UAMS Research

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UAMS Study: An Antibody Could Be Cause Of Long-Term COVID Symptoms

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By ALEXANDRIA BROWN

Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences say they have discovered an antibody that may be the cause of long-term COVID-19 symptoms.

The study shows some patients who contract COVID-19 have responses where their bodies produce a second antibody called autoantibody. The antibody then attacks an enzyme called ACE2 that balances the body's response to the virus. When the second antibody attacks ACE2, it causes organs to not function properly.

Dr. John Arthur, director of nephrology at UAMS and one of the lead researchers, said he and his team focused on the enzyme because they estimated there was an increase in immune system activation.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/uams-study-antibody-could-be-cause-long-term-covid-symptoms

CREDIT UAMS

CREDIT UAMS

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New Study Examines Arkansas Medical Marijuana Program

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By DANIEL BREEN

Arkansas’ medical marijuana program is the subject of a new study examining its link to overall health outcomes.

Researchers with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement will lead the three-year study, funded by a $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

ACHI president and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson says little research exists on the link between medical cannabis and health outcomes.

“We don’t know whether we’re going to have findings that medical marijuana helps, for example, lowering individuals that have pain, their opioid prescription rate, or whether medical marijuana may have unintended effects of having new mental health conditions emerge,” Thompson said.

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UAMS Research Team Finds Potential Cause of COVID-19 ‘Long-haulers’

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By David Robinson

Sept. 9, 2021 | LITTLE ROCK — A UAMS research team has identified a potential cause of long-lasting symptoms experienced by COVID-19 patients, often referred to as long-haulers. The findings were published in the journal, The Public Library of Science ONE (PLOS ONE).

At the heart of the team’s findings is an antibody that shows up weeks after an initial infection and attacks and disrupts a key regulator of the immune system, said lead researcher John Arthur, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chief of the Division of Nephrology in the UAMS College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine.

As many as 30% of COVID-19 patients experience lingering fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath. The cause of long COVID-19 has eluded scientists, but the UAMS team’s discovery sheds important new light on the molecular-level mechanisms behind it.

https://news.uams.edu/2021/09/09/uams-research-team-finds-potential-cause-of-covid-19-long-haulers/