Amino Acid News and Research

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Amino Acid is one of several molecules that join together to form proteins. There are 20 common amino acids found in proteins.

OSU researchers design a highly effective, low-dose, manganese-MOF MRI agent

Scientists at Oregon State University have filed a patent on a design for a new magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent with the potential to outperform current agents while being less toxic to patients and more environmentally friendly.

7 Nov 2025

Comprehensive kinase atlas reveals new insights into cell signaling and disease

The enzyme RNA polymerase II transcribes genes into messenger RNA. This process is guided by modifications to the enzyme's "tail" called phosphorylation patterns.

7 Nov 2025

Swapping meat for plant-based options cuts fat but lowers protein, study finds

Replacing meat with plant-based or mycoprotein alternatives in UK diets lowers saturated fat and boosts fiber but reduces protein intake, especially for teens and older adults. The overall saturated fat reduction is too small to meaningfully affect cholesterol levels, researchers report in npj Science of Food.

4 Nov 2025

St. Jude scientists identify new therapeutic target for high-risk pediatric leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia driven by tandem duplications within the UBTF gene (UBTF-TD AML) is a high-risk pediatric cancer in urgent need of novel therapeutic options.

3 Nov 2025

Urolithin A recharges aging immune cells and boosts mitochondrial fitness in midlife adults

Urolithin A, a natural postbiotic known to trigger mitophagy, rejuvenated key immune cell functions in healthy middle-aged adults after 28 days. The trial showed a shift toward a youthful, energy-efficient CD8⁺ T-cell profile and enhanced bacterial clearance without inflammatory side effects.

3 Nov 2025

Integrating physicochemical laws into future AI models for better drug design

Proteins play a key role not only in the body, but also in medicine: they either serve as active ingredients, such as enzymes or antibodies, or they are target structures for drugs.

30 Oct 2025

Two microbial metabolites compete to control the cells' protein building machinery

The microbiome-the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live quietly in our body-plays a crucial role in shaping human health by providing a variety of micronutrients necessary for vital functions.

30 Oct 2025

Tryptophan deficiency in breast milk may explain health challenges in children born to mothers with HIV

A new UCLA study reveals that breast milk from women living with HIV contains significantly lower levels of tryptophan, an essential amino acid likely important for infant immune function, growth, and brain development.

28 Oct 2025

Lack of essential amino acid prompts animals to seek out protein-rich yeast and gut bacteria

New research from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) reveals how missing just one essential amino acid can change gene expression and the brain's sensory systems, prompting animals to seek out protein-rich yeast and gut bacteria that help them restore nutritional balance and survive in times of need.

27 Oct 2025

New mechanism explains life-threatening pre-eclampsia at the molecular level

Pre-eclampsia is one of the most serious complications in pregnancy, affecting millions of women and newborns worldwide and potentially life-threatening. Despite intensive research, it has remained unclear what processes in the placenta lead to the disease.

21 Oct 2025

LassoESM accelerates discovery of therapeutic peptides

In the hunt for new therapeutics for cancer and infectious diseases, lasso peptides prove to be a catch.

16 Oct 2025

Does eating watermelon lower blood pressure?

Researchers reviewed the role of watermelon as a natural source of L-citrulline and its potential to improve cardiovascular health by enhancing nitric oxide production. While promising effects on blood pressure and arterial stiffness were seen in at-risk groups, long-term and dose-specific studies are still needed to confirm clinical benefits.

15 Oct 2025

Discovery of CPD gene mutations sheds light on rare congenital hearing loss

Mutations in a gene known as CPD play a crucial role in a rare form of congenital hearing loss, an international team of researchers has discovered.

14 Oct 2025

Cyclic peptide nanotubes offer new route to overcome cancer drug resistance

A research team at CiQUS (University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain) has unveiled an innovative molecular approach that enables anticancer drugs to reach the nucleus of tumor cells, where they can exert their therapeutic effect.

10 Oct 2025

Evolutionary mutation in cGAS enhances naked mole-rat DNA repair

The secret to the naked mole-rats' extraordinarily long life may lie in subtle changes to just four amino acids, researchers report. According to a new study, evolutionary mutations in cGAS – an enzyme in the innate immune system that senses DNA to trigger immune responses – may enhance the animal's ability to repair aging-related genetic damage, whereas in other species, such as mice and humans, cGAS can suppress DNA repair.

10 Oct 2025

Toxic e-waste pollution linked to rising childhood hypertension

The study reveals a fourfold increase in hypertension risk for children in e-waste regions, emphasizing the health impacts of toxic environmental pollutants.

8 Oct 2025

New computer-driven method helps understand how membrane proteins work at the atomic level

Cellular membrane proteins play many important roles throughout the body, including transporting substances in and out of the cell, transmitting signals, speeding up reactions and helping neighboring cells stick together.

7 Oct 2025

Researchers design intrinsically disordered proteins with tailored properties

In synthetic and structural biology, advances in artificial intelligence have led to an explosion of designing new proteins with specific functions, from antibodies to blood clotting agents, by using computers to accurately predict the 3D structure of any given amino acid sequence.

7 Oct 2025

New tool enables and enhances protein investigations

A new tool greatly improves scientists' ability to identify and study proteins that regulate gene activity in cells, according to research led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The technology should enable and enhance investigations in both fundamental biology and disease research.

3 Oct 2025

Molecular fingerprint predicts physical fitness in older adults

Could a simple blood test reveal how well someone is aging? A team of researchers led by Wolfram Weckwerth from the University of Vienna, Austria, and Nankai University, China, has combined advanced metabolomics with cutting-edge machine learning and a novel network modeling tool to uncover the key molecular processes underlying active aging.

30 Sep 2025