Ligand News and Research

RSS

Novel PET tracer is safe and can clearly identify early stages of rheumatoid arthritis

New research shows that a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer that targets inflammation is safe and can clearly identify early stages of rheumatoid arthritis.

17 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-2 can alter bone marrow macrophage (BMM)-to-osteoclast differentiation, study finds

Now, a team of researchers in China and Australia has shown that SARS-CoV-2 infection can affect bone marrow macrophage (BMM)-to-osteoclast differentiation, which may impact the skeletal system.

16 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

Study reveals new genes that program stem cells to make dendritic cells

Using a new single-cell technique, WEHI researchers have uncovered a way to understand the programming behind how stem cells make particular cell types.

16 Apr 2021

Ponatinib identified as a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV2-induced cytokine storm

Researchers at the Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Washington, United States, found that the FDA-approved, multi-kinase inhibitor Ponatinib is a potent inhibitor of the N-terminal domain (NTD) -mediated cytokine storm. Ponatinib is an oral drug used for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

14 Apr 2021

Experimental evidence that ADAM17 inhibition prevents severe COVID-19

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that is contagious in humans. It is the causal agent of the ongoing coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This virus causes a mild to severe infection and has claimed over 2.95 million lives worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 is the successor to SARS-CoV-1, the virus that caused the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak.

13 Apr 2021

Toward a transformative therapy for sickle cell patients

For the millions of people worldwide who have sickle cell disease, there are only a few treatment options, which include risky bone marrow transplants, gene therapy or other treatments that address a subset of symptoms.

9 Apr 2021

Scientists use a novel two-step method to track receptor proteins

The neurons in our nervous system "talk" to each other by sending and receiving chemical messages called neurotransmitters.

3 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

Scientists review current knowledge of the role of calcium-sensing receptor in immune cells

In a new publication from Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications, Wenxiu Liu, Yutong Guo, Yue Liu, Jiaxing Sun and Xinhua Yin from The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang, China consider calcium-sensing receptors of immune cells and diseases.

29 Mar 2021

Researchers explore a case of diabetic ketoacidosis in patient with atezolizumab-induced autoimmune diabetes

In a new publication from Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications, Sharen Lee and Gary Tse from Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiology, Hong Kong, HKG, China, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China and Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen, China consider a case of atezolizumab-induced autoimmune diabetes mellitus presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis.

29 Mar 2021

New study may shed light on inflammatory bowel disease

Researchers have found an unexpected synergy between a T-cell stimulatory protein -- the ICOS ligand -- and interleukin-10, an immunoregulatory cytokine, to prevent inflammatory bowel disease in mice.

26 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

VHIO-born spin-off receives approval to initiate Phase I/II clinical trial of novel Myc inhibitor

Co-founded back in 2014 by VHIO's Laura Soucek, CEO of the enterprise, and Marie-Eve Beaulieu, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of the company, VHIO-born spin-off Peptomyc S.L. has just announced that it has received approval from the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices for conducting clinical trials in Spain (AEMPS), to initiate the first-in-human Phase I/II clinical trial with its first compound - a disruptive Myc inhibitor, Omomyc (OMO-103).

19 Mar 2021

UTSW researchers identify the structure of a key cell-surface protein

UT Southwestern researchers have identified the structure of a key member of a family of proteins called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in three different shapes.

17 Mar 2021

Phase 3 DREAM3R trial opens for malignant pleural mesothelioma

The DREAM3R phase three clinical trial is now enrolling patients with newly diagnosed unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) throughout the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

17 Mar 2021

Study targets main protease of SARS-CoV-2 involved in viral replication

The main protease of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enzyme implicated in the transcription and replication of the coronavirus. New research led by S. Samar Hasnain from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom used the selenium-containing drug Ebselen to analyze the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro).

14 Mar 2021

Scientists target critical interface that is key for cancer cell survival

Proteins control almost all vital processes in our cells. If they do not function correctly, if there is too much or too little of them, this can lead to the development of a variety of diseases including cancer.

9 Mar 2021

Narrowing down on small molecular inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 key protease

A recent methodological study by researchers from the University of Luxembourg shows that the combination of virtual screening approaches, molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning can substantially facilitate small molecule screening investigations targeted at key SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins.

8 Mar 2021

Impairments in immune response contribute to severe COVID-19

New research by a team of scientists at University Hospital RWTH Aachen in Germany and Erasmus Medical Centre in The Netherlands characterized changes in CD8+ T cells in response to SARS-CoV-2.

8 Mar 2021