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Toxic cell atlas can guide discovery of new drugs for neurodegeneration

A common thread in many inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), is damage caused by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when cells produce toxic substances known as reactive oxygen species, which are damaging nerve cells and other cells in the body.

13 Apr 2020

Could DPP4 inhibitors help treat COVID-19?

Researchers and clinicians are scrambling to find ways to combat COVID-19, including new therapeutics and eventually a vaccine.

13 Apr 2020

CRISPR may help in kidney-transplants by detecting viruses

An exciting new study published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering in April 2020 reports excellent results with a new test for two common viruses that infect kidney transplant patients. The levels of these viruses shoot up during the acute phase of rejection.

13 Apr 2020

Chinese scientists report high-resolution crystal structure of COVID-19 main protease

A team of Chinese scientists has reported the high-resolution crystal structure of the main protease (Mpro) of the COVID-19 virus and has identified drugs that may hold promise in combating the virus.

13 Apr 2020

Novel coronavirus attacks and destroys T cells, just like HIV

The immune system has many components that work together in protecting the body from foreign invaders. One of the most important types of immune cells is T lymphocytes or T cells, a type of white blood cell that acts as the core of adaptive immunity, the system that modifies the immune response to specific pathogens.

13 Apr 2020

Promising COVID-19 drug treatments identified with new screening strategies

As scientists across the world race to find a pharmacological cure for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an international research group has analyzed more than 10 thousand different compounds and identified six potential candidates, publishing their results in the leading scientific journal Nature.

12 Apr 2020

PARP inhibitor drugs can be structurally modified to better kill tumor cells

A prospective "PARP inhibitor" drug that has struggled to show effectiveness in clinical trials against cancers can be structurally modified to greatly increase its power to kill tumor cells, researchers from Penn Medicine report this week in Science.

12 Apr 2020

UofL researchers use computers in schools across Kentucky to identify drugs for COVID-19

The novel coronavirus may have K-12 students in Kentucky's school districts learning at home, but researchers at the University of Louisville are using the computing power of thousands of computers in classrooms across the state to identify drugs to treat COVID-19.

10 Apr 2020

Study sheds light on how a group of novel organelle-based disorders affects cells

A pioneering study has shed new light on how a group of novel organelle-based disorders affect cells.

10 Apr 2020

Researchers identify COVID-19 drug lead treatments

An international team of researchers has tested more than 10,000 compounds to identify six drug candidates that may help treat COVID-19.

9 Apr 2020

Hypertensive patients on ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers may have improved COVID-19 prognosis

Emerging concerns that common antihypertensive treatment approaches with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) – jointly known as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors – may exert a negative effect in COVID-19 patients are not grounded in scientific evidence, as reported by researchers in a recent review article published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal.

9 Apr 2020

‘Entry Point’ enzyme for COVID-19 higher in COPD patients and smokers

News-Medical speaks to Professor Don Sin on his research into COVID-19 and its effect on smokers and people suffering from COPD.

9 Apr 2020

Novel coronavirus targets specific secretory cells in the lungs

Viruses attack specific host cells, which can cause chaos in the body. The novel coronavirus, now called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2 for short, infects respiratory epithelial cells in the lining of the lung, causing difficulty of breathing. The usual cause of death of those who contract the virus is pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Now, a new study has found that SARS-CoV-2 specifically attack certain progenitor cells called bronchial transient secretory cells in the lungs.

9 Apr 2020

PCR Biosystems continues to scale up production to ensure uninterrupted supply of COVID-19 test reagents

PCR Biosystems, the UK-based PCR experts, are continuing to scale up operations to ensure the critical enzyme mix for COVID-19 tests remain available to the UK and global healthcare systems as demand for testing rises.

9 Apr 2020

Smokers have more ACE2 receptors making it easier for SARS-CoV-2 to infect

A new study published in the European Respiratory Journal in April 2020 reveals that people with smoking-damaged lungs and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are likely to have a higher level of the angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2).

9 Apr 2020