Protein News and Research

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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

Rational use of antibiotics can help fight bacterial infections

The increase in antibiotic resistance and the lack of new antibiotics is currently a major global health problem.

5 Jun 2020

Study: MafB protein may protect against renal failure

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common cause of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome, a type of kidney disease that is accompanied by massive urinary protein loss and that may progress to end-stage renal disease.

5 Jun 2020

Newly identified mechanism regulates activity of nitric oxide-producing enzyme

The liver filters blood, detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs. Hepatitis, alcohol and primary liver diseases are common sources of damage in the liver and can result in scarring, known as fibrosis.

5 Jun 2020

New images of LSD1 enzyme in action shed light on gene regulation

New images of an enzyme in action as it interacts with the chromosome could provide important insight into how cells--including cancer cells--regulate their genes.

5 Jun 2020

New leukemia immune profiles predict drug resistance, positive responses to immunotherapy

By analyzing 442 samples from three groups of children and adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), researchers have identified new immune classes of the disease that predict the likelihood of drug resistance and positive responses to immunotherapy.

5 Jun 2020

Study may pave for new therapeutic approaches for Parkinson's disease

Researchers have uncovered a link between the structure of the protein alpha-synuclein and its likelihood to misfold and aggregate.

5 Jun 2020

Study: Eggs can be used as low-cost coating to protect fruits and vegetables

Eggs that would otherwise be wasted can be used as the base of an inexpensive coating to protect fruits and vegetables, according to Rice University researchers.

5 Jun 2020

A SARS-CoV-2 antibody magnetic immuno-detection test

A new report, released on the preprint server bioRxiv by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, describes the development of an innovative serologic test that could provide a fast, easy, and inexpensive method of detecting high titers of antibody in the serum of SARS-CoV-2 infected people.

4 Jun 2020

Designing a prototype spike protein vaccine for SARS-CoV-2

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the development of a prototype vaccine containing multiple antigenic sites, based on the spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is causing the current COVID-19 pandemic. If successful, this could lead to the development of an effective, non-allergenic vaccine that induces both humoral and cellular immunity.

4 Jun 2020

Comparing genomes to understand how mutations affect the COVID-19 pandemic

Now, a new study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute and published online on the bioRxiv preprint server describes how the use of comparative genomics helps to identify protein-coding and non-coding functional genes.

4 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 gene deletions may cause milder infections and increase human-to-human transmission

In their recent paper released on the bioRxiv preprint server, a research group from Spain demonstrated how genome changes and deletions in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could represent a strategy of natural selection used for lessening the impact of infection in order to increase viral transmission potential.

4 Jun 2020

Alpaca-derived antiviral agent neutralizes SARS-CoV-2

Researchers at Karolinska University Hospital and the University of Cape Town have identified an antibody fragment that targets the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and potently neutralizes the virus.

4 Jun 2020

Using supercomputers to knock out drug side effects

Psychedelic drugs could be effective in treating psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, but medical use of these drugs is limited by the hallucinations they cause.

4 Jun 2020

New research focuses on protein-coding gene's role in inflammatory bowel disease

A protein-coding gene associated with autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively referred to as inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, will be the focus of new research in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside.

4 Jun 2020