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Study explores the role of gut Piezo1 in sensing of bacterial RNA

In a new study published in Cell, "RNA sensing by gut Piezo1 is essential for systemic serotonin synthesis", a research team led by Kenta Maruyama M.D., Ph.D. from National Institute for Physiological Sciences explored the role of Piezo1, a mechano-sensing receptor, in the sensing of bacterial RNA.

7 Jul 2020

Gene expression networks flag potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2

An international team of researchers from Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States has identified dozens of genes that could contribute to the pathology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and serve as potential therapeutic targets.

7 Jul 2020

Woman's egg quality found to be dependent on important metabolic coenzyme

Increasing the levels of a chemical found in all human cells could boost a woman's fertility and help select the best eggs for IVF, according to University of Queensland research.

7 Jul 2020

Boosting manganese levels during pregnancy could potentially reduce preeclampsia risk

An analysis of data from more than 1,300 women followed prospectively through pregnancy found that women with lower levels of the essential mineral manganese in early pregnancy were more likely to develop the serious high blood pressure syndrome called preeclampsia in late pregnancy, according to a new study led by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

7 Jul 2020

Spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 covered by mobile glycans that shield its surface

A new study of the structural dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein published in the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 reports on the epitopes that could be possible immune targets for the development of vaccines.

7 Jul 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein hidden as pH changes

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 reports the role of pH in helping the virus escape neutralization by antibodies, by inducing a key conformational switch.

7 Jul 2020

Scientists identify compounds that block replication of COVID-19 virus

As the death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic mounts, scientists worldwide continue their push to develop effective treatments and a vaccine for the highly contagious respiratory virus.

7 Jul 2020

DNA resection pathways are highly specific, shows study

Our cells are constantly dividing, and as they do, the DNA molecule - our genetic code - sometimes gets broken. DNA has twin strands, and a break in both is considered especially dangerous.

7 Jul 2020

Study provides insights into molecular factories of bacterial natural products

The active agents of many drugs are natural products, so called because often only microorganisms are able to produce the complex structures.

6 Jul 2020

Study suggests new potential strategy to fight against pancreatic cancer

A University of Michigan-led study is shedding new light on the way pancreatic cancer cells turn nearby connective tissue cells into co-conspirators in their deadly growth.

6 Jul 2020

Study: Hypertension medications can also reduce risk of colorectal cancer

Medications commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure may also reduce patients' colorectal cancer risk, according to new research published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

6 Jul 2020

New strategies can help increase the efficiency of artificial cell reprogramming

Maria-Elena: Can you imagine being able to artificially generate cells that can develop into any cell type? That would be really fantastic! We call this ability 'totipotency' and it is the highest level of cellular plasticity.

6 Jul 2020

Asthma does not appear to increase the risk of COVID-19, shows study

Asthma does not appear to increase the risk for a person contracting COVID-19 or influence its severity, according to a team of Rutgers researchers.

6 Jul 2020

Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trials move to stage 3 human trials

The technical name of the vaccine is ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222), as it is made from a virus called ChAdOx1, which is a weakened and non-replicating version of a common cold virus (adenovirus). The vaccine has been engineered to express the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

5 Jul 2020

Mutated European strain of coronavirus more contagious but less potent

The coronavirus pandemic is far from over as it actively spreads across the globe. The infection toll has reached a staggering 10.84 million people since it emerged in late December 2019 in Wuhan City, China. The virus that has left the city has now spread to 188 countries and territories and has mutated, becoming more infectious.

3 Jul 2020

UCLA scientists identify new function for histones

UCLA scientists have identified a new function for histones, the spool-shaped proteins that regulate gene expression and serve as anchors for strands of DNA to wrap around.

2 Jul 2020

New platform prioritizes synergistic drug combinations against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the U.S. have used a new web-based platform to help identify synergistic and antagonistic drug combinations and their underlying mechanisms of action in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

2 Jul 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infection modeling in iPSC-derived type 2 cells

The most fatal form of COVID-19 disease is acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), caused by direct viral injury as well as indirect noxious effects caused by cytotoxic chemicals and inflammatory processes. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 shows that this is partly due to the rapid onset of inflammation caused by the infection of type 2 alveolar cells with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

2 Jul 2020

Repurposed drug for acute lung injury in COVID-19

Now, a new study addresses the possible use of an FDA-approved monoclonal antibody, called fostamatinib, a spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor (SYK), to reduce the levels of mucin-1, a molecule associated with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). People who have severe COVID-19 disease may develop ARDS.

2 Jul 2020

Scientists find coronavirus' Achilles' heel

A team of scientists at the University of California San Francisco has found out how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) invades proteins in the cells that serve as master regulators of key cellular processes.

1 Jul 2020