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Tiny gel drops for the development of regenerative therapies

Tiny drops that resemble an extracellular matrix can be used to culture cells for delivery into the human body.

9 Aug 2021

Dileucine more effective than leucine in stimulating muscle-building in humans

In a randomized control study of 10 healthy young men, researchers compared how consuming the single amino acid leucine or its two-molecule equivalent, dileucine, influenced muscle-building and breakdown.

9 Aug 2021

Can saliva metabolomics predict COVID-19 severity?

New research suggests that saliva metabolomics may be able to help prognosticate disease severity in COVID-19 positive individuals.

9 Jul 2021

Study offers clues for earlier diagnosis of folate deficiency

As many expectant mothers know, getting enough folate is key to avoiding neural tube defects in the baby during pregnancy. But for the individuals who carry certain genetic variants, dealing with folate deficiency can be a life-long struggle which can lead to serious neurological and heart problems and even death.

1 Jul 2021

Precision medicine may lead to more effective treatments for ocular conditions

The most practical solution for drug delivery to the eyeball is topical, i.e. eye drops. However, a naturally occurring substance in tears actually can interact with the drug delivery system (DDS), hindering absorption of the drug and preventing it from getting into the cells it needs to target.

17 Jun 2021

Researchers identify a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant (with the V1230L mutation) in West Bengal, India

Researchers analyzed 2,000 viral genomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – sequences obtained from India and found a new variant that could be more infectious and transmissible.

28 May 2021

A genetic variant of TMPRSS2 may confer protection against severe COVID-19

Among a large sample of COVID-19 patients, researchers found that a genetic variant – caused by an amino acid substitution from valine to methionine – is associated with a reduced chance of severe disease.

9 Mar 2021

Evolution of the spike gene of SARS-CoV-2 for human adaptation

Researchers have found a 96% similarity in nucleotide sequence between bat coronavirus (RaTG13), isolated from Rhinolophus affinis bats in China in 2013, and SARS-CoV-2 and ~97% amino acid similarity with the Spike (S) protein. This S protein performs two essential roles, i.e., mediates receptor-binding and membrane fusion. Hence, spike protein is regarded as a key coronavirus determinant of host tropism.

21 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mutations may evade T cell immunity

A potentially disturbing new study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may be undergoing strategic mutations that affect the host immune capacity to recognize and combat the pathogen via T effector cells.

23 Dec 2020

Specific SARS-CoV-2 genomic variations are associated with higher COVID-19 deaths

A team of scientists from South Korea and the United States has conducted an interesting study to investigate whether mutations in the genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can affect the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study findings reveal that mutations in the viral spike protein and RNA polymerase complex can increase the risk of COVID-19 mortality.

25 Nov 2020

Metabolic biomarkers could predict COVID-19 severity

A new study suggests that metabolic biomarkers could possibly predict the severity of COVID-19 in patients.

16 Nov 2020

Adaptations found in RNA secondary structure in genes of two proteins of SARS-CoV-2

To investigate mutations in coronaviruses, a new study by scientists at Duke University and published on the preprint server bioRxiv, used a computational methodology, adaptiPhy, which identifies extra nucleotide substitutions in certain parts of the viral genome compared to mutations that have no effect on the genome.

18 Sep 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

UQ researchers reveal three-dimensional structure of important enzyme

Advanced herbicides and treatments for infection may result from the unravelling of a 50-year-old mystery by University of Queensland researchers.

11 Jul 2020

Tracing adaptation to ACE2 use in sarbecoviruses

A detailed study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 argues that recombination accounts for the appearance of the ability of both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 to use the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (hACE) 2 as the binding receptor mediating viral infection of human cells.

8 Jul 2020

Study reports structure of enzyme activator for high pathogenic avian influenza

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing the current pandemic of COVID-19, is the focus of many investigators seeking to find an effective vaccine or therapeutic. Among the potential targets are various protease enzymes suspected of allowing the virus to gain entry to host cells and establish a successful infection.

16 Jun 2020

Effect of human genes on severity and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2

Now, a new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* reports the results of an analysis of the association between the genetic variants in the patients and the clinical progression of the disease. The study included 332 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a single-center, with widely varying laboratory and clinical features. There were 25, 12, and 17 patients with asymptomatic, mild, and critical disease.

14 Jun 2020

Examining the envelope protein of SARS-CoV-2

A new study by researchers at the University of Valencia and published on the preprint online server bioRxiv in May 2020 reports the topology of the envelope protein of the virus, which could contribute to a better understanding of how the virus interacts with other cell components and hopefully help to fight the disease better.

28 May 2020

A closer look at TMPRSS2: This could help treat COVID-19

The transmembrane protease serine-type 2 (TMPRSS2) protein plays a key role in COVID-19 infection since it primes the viral spike protein to allow viral entry into the target cell. A new study by researchers at Imperial College London and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in May 2020 describes the protein, which could be an attractive drug target to help manage COVID-19.

28 May 2020

Spike protein analysis from India's first SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv analyzes viral spike protein sequences from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak in West Bengal, India, comparing them with sequences from other Indian states and Wuhan, China.

30 Apr 2020