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Genetic interactions may shed light on NGLY1 deficiency

In 2012, four-year-old Bertrand Might became the first-ever patient diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called N-glycanase (NGLY1) deficiency. The discovery of this condition and Bertrand's diagnosis allowed doctors to look for other children with the same genetic defect. Since then, more than 60 additional patients have been found.

26 Jan 2021

Anti-emetic drug offers a promising approach to treat chronic myeloid leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) results from a degeneration of the hematopoietic stem cells (leukemia stem cells), thereby leading to the uncontrolled formation of specific white blood cells, the so-called granulocytes.

26 Jan 2021

New NIH grant supports research on Alzheimer's disease caused by gene mutations

A new grant from the National Institute On Aging at the National Institutes of Health will support ongoing research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to address Alzheimer's disease caused by gene mutations.

26 Jan 2021

Single-dose universal vaccine could protect against leptospirosis bacteria

Scientists have designed a single-dose universal vaccine that could protect against the many forms of leptospirosis bacteria, according to a study published today in eLife.

26 Jan 2021

Researchers find microbiome-controlled anti-inflammatory subsets of astrocytes

Astrocytes are the most abundant type of cells within the central nervous system (CNS), but they remain poorly characterized.

26 Jan 2021

New drug screening platform identifies inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the UK and the United States have developed a stem-cell-based screening platform for identifying compounds that inhibit infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

25 Jan 2021

Bispecific antibody shows efficacy against new SARS-CoV-2 variants

A team of international scientists has recently developed a bispecific antibody that can bind two non-overlapping regions of the spike receptor-binding domain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and completely prevent the viral-host interaction.

25 Jan 2021

Stem cell based cell culture model to recapitulate important aspects of NAFLD

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a widespread condition in the Western World. Around 30% of the population have lipid droplets stored in their liver which diminish its function in the long term.

25 Jan 2021

Second-generation double antibody protects from SARS-CoV-2 and its tested variants

The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB; Bellinzona, Switzerland), affiliated to the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) developed a second-generation 'double antibody' that protects from SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, and all its tested variants. It also prevents the virus from mutating to resist the therapy.

24 Jan 2021

Transcriptional regulator BRD2 as a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19

A team of international scientists has demonstrated that therapeutic inhibition of a transcriptional regulator BRD2, required for the endogenous expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), can potentially suppress severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

24 Jan 2021

Novel neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 N-terminal domain discovered

A new study by US-based researchers shows the presence of protective antibodies that target the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the spike instead of the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD).

22 Jan 2021

New model explains controversies over saturated fats and heart disease risk

In science, sometimes a new perspective can turn our interpretation of the data upside-down, and necessitate a paradigm shift.

22 Jan 2021

Sloan Kettering Institute researchers offer a new answer to 100-year-old cancer mystery

The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of a fundamental discovery that's taught in every biochemistry textbook. In 1921, German physician Otto Warburg observed that cancer cells harvest energy from glucose sugar in a strangely inefficient manner: rather than "burn" it using oxygen, cancer cells do what yeast do -- they ferment it.

22 Jan 2021

New drug target valid for breast cancer as well as lymphoma

One more piece of the puzzle has fallen into place behind a new drug whose anti-cancer potential was developed at the University of Alberta and is set to begin human trials this year, thanks to newly published research.

21 Jan 2021

ACE2 and furin levels linked to inflammation in smokers with COVID-19

A new study reports the level of ACE2 and furin, two enzymes that are intimately linked to infection with SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19.

21 Jan 2021

Researchers immunoengineer nanobead system for circulating tumor cell detection

A team of researchers has immunoengineered a nanobead system for the isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells.

21 Jan 2021

Potentially promising therapeutic combination for renal cell carcinoma uncovered

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common form of cancer of the kidney. In 2018, there were an estimated 403,000 new cases of RCC and 175,000 deaths due to kidney cancer worldwide.

20 Jan 2021

Ethacrynic acid, a diuretic drug with potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity

A study published recently in the journal Viruses has identified a potent diuretic ethacrynic acid as an efficient inhibitor of the main protease of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This drug can be potentially repurposed to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

20 Jan 2021

Study shows that single water molecule may cause antibiotic resistance

New high-resolution structures of the bacterial ribosome determined by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago show that a single water molecule may be the cause - and possible solution - of antibiotic resistance.

20 Jan 2021

Cannabidiol kills bacteria responsible for gonorrhea, meningitis, and legionnaires disease

Synthetic cannabidiol, better known as CBD, has been shown for the first time to kill the bacteria responsible for gonorrhea, meningitis and legionnaires disease.

20 Jan 2021