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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.

A promising drug delivery system for therapeutics that shut down harmful genes

Viruses attack the body by sending their genetic code -- DNA and RNA -- into cells and multiplying. A promising class of therapeutics that uses synthetic nucleic acids to target and shut down specific, harmful genes and prevent viruses from spreading is gaining steam.

18 May 2021

Breastfeeding safe and beneficial in SARS-CoV-2 infection

\With the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hundreds of millions of people became infected worldwide, including thousands of pregnant women near term. The question of vertical transmission to the infant via the placenta or breast milk was very real, leading to a near-total ban on breastfeeding in this group.

17 May 2021

Nanotechnology and COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment

The development of nano-biosensors and nanoparticle-based vaccines and medicines has opened a new path toward better management of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In a recently published article in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, scientists have reviewed recent advancements in nanotechnology-based diagnostic and therapeutic interventions against human coronaviruses.

17 May 2021

New atlas can help understand the relationship between healthy and breast cancer cells

Australian researchers have documented the diversity of cells in the human breast, explaining the relationship between healthy breast cells and breast cancer cells.

17 May 2021

A SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody with extensive spike binding coverage

In a recently published research paper in the journal Nature Communications, a team of scientists from China has described the antiviral efficacy of a novel anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody isolated from recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

17 May 2021

Nanopore analysis identifies pseudouridine modifications in SARS-CoV-2

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by Fleming, Mathewson & Burrows (May 10th, 2021), nanopore devices are developed that allow identification of the passage of pseudouridine through a protein sensor. This further allowed the group to identify five conserved pseudouridine sites on the 3’ end of SARS-CoV-2 sub-genomic RNAs, which could potentially be beneficial to the virus in immune evasion.

17 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2 structure revealed by cryo-EM and AI

Researchers in the United States analyzed the non-structural protein 2 (Nsp2) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in order to better understand its function and to guide future drug discovery. The research paper is currently available on bioRxiv* preprint server.

16 May 2021

A magnetofluidic platform for SARS-CoV-2 variant and respiratory pathogen detection

Recent research published on the medRxiv* server has developed a portable, magnetofluidic cartridge platform, for automated PCR testing in <30 min, for rapid multiplexed screening of pathogens. A multidisciplinary team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine developed these cartridges for multiplexed detection of SARS-CoV-2 with distinctive variant mutations or with Influenza A and B.

13 May 2021

Three-way strategy employed by SARS-CoV-2 during infection

The study, published in the journal Nature, reveals a multi-pronged strategy that the virus employs to ensure its quick and efficient replication while evading the immune system. The study elucidated how the virus can quickly, in a matter of hours, take over the cell's protein-making machinery and parallelly neutralize the cell's antiviral signaling, thus delaying and muddling the immune response.

13 May 2021

Certain immune cells unexpectedly change their behavior to cause psoriasis lesions

Millions of people suffer from psoriasis, a chronic, autoimmune disorder that causes scaly patches on the skin and often precedes psoriatic arthritis. While no cure exists, treatments range from topical creams to injected medications that block inflammation.

13 May 2021

Phosphatidic acid is a key common substrate for hepatitis C and SARS-CoV-2 replication

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, focuses on the lipid molecule called phosphatidic acid (PA), showing its crucial role in the replication of this virus, and thus its potential as a target for therapeutic intervention.

13 May 2021

No placental damage observed in case study of pregnant women with mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations

New research by a team at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA, suggests that the COVID-19 vaccine does not damage the placenta and may be safe to use during pregnancy.

13 May 2021

Scientists unveil new Ebola virus vaccine design

Scientists at Scripps Research have unveiled a new Ebola virus vaccine design, which they say has several advantages over standard vaccine approaches for Ebola and related viruses that continue to threaten global health.

13 May 2021

CNIO researchers unravel why motor neurons die in ALS patients

In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the progressive death of neurons that control body movement leads to paralysis of muscles in the limbs and gradually of the whole body, which ultimately makes it impossible to breathe. ALS is currently untreatable, and its cause is unknown.

12 May 2021

Wastewater testing is an effective way to identify new cases of COVID-19, finds study

Wastewater testing is an effective way to identify new cases of COVID-19 in nursing homes and other congregate living settings, and it may be particularly useful for preventing outbreaks in college dormitories, a new University of Virginia study finds.

12 May 2021

Study reveals how oral antiviral drug works to attack SARS-CoV-2 virus

A University of Alberta virology lab has uncovered how an oral antiviral drug works to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in findings published May 10 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

12 May 2021

An intranasal COVID-19 vaccine elicits long-lasting immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants in vivo

A team of scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical Branch, USA, has recently evaluated the durability and robustness of an adenovirus-vectored, spike-based intranasal COVID-19 vaccine in mice.

11 May 2021

MIT researchers generate the complete gene annotation of SARS-CoV-2 genome

In early 2020, a few months after the Covid-19 pandemic began, scientists were able to sequence the full genome of the virus that causes the infection, SARS-CoV-2. While many of its genes were already known at that point, the full complement of protein-coding genes was unresolved.

11 May 2021

Case study describes consequences of undetected SARS-CoV-2 infection during mRNA vaccination

Now, a new report describes a case of a coincidental mRNA vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection in a 31-year-old doctor, addressing the theoretical considerations for potential risks and further required actions in case more cases appear in the future.

11 May 2021

BioEcho receives CE-IVD mark approval for SARS-CoV-2 RNA extraction kit

BioEcho Life Sciences announces that the company has recently received CE-mark approval for their EchoLUTION Viral RNA/DNA Swab Kit product line.

11 May 2021

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

A promising drug delivery system for therapeutics that shut down harmful genes

Breastfeeding safe and beneficial in SARS-CoV-2 infection

Nanotechnology and COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment

New atlas can help understand the relationship between healthy and breast cancer cells

A SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody with extensive spike binding coverage

Nanopore analysis identifies pseudouridine modifications in SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2 structure revealed by cryo-EM and AI

A magnetofluidic platform for SARS-CoV-2 variant and respiratory pathogen detection

Three-way strategy employed by SARS-CoV-2 during infection

Certain immune cells unexpectedly change their behavior to cause psoriasis lesions

Phosphatidic acid is a key common substrate for hepatitis C and SARS-CoV-2 replication

No placental damage observed in case study of pregnant women with mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations

Scientists unveil new Ebola virus vaccine design

CNIO researchers unravel why motor neurons die in ALS patients

Wastewater testing is an effective way to identify new cases of COVID-19, finds study

Study reveals how oral antiviral drug works to attack SARS-CoV-2 virus

An intranasal COVID-19 vaccine elicits long-lasting immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants in vivo

MIT researchers generate the complete gene annotation of SARS-CoV-2 genome

Case study describes consequences of undetected SARS-CoV-2 infection during mRNA vaccination

BioEcho receives CE-IVD mark approval for SARS-CoV-2 RNA extraction kit

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