Mutation News and Research

RSS

How did SARS-CoV-2 first evolve in humans?

In a perspective article recently published in the journal Science, Hyeryun Choe and Michael Farzan from the Scripps Research Institute, USA, have described the early-stage evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in humans. They have provided a detailed overview of how early mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein facilitate its adaptation in human systems.

7 May 2021

The ancestor of SARS-CoV-2’s Wuhan strain was circulating in late October 2019

The SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in a case from Wuhan, China, in December 2021, and subsequently became the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world today. A new study in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution tracks its variants all over the world since the onset of the pandemic.

7 May 2021

Cryptic pocket on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 may be a promising treatment target

In a new study currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, a multinational group of researchers modeled an entire membrane-embedded spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and highlighted the potential of a specific mapping approach for unveiling cryptic, potentially druggable pockets on the viral surface.

7 May 2021

Study may lead to personalized treatments for cystic fibrosis

Some 2,103 mutations have been identified in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common fatal genetic disease in Canada, and together they pose huge challenges for patients and researchers, including those affiliated with Université de Montreal and its teaching hospital, the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM).

7 May 2021

Indian SARS-CoV-2 variant shows enhanced host cell entry and immune evasion

A study conducted by researchers in Germany has found that the B.1.617 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has emerged in India entered certain types of lung and intestine cells with slightly increased efficiency compared with the original wild-type strain.

6 May 2021

Researchers study sex-specific gene mutation linked to autism

After reviewing a database of gene mutations in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a team of Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) researchers decided to study a specific gene mutation that likely caused ASD in a girl.

6 May 2021

Monocytes promote viral control during SARS-COV-2 infection

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Vanderheiden et al. (May 4th, 2021) the contribution of monocytes in promoting protective immunity from SARS-CoV-2 is investigated in a murine model, suggesting that CCR2 plays the role of an inflammation modulator in early infection.

6 May 2021

Researchers identify potent small molecule TMPRSS2 inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the USA and Canada has recently identified and characterized a novel small-molecule compound inhibitor of cellular serine protease TMPRSS2, which shows significant antiviral potency against emerging variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

5 May 2021

Novel pipeline identifies millions of molecular targets in SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the United States have developed a novel pipeline for high-throughput, automated annotation of the genes, proteins and functional domains in the genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

5 May 2021

New genetic mutation increases risk for atrial fibrillation, heart failure in Black people

A new mutation found in a gene associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation poses a significantly increased risk for heart failure in Black people.

5 May 2021

Mechano-immunological response to SARS-CoV-2

In a recent study, researchers demonstrated a human organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) microfluidic model of the lung alveolus (Alveolus Chip) - that recapitulates the human alveolar-capillary interface with an air-liquid interface (ALI) and vascular fluid flow to understand the local triggers in the lung in vitro.

5 May 2021

Study identifies novel combination therapy to help patients with advanced lung cancer

A new study by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has identified a novel combination therapy to potentially help overcome resistance to immunotherapy in people diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.

5 May 2021

New combination treatment could benefit T-ALL patients who do not respond to chemotherapy

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is an aggressive cancer type that mostly affects children. The standard treatment is chemotherapy, but about one in four patients do not respond or develop resistance to this.

4 May 2021

Scientists identify genetic mutation associated with exfoliation syndrome known to cause glaucoma

A team of researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Genome Institute of Singapore and Bioprocessing Technology Institute, as well as Singapore Eye Research Institute, have identified a genetic mutation (functionally defective CYP39A1 gene) associated with exfoliation syndrome, the most common cause of glaucoma.

4 May 2021

Researchers develop new technology to reduce high error rates in gene sequencing

Next-generation gene sequencing (NGS) technologies --in which millions of DNA molecules are simultaneously but individually analyzed-- theoretically provides researchers and clinicians the ability to noninvasively identify mutations in the blood stream.

4 May 2021

New drug class effective in treating certain types of ovarian cancers

A study published today in Nature Communications shows that the drug rucaparib has been effective in treating certain types of ovarian cancers if used early in treatment, after a diagnosis, and before the cancer cells build up a resistance to chemotherapy.

4 May 2021

Rucaparib drug is effective in treating certain types of ovarian cancers, shows study

4 May 2021

Evidence that elevated blood glucose is a significant risk factor for severe COVID-19

The literature analysis pointed to elevated blood glucose levels as a leading facilitator in the progression of COVID-19. Evidence linking elevated glucose to various steps in the life cycle of the virus and presentation of COVID-19 symptoms were also found.

3 May 2021

Monoclonal antibody neutralizes all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Researchers in Canada and the United States have identified a monoclonal antibody that potently neutralizes variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVIdD-19) pandemic.

3 May 2021

Tiny 3D brain models could accelerate drug research for multiple sclerosis

Tiny 3-D models that mimic vital aspects of the human nervous system have been developed in a step that could accelerate drug research for neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

3 May 2021