levels of blood markers that indicate damage to the heart are lower in women than in men. This can lead to more missed diagnoses of coronary artery disease in women compared with men.
The reasons for these differences are not fully clear. Some potential factors include differences in artery plaque composition that make men’s plaque more likely to rupture or burst and women’s plaque more likely to erode. Women also have lower heart mass and smaller arteries than men even after taking body size into consideration.
Reducing sex disparities
Too often, women with symptoms of cardiovascular disease are sent away from doctor’s offices because of gender biases that “women don’t get heart disease.”
Considering how symptoms of cardiovascular disease vary by sex and gender could help doctors better care for all patients.
One way that the rubber is meeting the road is with regard to better approaches to diagnosing heart attacks for women and men. Specifically, when diagnosing heart attacks, using sex-specific cutoffs for blood tests that measure heart damage – called high-sensitivity troponin tests – can improve their accuracy, decreasing missed diagnoses, or false negatives, in women while also decreasing overdiagnoses, or false positives, in men.
Our research laboratory’s leaders, collaborators and other internationally recognized research colleagues – some of whom partner with our Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus – will continue this important work to close this gap between the sexes in health care. Research in this field is critical to shine a light on ways clinicians can better address sex-specific symptoms and to bring forward more tailored treatments.
The Biden administration’s recent executive order to advance women’s health research is paving the way for research to go beyond just understanding what causes sex differences in cardiovascular disease. Developing and testing right-sized approaches to care for each patient can help achieve better health for all.
Amy Huebschmann, Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Judith Regensteiner, Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
(Feature Impact) Shingles isn’t just a painful rash and nerve pain. It’s also linked with a higher risk of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke, especially in the weeks to months after infection. However, shingles is largely preventable with vaccination.
The world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on changing the future of health for all, the American Heart Association, reminds eligible adults to protect themselves by getting vaccinated and staying on top of their heart health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. will get shingles in their lifetime. If you’ve had chickenpox, the virus that causes shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is already inside you. It can “wake up” years later, causing painful blisters and nerve pain that can last for months or longer.
After a shingles episode, one large study published in the “Journal of the American Heart Association” found the risk of heart attack and stroke was nearly 30% higher in the short term and may persist over time.
“Shingles can be very painful and knock you down for weeks,” said Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association’s chief medical officer for prevention. “It’s also associated with a higher chance of heart and stroke problems afterward. If you’re 50 or older, or have a weakened immune system, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the shingles vaccine. It’s a simple step that can keep you healthier.”
Knowing your risk is the first step toward prevention. Age is the most important risk factor for developing shingles. As people age, their immune systems naturally weaken, making it easier for the virus to reactivate. People over 50, and especially those living with heart disease, diabetes or other chronic illnesses, are more likely to develop shingles.
The risk of serious complications from shingles increases:
- As you get older
- If you take drugs that keep your immune system from working properly, like steroids and drugs given after an organ transplant
- If you have medical conditions that keep your immune system from working properly such as certain cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, or HIV infection
Heart Health Made Simpler
In addition to ensuring you’re up to date on your vaccines, talk to your health care professional about ways you can improve your overall heart health. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease remains the leading cause of death, taking more lives in the United States than any other cause.
Following healthy lifestyle guidance like Life’s Essential 8 can make inroads toward preventing heart disease and stroke, and improving brain health. The set of four health behaviors (eat better, be more active, quit tobacco and get healthy sleep) and four health factors (manage weight, control cholesterol, manage blood sugar and manage blood pressure) are key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.
How to Get the Shingles Vaccine
- Check eligibility: Recommended by the CDC for adults 50-plus and adults 19 and older with weakened immune systems.
- Find a location: Most national pharmacies, many primary care and specialty clinics and local health departments offer it. Search your pharmacy’s app or website, or call your clinician’s office.
- Book it: Make an appointment online or by phone. Same‑day or walk‑in options may be available at pharmacies.
- Bring what you need: Photo ID, insurance card and a list of medicines and allergies. Wear a short‑sleeve shirt, if you can.
- Plan for two doses, 2-6 months apart: When you schedule dose one, set a reminder or book dose two before you leave.
- Cost and coverage: Many health plans, including Medicare Part D, cover shingles vaccination at low or no cost. Check your benefits or ask the pharmacy to verify coverage.
- After your shot: A sore arm, fatigue, headache or mild fever are common and usually go away in 2-3 days. Call your clinician about severe or persistent symptoms.
- If you’ve had shingles before: You can still get vaccinated after you recover. Ask your health care provider about timing.
Learn more at heart.org/shingles.
Signs and Symptoms of Shingles
Symptoms to watch for: tingling, itching or burning on one side of the body or face; a stripe‑like rash that turns into fluid‑filled blisters; headache; fever; or chills.
Act fast: If you think you have shingles, contact your health care professional right away. Treatment works best within 72 hours of the rash appearing. If the rash is near your eye or you have eye pain or changes in vision, seek urgent care.
Lasting impact: The rash typically scabs over and clears within 2-4 weeks, but the pain in the rash area can last about a month. The duration of pain seems to increase with age.
Protect Yourself (and Others) from Shingles
If you have shingles, you can stop the spread by covering the rash and avoiding touching or scratching it. You should also wash your hands often, for at least 20 seconds, and avoid contact with people who may be at heightened risk until your rash scabs over, including:
- Pregnant women who never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine
- Premature or low-birthweight infants
- People with weakened immune systems
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
A Healthier, Greener Home: Eco-Friendly Cleaning Hacks
(Feature Impact) Keeping your home clean doesn’t have to mean filling your cabinets with harsh chemicals or single-use cleaning products. In fact, some of the most effective solutions may already be in your pantry.
By swapping a few everyday products for simple, eco-friendly solutions, you can clean effectively, save money and make your home a little greener. If you’re looking to reduce waste, cut back on toxins and simplify your cleaning routine, natural ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and lemon can deliver results while also being safer for your home – and the environment.
Make Your Own All-Purpose Cleaner
Instead of buying multiple cleaners for different surfaces, try a DIY solution that works in many areas of the home. In a spray bottle, combine 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water and 10 drops of the essential oil of your choice – such as lemon, lavender or tea tree – then use it on countertops, sinks, glass and other surfaces to curb grease and grime. Avoid using vinegar-based cleaners on natural stone like granite or marble, however, as its acidity can cause damage.
Let Baking Soda Do the Scrubbing
One of the most versatile eco-friendly cleaners around, baking soda acts as a gentle abrasive that helps lift stains without scratching surfaces. Simply sprinkle baking soda onto sinks, bathtubs, cookware, stovetops or tile grout then scrub with a damp sponge or cloth for a sparkling clean finish.
Freshen Carpets Naturally
Carpets and rugs can trap odors, but a DIY deodorizer made of 1 cup baking soda and 10-15 drops of the essential oil of your choice can replace chemical sprays and keep floor surfaces smelling fresh. Just sprinkle across the carpet, let sit for 15-20 minutes then vacuum.
Use Lemon to Cut Grease and Stains
Lemon juice is a powerful natural cleaner due to its acidity and antibacterial properties. It can leave behind a fresh scent when used to clean cutting boards, remove soap scum and water spots or deodorize garbage disposals. For stubborn grime, mix lemon juice with baking soda to create a paste that can tackle tough surface stains.
Naturally Deodorize Drains
If your kitchen sink smells unpleasant, skip the harsh chemical drain cleaners. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain then add 1/2 cup white vinegar. Let the mixture fizz a few minutes then flush with hot water to help loosen buildup while neutralizing odors.
Polish Stainless Steel with Pantry Staples
Remove grimy fingerprints and give stainless steel appliances a streak-free shine with a simple mixture of 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Find more DIY, eco-friendly cleaning tips and tricks at eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
