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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Scientists develop human lung organoids to study SARS-CoV-2 infection

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 reports the development of a human distal lung culture system that can be functionally tested. This will help not only to understand how this infection produces disease but also to test the proliferative capacity of the stem cells in this part of the body.

30 Jul 2020

Study reports highly potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 reports that a series of potent enzyme inhibitors have been designed to suppress severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication by interfering with one of the primary viral proteases.

30 Jul 2020

Researchers are developing comprehensive catalog of functional elements of human and mouse genomes

Scientists around the world have access to a rich trove of information through the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE)--annotated versions of the human and mouse genomes that are vital for interpreting their genetic codes.

30 Jul 2020

Antimalarial drug shows in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2 and flu viruses

Now, a new study published in the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 reports on the antiviral activity of two drugs found in an antimalarial drug currently in phase II trials in South Korea, called Pyramax.

30 Jul 2020

UC San Diego researchers part of special package of human genome studies

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine are among the contributors to a package of 10 studies, published July 29, 2020 in the journal Nature, describing the latest results from the ongoing Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project, a worldwide effort led by the National Institutes of Health to understand how the human genome functions.

29 Jul 2020

People with SARS-CoV-2 most infectious in days 0-5, no evidence of transmission after day 9

A study conducted by researchers in the UK and Italy suggests that individuals with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are probably at their most infectious during the first week of illness.

29 Jul 2020

Combination of certain drugs can do more harm than good, shows study

A team of researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) investigating how a certain type of drugs can kill cells has discovered that these drugs can do more harm than good when used in combination with other cancer treatments.

29 Jul 2020

Recurrent SARS-CoV-2 positives not infectious in discharged COVID-19 patients, says Chinese study

A new research paper from China published on the preprint server medRxiv* claims that recurrent positive results for SARS-CoV-2 are due to the presence of low levels of viral RNA fragments and not the shedding of infectious virus particles.

29 Jul 2020

Study reveals multiple characteristics of HIV-1-producing cells in vivo

For eradication of HIV-1 infection, it is important to elucidate the detailed features and heterogeneity of HIV-1-infected cells in vivo.

29 Jul 2020

Novel drug candidate offers a major advance in the treatment for diabetes

The University of Alabama at Birmingham and Southern Research have discovered a new drug candidate that offers a major advance in the treatment for diabetes.

28 Jul 2020

Investigational drug for Alzheimer's disease may help autistic children

An extensive international study led by Prof. Illana Gozes of Tel Aviv University's Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry found deposits of the tau protein typically found in Alzheimer's patients in tissues taken from the postmortem brain of a 7-year-old autistic child.

28 Jul 2020

GW to participate in a clinical trial for investigational COVID-19 vaccine

The George Washington University today announced that it will participate in a clinical trial for an investigational COVID-19 vaccine.

27 Jul 2020

Alternative amplification technique could accelerate COVID-19 testing

An alternative amplification technique to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA could offer a way to rapidly test large numbers of people for COVID-19, although the technique is not as sensitive as quantitative RT-PCR, the current standard method for COVID-19 testing.

27 Jul 2020

High ACE2 Expression on pancreatic islet cells during inflammation could explain new-onset diabetes in COVID-19

A new study suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 infection may be linked to the onset of diabetes, via the infection of pancreatic islet beta cells, which produce insulin.

27 Jul 2020

New approach could enable wider adoption of COVID-19 testing for diagnosis in research laboratories

Clinician-scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore's (NTU Singapore) Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) have demonstrated a way to improve the speed, handling time and cost of COVID-19 laboratory tests.

27 Jul 2020

Continuous survival of neurons is intrinsically programmed during development

When our neurons -- the principle cells of the brain -- die, so do we.Most neurons are created during embryonic development and have no "backup" after birth. Researchers have generally believed that their survival is determined nearly extrinsically, or by outside forces, such as the tissues and cells that neurons supply with nerve cells.

25 Jul 2020