Mutation News and Research

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SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant mutation sites

A new review article dissected the sites of mutation in the RBD of the Delta variant and other variants of concern and variants of alert and interest.

25 Nov 2021

Impeding SARS‑CoV‑2 evolution by targeting low-probability stochastic events

Researchers explore the emergence of more fit SARS-CoV-2 variants using a stochastic evolutionary modeling framework during long-term infections.

24 Nov 2021

Study explains why moles can change into melanoma

Moles and melanomas are both skin tumors that come from the same cell called melanocytes. The difference is that moles are usually harmless, while melanomas are cancerous and often deadly without treatment.

23 Nov 2021

Donor cells with clonal hematopoiesis may improve bone marrow transplant outcomes

Clonal hematopoiesis, a condition in which mutations associated with blood cancers are found in the blood of healthy people, is common with aging.

22 Nov 2021

Impact of ultraviolet disinfection on nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious diseases

A new review article determines the role of UV disinfection for nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

22 Nov 2021

Study shows porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is capable of zoonotic transfer

A team of researchers describes the presence of PDCoV strains in plasma samples of three Haitian children with acute undifferentiated febrile illness.

22 Nov 2021

Importance of cross-neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants

A new study published in the journal mBio investigates different antibodies from convalescent donors that bind three separate domains of the SARS-CoV-2 spike. The results of this study suggest that the individuals exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 from the first wave have neutralizing antibodies against current variants.

21 Nov 2021

Human lung airway-on-a-chip faithfully recapitulates cystic fibrosis pathology

The inherited progressive disorder cystic fibrosis (CF) causes severe damage to the lungs, and other tissues in the body by affecting the cells that produce mucus, sweat, and digestive juices.

21 Nov 2021

P681H mutation helps SARS-CoV-2 VOCs replicate faster and resist innate immunity

In the current study, researchers compare the IFITM sensitivities of major SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.

17 Nov 2021

SARS-CoV-2 protease suppresses host immune response by cleaving NEMO

A recent study conducted by a team of US-based scientists has highlighted a novel function of 3C-like protease of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The protease has been found to cleave a human immune signaling protein called NF-kB Essential Modulator (NEMO) and disrupt the host immune response.

16 Nov 2021

Ensemble cryo-electron microscopy uncovers conformational states of the nsp13 helicase of SARS-CoV-2

With this background, the goal of a new study published on the bioRxiv* preprint server was to use cryo-electron microscopy to investigate the nsp13 helicase conformational states in order to gain insights of how nsp13 functions during viral transcription/replication.

16 Nov 2021

ALS also causes retinal alterations, study reveals

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), characterized by harm to brain neurons and to the spinal cord, also affects the tissue of the retina, according to a study headed up by Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

16 Nov 2021

Histone mimicry as a mechanism through which SARS-CoV-2 disrupts host cell epigenetic regulation

A recent study investigates histone mimicry as a mechanism by SARS-CoV-2 for disrupting epigenetic regulation to evade host cell responses to infection.

15 Nov 2021

Study offers new insight into the role of tau proteins in ALS pathogenesis

A team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital has shown that people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, who carry a mutation in the C9orf72 gene exhibit elevated levels of tau and phosphorylated tau protein in the motor cortex region of the brain.

15 Nov 2021

Updated mapping of the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

In the present study, researchers presented extensive meta-analysis and added ten new genome-wide significant loci.

15 Nov 2021

Stem cell enlargement contributes to decline in normal function during aging

MIT biologists have answered an important biological question: Why do cells control their size? Cells of the same type are strikingly uniform in size, while cell size differs between different cell types. This raises the question of whether cell size is important for cellular physiology.

12 Nov 2021

Advanced technique reveals the ultrastructure of huntingtin inclusion bodies

Huntington's disease is a progressively debilitating brain disease that causes uncontrolled movements, psychological problems, and loss of cognition.

12 Nov 2021

Xanthohumol as a potent pan-inhibitor for various coronaviruses

Researchers from China reported the results of their study aimed at finding an effective Mpro inhibitor since Mpro is the best drug target to fight SARS-CoV-2 infection.

12 Nov 2021

Impact of mutations on binding affinity of SARS-CoV-2 variants with ACE2 and existing antibodies

Researchers explained their analysis of the mechanisms that trigger the docking of SARS-CoV-2 variants to ACE2 and the antibodies, referred to as protein-protein docking.

12 Nov 2021

Study highlights the need for caution while using CRISPR-based gene therapies

A comprehensive study - conducted by researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other groups - has shown that gene editing, specifically gene knockout (KO), with CRISPR -Cas9 can favor cells with mutated forms of genes linked to cancer.

11 Nov 2021