Transcription News and Research

RSS

Arginine methylation important in SARS-CoV-2 viral replication

Researchers show that methylation of arginine in the virus nucleocapsid protein controls the protein's functions and plays a role in the life cycle of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

29 Mar 2021

New modeling approach to better understand how tumors become aggressive

Although the development of secondary cancerous growths, called metastasis, is the primary cause of death in most cancers, the cellular changes that drive it are poorly understood.

29 Mar 2021

Researchers examine circRNAs encoded by MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2

New research published in Briefings in Bioinformaticsm has identified thousands of circRNAs in Betacoronaviruses, including MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-2, from the RNA-sequencing data of viral infections. These coronaviruses have a similar genomic structure with a diverse circRNA coding ability. Researchers have also systematically characterized circRNAs in coronaviruses, with regard to their size, sequence feature, expressions, genome, location preference, and functions. This opens the door to further explore and understand the mode of action of individual circRNAs in coronaviruses.

29 Mar 2021

Research finds polymerase of SARS-CoV-2 can adopt an alternative structure

New research by German scientists has uncovered another form of coronavirus polymerase. The current polymerase thought to be used for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) for replication and transcription. It contains a monomeric enzyme with the catalytic subunit nsp12, two copies of subunit nsp8, and one copy of subunit nsp7.

28 Mar 2021

Mogrify wins Hewitsons Award for Innovation in Business and Price Bailey Award for Business of the Year at CambridgeshireLive Business Excellence Awards 2020

Mogrify has been awarded the Hewitsons Award for Innovation in Business and Price Bailey Award for Business of the Year.

From Mogrify 26 Mar 2021

Study identifies NCOA3 as a novel therapeutic target for melanoma

For the first time, activation of nuclear receptor coactivator 3 (NCOA3) has been shown to promote the development of melanoma through regulation of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) sensitivity, cell cycle progression and circumvention of the DNA damage response.

25 Mar 2021

Drugging RNA synthesis in SARS-CoV-2 as novel therapeutic avenue

In a new study, the role of a coronavirus-specific protein domain in SARS-CoV-2 viral synthesis initiation is investigated, and potential therapeutic solutions have been explored.

25 Mar 2021

Researchers examine SARS-CoV-2 RNA interactome

A new study focuses on the identification of RNA-binding protein by mass spectrometry (ChIRP-M/S) approach. This study develops a global map that contains the complete set of host proteins that involve the SARS-CoV-2 genome during infection. This study has successfully identified new SARS-CoV-2 host dependency factors by merging proteomics data with gene silencing experiments. Such a discovery has paved new roads to develop more antiviral therapies.

25 Mar 2021

Researchers produce a detailed molecular atlas of lung development

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have produced a detailed molecular atlas of lung development, which is expected to be a fundamental reference in future studies of mammalian biology and of new treatments for diseases, such as COVID-19, that affect the lungs.

24 Mar 2021

New covalent and non-covalent SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors discovered in silico

A new study describes the use of a combination of virtual and experimental screening protocols to identify potential inhibitors of the virus, which could lead to rapid drug development.

24 Mar 2021

Novel gene therapy reprograms glioma cells into functional neurons

Glioma is a fatal neurological disorder that has limited interventional treatment, despite extensive research over the past several decades.

24 Mar 2021

A new COVID-19 candidate vaccine induces robust humoral and cellular immune responses in mice

A Korea-based company EyeGene Inc. has recently developed a liposome-based mRNA candidate vaccine against COVID-19, which contains full-length spike protein of the European variant (D614G) of SARS-CoV-2 as a vaccine antigen.

23 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection is circadian

An international team of researchers has found that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels in lung cells vary over the day, affecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The virus entry and replication in the lung cells also have a rhythmic cycle, suggesting circadian processes can affect the virus's life cycle.

22 Mar 2021

Researchers test novel gene regulation approach to treat brain diseases

Researchers at the DZNE (Germany), at Massachusetts General Hospital (USA) and at the genomic medicine company Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. tested a novel gene regulation approach to treat brain diseases such as Alzheimer's in laboratory studies.

22 Mar 2021

Male fertility and androgen production may be impacted by COVID-19

An interesting new study has appeared online in the journal Hormones that discusses the effects of COVID-19 on the male and female gonads.

22 Mar 2021

Genetic engineering strategy dramatically reduces tau levels in Alzheimer's animal model

Researchers have used a genetic engineering strategy to dramatically reduce levels of tau--a key protein that accumulates and becomes tangled in the brain during the development of Alzheimer's disease--in an animal model of the condition.

21 Mar 2021

Acute exposure of lung tissue to vape aerosol has lesser impact on gene expression than cigarette smoke

A new peer-reviewed study published in the journal Toxicological Research & Application shows acute exposure of a 3D human bronchial tissue model to e-cigarette aerosol has minimal impact on gene expression compared to smoke from combustible cigarettes.

21 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 spike stimulates hyperinflammation via Toll-like receptor 2

A new study, released on the bioRxiv* preprint server, describes the mechanism of inflammation in severe COVID-19, besides revealing a potential new therapeutic target to modulate the severity of COVID-19.

19 Mar 2021

Identifying druggable targets on an essential SARS-CoV-2 protein

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Newman et al. (March 15th, 2021) the structure and role of one such protein: NSP13, is investigated, with two appealingly druggable targets being identified, possibly opening a new route towards a novel SARS-CoV-2 antiviral agent.

18 Mar 2021

Researchers identify inflammatory mechanism related to bone damage in rheumatoid arthritis

In a study aimed at investigating the mechanism responsible for exacerbating rheumatoid arthritis in smokers, researchers at the Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases, linked to the University of São Paulo in Brazil, discovered a novel path in the inflammatory process associated with the bone damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

18 Mar 2021