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Scientists decipher the activation mechanism of a chemokine receptor

Chemokine receptors, located at the surface of many immune cells, play an important role in their function. Chemokines are small proteins that bind to these receptors and control the movement and behavior of white blood cells.

16 Jun 2021

P-glycoprotein shows ability to remove a toxin associated with Alzheimer's from the brain

\A team of SMU biological scientists has confirmed that P-glycoprotein (P-gp) has the ability to remove a toxin from the brain that is associated with Alzheimer's disease.

16 Jun 2021

Scientists capture real-time electrical activity of a beating heart using graphene 'camera'

Bay Area scientists have captured the real-time electrical activity of a beating heart, using a sheet of graphene to record an optical image -- almost like a video camera -- of the faint electric fields generated by the rhythmic firing of the heart's muscle cells.

16 Jun 2021

Study reveals structural details of omega-3 fatty acid transport across the blood–brain barrier

Spectacular images of a molecule that shuttles omega-3 fatty acids into the brain may open a doorway for delivering neurological therapeutics to the brain.

16 Jun 2021

Reducing coronavirus-related mortality through senolytics

A study recently published in the journal Science explores the concept of senescent cells (SnC) having a hyperinflammatory response and the use of a class of small molecules called senolytics to combat this.

16 Jun 2021

Researchers demonstrate a potentially powerful strategy for treating cystic fibrosis

UNC School of Medicine scientists led a collaboration of researchers to demonstrate a potentially powerful new strategy for treating cystic fibrosis (CF) and potentially a wide range of other diseases.

16 Jun 2021

Anti-viral treatment can stop the spread of lab modeled SARS-CoV-2 by 99.5%

A new approach focusing on cellular repair may be an effective strategy to address the pandemic.

16 Jun 2021

Anti-viral treatment can stop the spread of lab modeled SARS-CoV-2 by 99.5%

A new approach focusing on cellular repair may be an effective strategy to address the pandemic.

16 Jun 2021

Increased viral replication and shedding in nonhuman primates carrying SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant

A team of researchers from the US and UK used the AGM intranasal model of SARS-CoV-2 infection to determine differences between a contemporary SARS-CoV-2 D614G variant circulating in summer 2020 and the B.1.1.7 UK variant of concern that emerged in late 2020.

16 Jun 2021

Cissampelos pareira (velvetleaf) exhibits anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential

Cissampelos pareira (Cipa), also known as velvetleaf, is a widely used hormone modulator used to treat reproductive disorders and fever. Research has shown that it can inhibit three serotypes of Dengue virus (DENV) and affect various hormones.

16 Jun 2021

A study on SARS-CoV-2 proteins for the development of COVID-19 drugs

The authors of the review have grouped the virus proteins into three categories, (a) host-entry, (b) self-acting, and (c) host-interacting. Additionally, individual SARS-CoV-2 proteins are evaluated to be either directly targeted by drugs or block virus-host interactions.

16 Jun 2021

Drug rebates were associated with higher out-of-pocket costs for patients

Federal agencies that regulate drug pricing and healthcare insurance are concerned that an industry practice of using rebates to lower drug costs for insurers has led to increases in list prices and out-of-pockets costs for patients.

16 Jun 2021

Chronic inflammation causes aging of the pituitary gland

Stem cell biologist Hugo Vankelecom (KU Leuven) and his colleagues have discovered that the pituitary gland in mice ages as the result of an age-related form of chronic inflammation. It may be possible to slow down this process or even partially repair it. The researchers have published their findings in PNAS.

15 Jun 2021

Repressing a protein that facilitates DNA repair to potentiate chemotherapy

Chemotherapy kills tumor cells by causing damage to them. One of the most effective ways of causing damage is to prevent the two DNA strands from separating so that the cellular machinery cannot read the instructions written in the genes.

15 Jun 2021

UCLA clinical trial shows efficacy of varenicline on heavy-drinking smokers

A recent UCLA clinical trial has shown encouraging results in helping daily smokers who are also heavy drinkers quit smoking and cut down their alcohol intake.

15 Jun 2021

Researchers screen dual main protease-cathepsin L inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2

In a recent study released on the bioRxiv* preprint server, a selective dual inhibitor of MPRO and cathepsin L is described, producing synergistic results that suppress SARS-CoV-2 infection.

15 Jun 2021

The Role of Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

In this interview, Mark Bumiller, Technology Manager at Entegris talks to News Medical Life Sciences about the role nanoparticles can play in drug delivery.

From Entegris, Inc. 15 Jun 2021

Treatment-resistant depression relieved by laughing gas

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Chicago have found that a single, one-hour treatment involving the inhalation of a mixture of oxygen and the anesthetic drug nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, can improve symptoms of depression in people resistant to treatment.

15 Jun 2021

Study uncovers novel drug that effectively thwarts pancreatic tumors

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the pancreas, a long and flat gland located behind the stomach that helps with digestion and blood sugar regulation.

14 Jun 2021

Stents inspired by kirigami could deliver drugs to tubular organs

Inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of folding and cutting paper to create three-dimensional structures, MIT engineers and their collaborators have designed a new type of stent that could be used to deliver drugs to the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, or other tubular organs in the body.

14 Jun 2021