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SARS-CoV-2 UK variant may induce more inflammation, study suggests

Since COVID-19 was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, many different variants of its causative virus – SARS-CoV-2 – have emerged. Through increased viral fitness, some of these have risen to predominance over earlier variants in a remarkably short period of time. New research, by a team of scientists at major institutions in France, examines the reasons behind this phenomenon in one such variant of concern (VOC), the so-called UK variant.

25 May 2021

Superoxide produced in the inner ear cochlea causes major types of acquired hearing loss

Professor UEYAMA Takehiko (Biosignal Research Center, Kobe University) and the inner ear research group (Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine) have identified the cell types in the inner ear cochlea responsible for the production of superoxide (Nox3-expressing cells).

25 May 2021

Shared genetic architecture between COVID-19 severity and other health conditions

Researchers in the United States have identified a shared genetic architecture between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and other health conditions.

24 May 2021

The potential therapeutic value of CDK6 inhibitors in critical COVID-19

While drug repurposing has been explored in the context of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the success of this strategy has been limited so far. A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, describes a new method of identifying a promising hit among drugs already in use.

24 May 2021

Novel natural compounds may help treat COVID-19, study suggests

A new study in the journal Chemistry Europe reports two natural compounds identified by virtual screening and computational modeling as having great promise for the development of drugs against SARS-CoV-2.

24 May 2021

New immunotherapy shows promising results in subgroup of people with type 1 diabetes

A clinical study led by Linköping University and financed by pharmaceuticals company Diamyd Medical has investigated whether immunotherapy against type 1 diabetes can preserve the body's own production of insulin.

24 May 2021

Genetically engineered intestinal organoids reveal potential treatment targets against SARS-CoV-2

Using CRISPR/Cas9 and human intestinal organoids to study genes implicated in the biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), researchers from the Netherlands identified a specific serine protease (TMPRSS2) as an attractive pan-coronavirus therapeutic target. Their exciting findings are available in a study currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

24 May 2021

Regular consumption of milk is not linked to increased cholesterol, shows study

Regular consumption of milk is not associated with increased levels of cholesterol, according to new research.

23 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mutations strengthen RBD-ACE2 binding, making the virus more infectious

In January 2020, the first complete severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome sequence was deposited to GenBank. Since then, the amount of new genome sequences has increased rapidly at GenBank and GISAID. This has laid the foundations for analyzing the virulence, antigenicity, pathogenicity, and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 mutations.

22 May 2021

Study on canine hereditary deafness may also shed light on human hereditary hearing defects

Finnish researchers have been the first to determine the cause for the nonsyndromic early-onset hereditary canine hearing loss in Rottweilers.

22 May 2021

Modeling SARS-CoV-2 spike/human ACE2 complex identifies high-affinity variants that cause greater transmissibility

The study, published in the Journal of Molecular Biology, shows promise in detecting potential new variants that can cause the faster spread of COVID-19. The recent mutations and variants detected have caused the rapid spread of the infection in many countries.

21 May 2021

FDA approves Rybrevant for treating subset of non-small cell lung cancer

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw) as the first treatment for adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have specific types of genetic mutations: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations.

21 May 2021

Study could lead to new antibiotics to fight bacterial infections

One member of a large protein family that is known to stop the spread of bacterial infections by prompting infected human cells to self-destruct appears to kill the infectious bacteria instead, a new study led by UT Southwestern scientists shows.

21 May 2021

Can SARS-CoV-2 trigger amyloidosis?

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, describes the results of an analysis of the role played by the virus in amyloid formation, with its subsequent effects on the health of various organs and of the whole organism.

21 May 2021

Scientists discover novel defensive response to SARS-CoV-2

Scientists from Hokkaido University have discovered a novel defensive response to SARS-CoV-2 that involves the viral pattern recognition receptor RIG-I. Upregulating expression of this protein could strengthen the immune response in COPD patients.

21 May 2021

Should colorectal cancer screening start at age 45?

Colorectal cancer rates among young adults are steadily increasing over the years. The United States Task Force has long recommended that people aged 50 to 75 get screened. Now, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its 2016 recommendation of colorectal screening for people aged 50, down to 45 years old. The five-year earlier screening can save many lives by allowing earlier diagnosis and treatment of the condition.

21 May 2021

Facets of SARS-CoV-2 infection and animal models

A new study in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology discusses the ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome of the virus, and the mechanisms by which it establishes infection within the host cell. The researchers also summarize the development of animal models of COVID-19, which will both help understand the clinical features of the illness, and indicate new approaches for the treatment of the infection.

21 May 2021

Study demonstrates the negative effects of HERV activation on human brain development

Since our ancestors infected themselves with retroviruses millions of years ago, we have carried elements of these viruses in our genes - known as human endogenous retroviruses, or HERVs for short.

21 May 2021

Researchers define immune determinants of protection against SARS-CoV-2 in mice

Researchers in the United States have conducted a preclinical study defining the roles that different arms of the immune system play in fighting primary infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as well as reinfection and infection following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

21 May 2021

Researchers speculate the low prevalence of COVID-19 in Japan

Protective immune memory--through B cells, which make antibodies, and/or T cells, which in the case of CD8+ T cells can kill virus-infected cells--can be induced by identical but also by related viruses.

20 May 2021

Genetic News and Research

SARS-CoV-2 UK variant may induce more inflammation, study suggests

Superoxide produced in the inner ear cochlea causes major types of acquired hearing loss

Shared genetic architecture between COVID-19 severity and other health conditions

The potential therapeutic value of CDK6 inhibitors in critical COVID-19

Novel natural compounds may help treat COVID-19, study suggests

New immunotherapy shows promising results in subgroup of people with type 1 diabetes

Genetically engineered intestinal organoids reveal potential treatment targets against SARS-CoV-2

Regular consumption of milk is not linked to increased cholesterol, shows study

SARS-CoV-2 mutations strengthen RBD-ACE2 binding, making the virus more infectious

Study on canine hereditary deafness may also shed light on human hereditary hearing defects

Modeling SARS-CoV-2 spike/human ACE2 complex identifies high-affinity variants that cause greater transmissibility

FDA approves Rybrevant for treating subset of non-small cell lung cancer

Study could lead to new antibiotics to fight bacterial infections

Can SARS-CoV-2 trigger amyloidosis?

Scientists discover novel defensive response to SARS-CoV-2

Should colorectal cancer screening start at age 45?

Facets of SARS-CoV-2 infection and animal models

Study demonstrates the negative effects of HERV activation on human brain development

Researchers define immune determinants of protection against SARS-CoV-2 in mice

Researchers speculate the low prevalence of COVID-19 in Japan

Sequencing & Genomics: Elevating Science and Healthcare eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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