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Using a new public antibody to understand SARS-CoV-2 neutralization

SARS-CoV-2 infects host cells by binding to the angiotensin convertase 2 receptor (ACE2) on the cell surface through its trimeric spike (S) protein. SARS-CoV enters host human cells through endosomes, while SARS-CoV-2 enters through the cell surface and endosomes. The present study published in the journal “Cell Reports” aimed to understand the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 antibody neutralization to facilitate the development of therapeutic interventions for COVID-19.

4 Oct 2021

Scientists use new technique to study the effects of reactive electrophilic drugs

In 2014, the European Medicines Agency approved the drug Tecfidera for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of people worldwide. In multiple sclerosis, inflammation damages the protective myelin insulation around nerves, and the nerves themselves.

30 Sep 2021

Two proteins joined together using a free-standing, rigid link

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI are the first to have joined two proteins together by means of a free-standing, rigid link. The structural element holds the two protein molecules together at a defined distance and angle, much the way a barbell handle connects two weights.

29 Sep 2021

Supercoiling and looping can transmit mechanical stress along the DNA backbone, research shows

When people think of DNA, they visualize a string-like double helix structure. In reality, the DNA double helix in cells is supercoiled and constrained into loops. This supercoiling and looping are known to influence every aspect of DNA activity, but how this happens has not been clear.

28 Sep 2021

Super-resolution imaging and size analysis of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles

Researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Warwick have collaborated to develop a method to better understand and evaluate these pleiomorphisms.

28 Sep 2021

Researchers discover working mechanism of potential drug targets for COVID-19

A team of international researchers, including McGill Professor Stéphane Laporte, have discovered the working mechanism of potential drug targets for various diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and even COVID-19.

28 Sep 2021

Scientists identify potential antibody candidate with broad-spectrum neutralizing efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants

A team of scientists from China and the USA has recently described the antiviral efficacy of a monoclonal antibody candidate targeting the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Importantly, they have observed that emerging spike mutations could not affect the potency of this antibody. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

27 Sep 2021

Scientists publish a detailed map of where human antibodies bind to SARS-CoV-2

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have published a detailed map of where human antibodies bind to SARS-CoV-2, a map that was generated by a global collaboration comparing nearly all leading clinical candidates.

24 Sep 2021

Exploring the polymerase of poxviruses at an atomic level

Poxviruses have found a unique way of translating their genes into proteins in the infected organism. A team of researchers from Würzburg shows for the first time how the molecular machinery involved works at an atomic level.

24 Sep 2021

Scientists discover how mucus protein emerges to disrupt airways of individuals with lung conditions

Mucus is an essential protective layer of gel-like liquid composed largely of proteins called mucins throughout our airways. One of them, called MUC5B, is crucial for the innate defense against the various things we inhale.

23 Sep 2021

Study reveals why SARS-CoV-2 is more infectious than SARS-CoV-1

Researchers from China and Canada recently combined structural data obtained from cryo-EM and structure prediction and constructed bottom-up Martini coarse-grained models of intact envelopes of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.

22 Sep 2021

COVID-19 deaths in U.S. surpass 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is most likely the deadliest outbreak in recent American history, exceeding the estimated deaths from the 1918 influenza pandemic.

21 Sep 2021

Study paves the way for development of novel delivery systems to suppress HIV

In a new study supported by the National Institutes of Health, researchers used exosomes, tiny nanoparticles capable of being taken up by cells, to deliver novel protein into the cells of mice infected with HIV. The protein attached to HIVs' genetic material and prevented it from replicating, resulting in reduced levels of HIV in the bone marrow, spleen, and brain.

21 Sep 2021

Researchers provide structural insights into HCV receptor binding and entry

In a new paper published in Nature, scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, describe the structure of a key protein on the surface of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and how it interacts with its receptor found on some human cells.

21 Sep 2021

Changes in fibrin clot structure contributes to thrombosis risk in severe COVID-19

Researchers from Europe recently demonstrated altered levels of factor XII (FXII) and its activation products in 2 independent cohorts of critically ill patients with COVID-19 compared to patients suffering from severe acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by the influenza virus (acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-influenza).

21 Sep 2021