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Study reveals deadly bacteria's attraction to human blood

Some of the world's deadliest bacteria seek out and feed on human blood, a newly-discovered phenomenon researchers are calling "bacterial vampirism."

16 Apr 2024

Atomic-level structural models of enzymes provide disease insights

When nucleic acids like DNA or RNA build up in a cell's cytoplasm, it sets off an alarm call for the immune system.

2 Apr 2024

Researchers identify viable vaccine targets for hepatitis C infections

By studying individuals who spontaneously clear hepatitis C infections, a team of researchers has identified viable vaccine targets for a disease that infects 70 million worldwide with case numbers increasing every year.

26 Mar 2024

New drug candidates show promise to reverse HIV immune evasion

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists have identified drug candidates that show promise to reverse the ability of HIV to escape detection by the immune system.

19 Mar 2024

New drug candidate designed at the atomic level could help halt emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants

Although COVID-19 has faded from the headlines, SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus behind the pandemic – is still rampantly infecting people around the world.

14 Mar 2024

NIH study uncovers vulnerable sites on Epstein-Barr virus protein

Studies of interactions between two lab-generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and an essential Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein have uncovered targets that could be exploited in designing treatments and vaccines for this extremely common virus.

12 Mar 2024

LAG-3 protein structure may be the key to unlocking new cancer treatments

A molecular “snapshot” of a protein can be critical to understanding its function. Scientists at Stanford and NYU have published and investigated a new structure of the protein LAG-3 which could enable the development of new cancer treatments.

11 Mar 2024

Deciphering the role of GPCRs in obesity pathology for drug development

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important, potential drug targets for the treatment of metabolic disorders, such as obesity.

5 Mar 2024

UB research may offer a more streamlined approach to developing cancer drugs

Drug discovery can be a frustrating process of trial and error.

28 Feb 2024

Unlocking protein secrets: X-ray crystallography reveals hidden shapes

Proteins do the heavy lifting of performing biochemical functions in our bodies by binding to metabolites or other proteins to complete tasks.

12 Jan 2024

Disease-causing bacteria use molecular "barcode" to distinguish between beneficial and toxic molecules

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a molecular "barcode" system used by disease-causing bacteria to distinguish between beneficial and toxic molecules.

8 Jan 2024

Novel adaptations and functions of human LINE-1 revealed by structural analysis and inhibition

Martin Taylor, MD, PhD, a physician investigator in the Department of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in Pathology at Harvard Medical School, is the lead corresponding author of a new study in Nature, Structural Analysis and Inhibition of Human LINE-1 ORF2 Protein Reveals Novel Adaptations and Functions.

19 Dec 2023

New insights into the structures formed during antibody aggregation through 3D domain swapping

Antibodies (immunoglobulins) are Y-shaped proteins that recognize and neutralize specific pathogens. Their ability to target specific molecules or cells has made them promising candidates for future drug development.

8 Dec 2023

Open-science triumph: Crowdsourced initiative yields potent SARS-CoV-2 antivirals

In this study, researchers harnessed crowdsourcing and open science to develop new antivirals against SARS-CoV-2, focusing on its main protease, Mpro. Their approach led to the discovery of potent compounds, including one with high efficacy in cell lines and cross-reactivity against various COVID-19 variants, demonstrating the potential of collaborative and transparent drug discovery in tackling global health crises.

12 Nov 2023

Revolution by Evolution: Protein Science and its Impact on Drug Discovery

In this interview conducted at SLAS EU 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, we spoke to Mark Abbott, the Managing Director of Peak Proteins, about protein science and its significance in drug discovery.

10 Nov 2023

COVID Moonshot Consortium makes major breakthrough in antiviral drug discovery

The work of the COVID Moonshot Consortium is being published in the prestigious journal Science on 10 November, revealing their discovery of a potent SARS-CoV-2 antiviral lead compound.

9 Nov 2023

Scientists uncover key enzymes involved in bacterial pathogenicity

Gram-negative bacteria cause a variety of infectious diseases in plants and animals alike. Outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli infections often make headlines due to their severity, and people have to resort to allopathic as well as natural remedies, increasing the burden on the healthcare system.

16 Oct 2023