Ragon Institute Omicron’s new variant cousin, BA.2, has arrived in the US. But don’t panic yet, experts say.
Jan 28, 2022
USA Today article featuring members of the Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness, including Dr. Walker and Dr. Luban
News
Method for delivering immune system-stimulating drugs may enhance cancer immunotherapy
Jan 20, 2022
MIT News article on new research from Ragon associate member Darrell Irvine
Why Some Vaccinated People Resist Omicron and Others Don’t
Jan 20, 2022
Article in Bloomberg Opinion quoting Gaurav Gaiha about a recent preprint
No Omicron immunity without booster, study finds
Jan 20, 2022
Article in The Harvard Gazette featuring Alejandro Balazs and Wilfredo Garcia-Beltran
Omicron Will Surge Despite Biden’s New Plan, Scientists Say
Dec 22, 2021
New York Times article featuring Dr. Alter, Dr. Lemieux, Dr. Karim
US is likely entering the most ‘severe phase’ of the pandemic, infectious disease expert says
Dec 21, 2021
GBH interviews Dr. Bruce Walker on the pandemic
Omicron becomes dominant variant in Mass., already ‘straining the system’
Dec 21, 2021
Boston Globe article featuring Mass CPR and Dr. Walker, Dr. Luban, Dr. Lemieux, and Dr. Karim
Yes, omicron has overtaken delta. No, it’s not March 2020.
Dec 21, 2021
USA TODAY featuring Dr. Alter, Mass CPR, Dr. Walker, Dr. Luban, and Dr. Lemieux
Scientists identify second HIV patient whose body appears to have rid itself of the virus
Nov 18, 2021
BOSTON – During infection, HIV places copies of its genome into the DNA of cells, creating what is known as a viral reservoir. In this state, the virus effectively hides from anti-HIV drugs and the body’s immune response. In most people, new viral particles are constantly made from this reservoir. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) can prevent the […]
Scientists create a new best-in-class anti-malarial antibody
Nov 17, 2021
One day, monoclonal antibodies could bridge the gaps in protection left by even highly effective vaccines. BOSTON – Longstanding and equally lethal infectious disease crises have continued unabated in the background of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the 2020 mortality data is still being assessed, malaria, which kills more than 400,000 people annually, seems to have far […]
Confirmed High Levels of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Children
Oct 15, 2021
Viral load had no correlation to disease severity in children, but children are potential spreaders of current and emerging variants. BOSTON – Researchers at the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and colleagues from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have published additional data on several features of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in […]
When Good T cells Go Bad
Sep 8, 2021 Features
Ragon researchers find impaired T cells precede loss of HIV control. HIV is a master of evading the immune system, using a variety of methods to prevent the body from being able to find and kill it. The vast majority of people living with HIV require daily medication to suppress the virus and therefore prevent […]
HIV Vaccine Trial “Imbokodo” Will Not Progress to Next Steps
Aug 31, 2021
Today, Johnson & Johnson announced results from the primary analysis of the HIV vaccine trial “Imbokodo,” also called HVTN 705/HPX2008. Overall, the data showed the investigational HIV vaccine, which was tested in young women at high risk for HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa, did not provide sufficient protection against HIV infection. While the results suggest some […]
RISE: Ragon Institute Summer Experience
Aug 6, 2021 Ragon Culture
On July 6, 2021, the Ragon Institute launched RISE, the Ragon Institute Summer Experience. Working with local communities, RISE provides an opportunity for local high school students to explore STEM through summer internships at the Ragon. Starting an internship program is never easy, and certainly no less challenging during the latter half of a pandemic. […]
What the Nose Shows: Early Determinants of COVID-19 Severity
Jul 26, 2021
Image: SARS-CoV-2 on the surface of a cultured cell. (Credit: NIAID) Over the past 18 months, researchers have learned much about COVID-19 and its viral cause, SARS-CoV-2. They know how the virus enters the body, coming in through the nose and mouth and beginning its infection in the mucus layers of the nasal passageway. They know […]
T cells Against the Variants
Jul 2, 2021
by: Rachel Leeson Key Takeaways • Using a method developed for HIV, researchers have identified stable T cell vaccine targets in SARS-CoV-2. • These stable targets, known as highly networked epitopes, are highly likely to be stable in different variants of the virus. • The results provide a path forward for a broadly […]