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Research provides insights on why redheads exhibit altered sensitivity to pain

New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital provides insights on why people with red hair exhibit altered sensitivity to certain kinds of pain. The findings are published in Science Advances.

2 Apr 2021

Restoring dysfunctional lymphatic networks to allow the body to fight disease

The human body is an incredibly designed machine, and mechanical processes such as those in the lymphatic system play major roles in maintaining healthy tissue and organs.

1 Apr 2021

Disrupted biochemical pathway can lead to the brain changes characteristic of bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder affects millions of Americans, causing dramatic swings in mood and, in some people, additional effects such as memory problems.

1 Apr 2021

Single injection of RNA therapy improves vision in patient with genetic form of childhood blindness

A Penn Medicine patient with a genetic form of childhood blindness gained vision, which lasted more than a year, after receiving a single injection of an experimental RNA therapy into the eye.

1 Apr 2021

Could a flavonoid found in common fruit and vegetables combat COVID-19?

Researchers in India have gathered and presented a large body of evidence highlight quercetin – a flavonoid molecule found in many common fruits and vegetables – may be developed into drug therapies used to combat COVID-19.

1 Apr 2021

Specific gene may play a causal role in heart disease independent of cholesterol levels

High cholesterol is the most commonly understood cause of atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries that raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

1 Apr 2021

Discovery of cryptic pocket in SARS-CoV-2 may lead to pan-coronavirus therapies

A new research paper published in the Biophysical Journal describes a novel binding pocket used by a viral non-structural protein (nsp) to form an activated complex with its partner nsp. In so doing, it may have revealed a common target that may be useful in the development of a broad-spectrum antiviral drug against all coronaviruses.

1 Apr 2021

Infliximab may hinder the effectiveness of some COVID-19 vaccines

A new study reports reduced vaccine efficacy following the use of a single COVID-19 vaccine dose in people who are on the immunosuppressive monoclonal antibody Infliximab.

31 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 inhibits the cellular response to interferon

Researchers have explored the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the function of RIG-I and MDA5, and ultimately on interferon production.

31 Mar 2021

Study shows how viral distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in the human body relates to tissue damage

Researchers have mapped the distribution of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in deceased patients with the disease, and shed new light on how viral load relates to tissue damage.

31 Mar 2021

New study may lead to GRK5-based therapies to prevent heart failure

The human heart works under high demand, constantly pumping oxygen-rich blood through the body. When faced with disease, however, fulfilling this demand can become increasingly difficult and harmful.

31 Mar 2021

Development of a model of substrate coordination to Zn-bound ACE2

The ongoing coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has claimed more than 2.8 million lives worldwide. Authorities are facing difficulty in preventing the spread of disease due to the highly infectious nature of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, reducing the virus's ability to infect an individual's respiratory epithelial cells could prove an effective measure to prevent disease transmission.

31 Mar 2021

Microbiota-derived molecules do not change the entry or replication of SARS-CoV-2 in intestinal cells

A study conducted at the University of Campinas in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, shows that compounds produced by gut microbiota (bacteria and other microorganisms) during fermentation of insoluble fiber from dietary plant matter do not affect the ability of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 to enter and replicate in cells lining the intestines.

30 Mar 2021

Study finds rapid increase in IgG and IgA antibody levels following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination

A new study describes the kinetics of the antibody response to the earliest approved vaccines against COVID-19, which were developed on an mRNA platform.

30 Mar 2021

Study reveals the structure of key enzyme that may advance cancer research

In order to develop more effective drugs against a range of cancers, researchers have been investigating the molecular structure of many diseased-linked enzymes in the body. An intriguing case in point is Taspase 1, a type of enzyme known as a protease.

30 Mar 2021

New diagnostic test can detect COVID-19 virus even when it mutates

A team of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a diagnostic test that can detect the virus that causes COVID-19 even after it has gone through mutations.

30 Mar 2021

Researchers create novel light sensor from algae's rhodopsins

The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has already given research a massive boost: One of its light sensors, channelrhodopsin-2, founded the success of optogenetics about 20 years ago.

30 Mar 2021

Corticosteroid therapy in pregnant women with COVID-19

A new study describes the outcome of corticosteroid use in pregnancy.

29 Mar 2021

Researchers develop new rapid and highly sensitive SAR-CoV-2 RNA detection test

In an alternative approach to the PCR-based methods, CRISPR-Cas proteins have been employed by a large team of researchers to identify the SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA in patient samples with PCR-derived cycle threshold (Ct) values up to 22 - corresponding to ~1600 copies/µl in the assay.

29 Mar 2021

Virus-cell interaction may partly explain the higher infection rate of COVID-19

Bioengineering researchers at Lehigh University have identified a previously unknown interaction between receptors in human cells and the spike, or "S," protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

29 Mar 2021