N. Mancini

Cognitive limits of larval Drosophila: Testing for conditioned inhibition, sensory preconditioning and second-order conditioning

This study tests cognitive abilities in larval Drosophila using three complex tasks and finds evidence for conditioned inhibition but not sensory preconditioning or second-order conditioning.

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Affinity and Dynamics Exclude the Strict Requirement of an Intermediate Host

This study shows SARS-CoV-2 and RaTG13 spikes have similar ACE2 binding affinities, suggesting minimal species barriers, and highlights SARS-CoV-2's optimized dynamics for human ACE2 engagement.

COVID-eVax, an electroporated plasmid DNA vaccine candidate encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain, elicits protective immune responses in animal models of COVID-19

This paper evaluates a DNA vaccine candidate, COVID-eVax, which induces strong neutralizing antibodies and T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 in animal models, showing protective effects against viral challenge.

Differential plasmacytoid dendritic cell phenotype and type I Interferon response in asymptomatic and severe COVID-19 infection

This study compares plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) phenotype and type I IFN response in asymptomatic and severe COVID-19 patients, finding differences in pDC frequency, phenotype, and cytokine levels.

A spatial multi-scale fluorescence microscopy toolbox discloses entry checkpoints of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Vero E6 cells

The paper uses multi-scale fluorescence microscopy to study SARS-CoV-2 variant entry into Vero E6 cells, finding B.1.1.7 enters faster than its ancestor due to the N501Y mutation.

Severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection as a function of the interferon landscape across the respiratory tract of COVID-19 patients.

This study examines IFN-I and IFN-III expression patterns in the respiratory tract of COVID-19 patients, finding higher IFN-III levels in severe cases and varying roles across anatomical sites.

Maturation signatures of conventional dendritic cell subtypes in COVID-19 reflect direct viral sensing

This study identifies maturation signatures of conventional dendritic cell subtypes in COVID-19, showing that cDC2s exhibit viral sensing and inflammatory activation while losing antigen presentation capacity, correlating with disease severity.

A human stem cell-derived neurosensory-epithelial circuitry on-a-chip to model herpes simplex virus reactivation

This study develops a human stem cell-derived neurosensory-epithelial circuitry on-a-chip to model HSV-1 reactivation and latency.

Type III interferons disrupt the lung epithelial barrier upon viral recognition.

This study shows that type III interferons from lung dendritic cells damage the epithelial barrier and increase susceptibility to bacterial infections during viral recognition.

Heparin inhibits cellular invasion by SARS-CoV-2: structural dependence of the interaction of the surface protein (spike) S1 receptor binding domain with heparin.

This study shows heparin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 invasion by binding to the Spike protein's RBD and inducing conformational changes, with structural features of heparin playing a key role.

Combined prophylactic and therapeutic use maximizes hydroxychloroquine anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects in vitro

This study shows that hydroxychloroquine is most effective against SARS-CoV-2 when used both before and after infection in vitro.