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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Compounds from medicinal mushrooms may be our future weapon against SARS-CoV-2

Certain steroid-like compounds from Taiwan's endemic medicinal mushrooms (known as antcins) may inhibit a host cell receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and, thus, prevent viral infection and subsequent development of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), reports a new study published in the MDPI's journal Plants.

24 Aug 2021

Glycyrrhizic acid as a drug candidate for COVID-19

A new study presents the benefits of licorice, an age-old herbal remedy, to treat COVID-19 at all stages.

24 Aug 2021

Peptoids could one day cure or prevent herpes, COVID-19

In addition to antibodies and white blood cells, the immune system deploys peptides to fight viruses and other pathogens.

24 Aug 2021

Antiviral strategy using synthetic peptoid has promising implications for fighting infection

Scientists have manufactured a synthetic form of peptide to combat viral infections, with tests already conducted on HSV-1 as well as SARS-CoV-2.

24 Aug 2021

Pericentromeric noncoding RNA provokes inflammatory gene expression in senescence and cancer

Research from the Cancer Institute at the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research (JFCR), which was published today (August 23, at 3 pm US ET) in the leading international scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, reveals that noncoding RNA derived from pericentromeric repetitive sequences provokes inflammatory gene expression in senescence and cancer.

24 Aug 2021

Frameshift deletion mutation in ORF7a may provide fitness advantage to Australia's SARS-CoV-2 delta variants

A team of scientists from Australia has recently identified a frameshift deletion mutation in ORF7a of the delta variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The mutation results in the production of a truncated peptide with altered functionality. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server while awaiting peer review.

24 Aug 2021

Synthetic SARS-CoV-2 vs. SARS-CoV-2

Though vaccination efforts are underway in most countries, there are still limited options for treating COVID-19. Now, researchers at Penn State designed a new COVID-19 therapy that uses a defective synthetic version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to interfere with the actual virus's replication.

23 Aug 2021

Study pinpoints an enzyme with a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 replication

By applying a systems biology approach, a recent bioRxiv* preprint research paper by scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York unveils interactions between the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway responsible for regulating the expression of crucial inflammatory mediators in human lung epithelial cells.

23 Aug 2021

Study identifies a novel potential biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma

Aging-US published "Comprehensive analysis of the competing endogenous circRNA-lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network and identification of a novel potential biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma" which reported that there is still a lack of comprehensive analysis of the circular RNA -long non-coding RNA -miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network in hepatocellular carcinoma.

23 Aug 2021

COVID booster shots might be needed in subgroup of HIV-positive individuals

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has evolved into a global pandemic destroying lives and economies. COVID-19 is not curable, so vaccines are the only safeguard during this pandemic.

23 Aug 2021

New mathematical model can predict the optimum exercise regime for building muscle

Researchers have developed a mathematical model that can predict the optimum exercise regime for building muscle.

23 Aug 2021

New study identifies novel compound as promising pan-coronavirus drug candidate

A recent study describes a novel compound with frameshifting capability against MERS-CoV, inhibiting viral propagation within infected cells.

23 Aug 2021

Study uses computational modeling of coronavirus spike proteins to examine dynamics responsible for immunogenicity and immune escape

A new study published on the bioRxiv* preprint server focused on the development of dynamic computational models for a large subset of S proteins of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2.

23 Aug 2021

Nanotechnology provides novel solutions against zoonotic viruses

Therefore, scientists functionalize nanoparticles to act against these pathogenic viruses in a clinical strategy. In a recent review published in the journal Microbial Pathogenesis, researchers look at the novel solutions against zoonotic viruses provided by nanotechnology.

23 Aug 2021

DeepSARS simultaneously detects and conducts genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2

A new study discusses the development of DeepSARS, a high-throughput platform for diagnostic detection and genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2.

23 Aug 2021

Study examines COVID vaccination in California state prisons

In a new retrospective cohort study, researchers determined the efficacy of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 among incarcerated people in California.

22 Aug 2021

A combination of oral bacteria and intranasal vaccine provide protection from influenza A virus and COVID-19

A new study published in the journal mBio focuses on the role of nasal bacteria in eliciting virus-specific adaptive immunity.

20 Aug 2021

Low-cost point of emission air purifiers can reduce airborne transmission of pathogens, says study

In a study conducted at the Monash University, Australia, scientists have examined the efficacy of portable air purifiers combined with a hood in reducing virus aerosol transmission and protecting healthcare workers from workplace contamination. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

20 Aug 2021

Novel CRISPR-based technology for rapidly screening genes to understand human health and disease

Zebrafish- small, fast-growing creatures who share many of the same genes as humans- are instrumental to many biologists, who find them uniquely well suited for studying a wide range of questions, from how organisms develop to how the nervous system drives behavior.

20 Aug 2021

Scientists develop a new way to deliver molecular therapies to cells

Researchers from MIT, the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have developed a new way to deliver molecular therapies to cells.

19 Aug 2021