Small Molecules News and Research

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New method could be used to develop more effective treatments for cancer, metabolic disorders

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have developed a new method that makes it possible to control human hormones and metabolism.

28 Apr 2021

Researchers examine potential SARS-CoV-2 antivirals using a drug repurposing library

A new study deals with the screening of the Drug Repurposing Hub (DRH) library for identifying small compounds which are capable of inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 using both in vitro and in vivo experimental studies. These molecules could be used for designing a novel therapeutic system against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

26 Apr 2021

Can an immunosuppressive cancer drug promote SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells?

A new study shows that rapamycin, an immunosuppressive drug used in some cancers, and its analogs, may have an undesirable effect on viral entry into the host cells. This finding could inform their use to treat symptomatic COVID-19.

20 Apr 2021

Novel CRISPR-based technology may lead to powerful epigenetic therapies

Scientists have figured out how to modify CRISPR's basic architecture to extend its reach beyond the genome and into what's known as the epigenome -- proteins and small molecules that latch onto DNA and control when and where genes are switched on or off.

17 Apr 2021

Researchers probe intriguing interaction between sugars and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

A new study posted to the bioRxiv preprint server focuses on a novel formulation of magnetization or saturation transfer. This method is developed by amalgamating theoretical and computational approaches based on a Bayesian deconvolution algorithm, which helps obtain data more accurately and determine the ligand-protein interaction.

16 Apr 2021

New research could help solve major challenge in the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines

New research by University of Texas at Dallas scientists could help solve a major challenge in the deployment of certain COVID-19 vaccines worldwide -- the need for the vaccines to be kept at below-freezing temperatures during transport and storage.

15 Apr 2021

Novel PF74 molecule effectively targets HIV capsid protein

Of all known small molecules targeting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) capsid protein (CA), PF74 represents by far the best characterized chemotype, due to its ability to confer antiviral phenotypes in both early and late phases of viral replication.

9 Apr 2021

Research offers an efficient approach to mine the chemical diversity of endophytic fungi

Endophytic fungi are promising producers of bioactive small molecules. Bioinformatic analysis of the genome of an endophytic fungus Penicillium dangeardii revealed 43 biosynthetic gene clusters, exhibited its strong ability to produce numbers of secondary metabolites.

8 Apr 2021

Solvation cages may lead to more efficient operation of high-voltage battery cells

Membranes that allow certain molecules to quickly pass through while blocking others are key enablers for energy technologies from batteries and fuel cells to resource refinement and water purification.

8 Apr 2021

Study offers localized treatment direction for a cause of Crohn's disease

People with Crohn's disease are typically treated with powerful anti-inflammatory medications that act throughout their body, not just in their digestive tract, creating the potential for unintended, and often serious, side effects.

7 Apr 2021

Gut microbiome communicates with horse’s cells to enhance their athletic performance

A horse’s gut microbiome communicates with its host by sending chemical signals to its cells, which has the effect of helping the horse to extend its energy output, finds a new study published in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences.

7 Apr 2021

Chemical inhibitor can reduce SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect host cell lines

James McKerrow, MD, PhD, dean of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego, has long studied neglected tropical diseases -- chronic and disabling parasitic infections that primarily affect poor and underserved communities in developing nations.

3 Apr 2021

New solar-powered water filter could solve the problem of providing off-grid clean water

A new invention that uses sunlight to drive water purification could help solve the problem of providing clean water off the grid.

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

UArizona researcher finds a unique approach to tackle both Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes

A University of Arizona Health Sciences researcher examined the role of cholesterol in both Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 diabetes to identify a small molecule that may help regulate cholesterol levels in the brain, making it a potential new therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.

25 Mar 2021

Study shows substantial benefit of combination therapy for advanced Marburg infections

A new study conducted at the Galveston National Laboratory at the The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has shown substantial benefit to combining monoclonal antibodies and the antiviral remdesivir against advanced Marburg virus.

25 Mar 2021

New covalent and non-covalent SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors discovered in silico

A new study describes the use of a combination of virtual and experimental screening protocols to identify potential inhibitors of the virus, which could lead to rapid drug development.

24 Mar 2021

Stem cell therapy could help restore debilitating age-related muscle loss

As the name implies, induced pluripotent stem cells can become any type of cell in our body, and scientists have evidence that when they prompt them to become muscle progenitor cells they can help restore the sometimes debilitating muscle loss that happens with age.

23 Mar 2021

Quantum dot-based affinity biosensors in microfluidic systems offer an alternative SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics platform

In a new study published in Emergent Materials, researchers show how microfluidic systems integrated with quantum dot-based affinity biosensors can serve as a valuable platform to rapidly and accurately diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection.

17 Mar 2021

Genome-wide CRISPR screening used to identify factors essential for SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans

In a methodologically trailblazing paper published in the journal Nature Genetics, a team of Belgian scientists uncovered an assembly of coronavirus host factors that may be exploited to develop drugs against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but also potentially forthcoming zoonotic coronaviruses.

14 Mar 2021