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.

Human-specific gene variant may hold key to evolution of language

The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are Homo sapiens the only hominids who could give detailed directions to a far-off freshwater source or describe the nuanced purples and reds of a dramatic sunset?

18 Feb 2025

Scientists pinpoint metabolic failure as the cause of muscle loss in aging

A multi-omics study reveals that impaired branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism is a key driver of sarcopenia, suggesting it as a potential therapeutic target.

17 Feb 2025

Do probiotics enhance sports performance?

Researchers found that probiotics may enhance endurance, recovery, and immune function in athletes, but the evidence for strength and power performance remains limited.

17 Feb 2025

Scientists discover functional role of introns in cells

Scientists have discovered that some tiny segments of RNA thought to be junk instead have a functional role in suppressing production of certain messenger RNAs and appear to help cells respond to oxidative stress.

11 Feb 2025

Changes to intermediate filament protein drive aggressive breast cancer growth

Changes to the intermediate filament (IF) protein, vimentin, were found to promote tumor growth by increasing cancer stemness in an oestrogen independent manner.

11 Feb 2025

Yale rewrites genetic code for new proteins

Synthetic biologists from Yale were able to re-write the genetic code of an organism - a novel genomically recoded organism (GRO) with one stop codon - using a cellular platform that they developed enabling the production of new classes of synthetic proteins. These synthetic proteins, researchers say, offer the promise of innumerable medical and industrial applications that can benefit society and human health.

11 Feb 2025

Gut microbiome shifts from sugary drinks tied to higher diabetes risk

Researchers examine the association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and gut microbiota-mediated changes that may mitigate the risk of diabetes.

7 Feb 2025

New insights into how the Sudan virus attaches to human cells

The Sudan virus, a close relative of Ebola, has a fatality rate of 50% but remains poorly understood in terms of how it infects cells. Currently, no approved treatments exist.

4 Feb 2025

UIC scientists redesign asparaginase to minimize leukemia treatment side effects

University of Illinois Chicago scientists have redesigned a treatment for the most common pediatric leukemia to eliminate its severe side effects, like blood clots and liver damage.

31 Jan 2025

Duke engineers develop AI platform to target undruggable disease proteins

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed an AI-based platform that designs short proteins, termed peptides, capable of binding and destroying previously undruggable disease-causing proteins.

31 Jan 2025

ALPK2 identified as promising new therapeutic target for treatment of heart failure

Tatsuya Yoshida, Mikito Takefuji, and Toyoaki Murohara in the Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, identified an enzyme, alpha-kinase 2 (ALPK2) that is specifically expressed in the heart.

30 Jan 2025

U.S. mosquito species show minimal risk of spreading Oropouche virus, study finds

US mosquito species exhibit minimal competence for transmitting Oropouche virus (OROV), with low infection and transmission rates across tested populations, suggesting limited potential for local outbreaks despite rising imported cases.

22 Jan 2025

Study uncovers blood signatures linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

New University of Virginia School of Medicine research revealing the fingerprints of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome within blood samples could open the door to simple tests to identify babies at risk.

22 Jan 2025

Researchers launch startup to revolutionize targeted drug delivery using milk exosomes

Two Nebraska researchers have launched a startup company aimed at bringing to market an innovative method for delivering therapeutics, gene editing tools, plasmids and more to targeted locations in the human body.

17 Jan 2025

Unveiling the metabolic pathways of Fusobacterium nucleatum in OSCC

A recent study has made significant strides in uncovering how the oral microbiome, particularly the bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum, plays a crucial role in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). By identifying key interactions between this common oral bacterium and host cells, the research has unveiled important metabolic pathways and mechanisms that may serve as potential therapeutic targets.

17 Jan 2025

Mouse protein disrupts cancer-causing epigenetic changes in human colorectal cancer

A little-known mouse protein disrupts cancer-causing chemical changes to genes associated with human colorectal cancer cells and potentially could be used to treat solid tumors, according to a new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

16 Jan 2025

PIN1 protein found to be a significant driver of bladder cancer

Like all cancers, bladder cancer develops when abnormal cells start to multiply out of control. But what if we could put a lid on their growth?

15 Jan 2025

Most disease-causing mutations that swap amino acids do so by making proteins less stable

Research shows 60% of missense mutations destabilize proteins, linking protein folding to genetic diseases, including cataracts and neurological disorders.

10 Jan 2025

Unraveling the molecular mechanisms of disease-causing mutations

Most mutations which cause disease by swapping one amino acid out for another do so by making the protein less stable, according to a massive study of human protein variants published today in the journal Nature. Unstable proteins are more likely to misfold and degrade, causing them to stop working or accumulate in harmful amounts inside cells.

9 Jan 2025

Novel hMPV strains linked to rising respiratory infections in young children

Researchers in India discovered novel hMPV lineages A2.2.1 and A2.2.2, emphasizing their role in pediatric respiratory infections and potential public health implications.

6 Jan 2025