Protein News and Research

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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

Researchers investigate the role of a key component of the circadian clock in heart disease

Disrupting circadian rhythms, which change naturally on a 24-hour cycle, has been implicated in heart disease, but it is unclear how it leads to the condition.

17 Jan 2022

Researchers construct models to predict SARS-CoV-2 mutable and constrained positions

In a study published in PNAS, researchers have attempted to create a model that can successfully predict which positions are likely to mutate in the future.

17 Jan 2022

Better global health equality could prevent emergence of future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

In a new study, researchers used a simple phenomenological model to investigate the role of immunocompromised hosts in SARS-CoV-2 antigenic development.

17 Jan 2022

Study suggests vaccinated Omicron cases are unlikely to shed infectious virus 10 days after diagnosis or symptom onset

Researchers have been investigating the Omicron epidemic in Japan and have recently released an early report on the infectious period of the disease.

17 Jan 2022

Study demonstrates that intra-host SARS-CoV-2 variants with reduced infectivity are developed during infection

A new paper discusses the appearance of quasi-species in a single host with prolonged infection, with different rates of infectivity and sensitivity to neutralization by antibodies elicited by the Pfizer vaccine or those present in convalescent plasma.

17 Jan 2022

Study investigates whether immune responses to BNT162b2 vaccine differ in subjects with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new paper published in the journal JCI Insight reports on the differential levels of immunity achieved in those with and without a history of prior infection with the virus following one and two doses of the earliest vaccines to be approved for emergency use.

17 Jan 2022

Study identifies cellular receptors for alphaviruses shared across mosquitoes, humans, and animals

A new study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School has identified a set of cellular receptors for at least three related alphaviruses shared across mosquitoes, humans, and animals that host the virus.

17 Jan 2022

Researchers engineer enucleated cells to deliver therapeutics precisely to diseased tissues

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health report successfully removing the nucleus out of a type of ubiquitous cell, known as enucleation, then using the genetically engineered cell as a unique cargo-carrier to deliver therapeutics precisely to diseased tissues.

17 Jan 2022

Pathogens turn off mitochondrial defense by hijacking a normal cellular response to stress

Mitochondria are known as energy suppliers for our cells, but they also play an important role in the defense against pathogens. They can initiate immune responses, and deprive pathogens of the nutrients they need to grow.

17 Jan 2022

Protein biomarkers in urine could be used to diagnose concussion and monitor recovery

Concussion can be frustratingly hard to diagnose and track. The injury doesn't show up on routine brain scans, and there is no definitive diagnostic test. It's usually diagnosed based on symptoms, and, in athletes, comparison with baseline testing if it was done. But concussion symptoms are non-specific, unreliable, and easily influenced by emotions.

17 Jan 2022

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant promote cell binding

Researchers in Germany, based on their recent study published in the journal ChemBioChem, have proposed that the elevated occurrence of positively charged amino acids in specific domains of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) Omicron variant spike protein improves viral binding to cellular negatively charged receptors aiding in enhanced infectiousness.

16 Jan 2022

Monitoring rodents for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, Hong Kong

A new study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal has hypothesized that locations with positive SARS-CoV-2 in sewage could be used as potential surveillance targets to analyze if pestiferous urban rodents shed SARS-CoV-2 into the environment.

16 Jan 2022

Topical antiseptic Acriflavine inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and other betacoronaviruses

A new study, published in the journal Cell Chemical Biology, has reported the discovery of acriflavine (ACF), an effective inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2. This drug is a mixture of trypaflavines (3,6-diamino-10-methylacridinium chloride and 3,6-diamino-3-methylacridinium chloride) and proflavine (3,6-diaminoacridine).

16 Jan 2022

Cannabidiol may improve innate immune response against SARS-CoV-2

A recent study shows evidence that cannabidiol, an important active ingredient in the Cannabis sativa plant, can augment the antiviral innate immune response and prophylactically prime the innate antiviral response of cells – enabling in turn improved response against viruses such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

16 Jan 2022

UMass Amherst professor receives $2 million NIH MIRA grant for trailblazing research

Jianhan Chen, a University of Massachusetts Amherst chemistry and biochemistry and molecular biology professor, has received a five-year, $2 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to support research in his computational biophysics lab aimed at better understanding the role of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) in biology and human disease.

16 Jan 2022

Even mild SARS-CoV-2 respiratory-only infection can cause long-term neurologic damage

A new bioRxiv* preprint study led by Michelle Monje of Stanford University in California finds that a mild COVID-19 infection can produce long-term neurological damage. Persistent cognitive complications are one of many symptoms of long COVID, and the latest results suggest the severity of COVID-19 induced brain fog is similar to cancer’s “chemobrain.”

16 Jan 2022

Protein News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers investigate the role of a key component of the circadian clock in heart disease

Researchers construct models to predict SARS-CoV-2 mutable and constrained positions

Better global health equality could prevent emergence of future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Study suggests vaccinated Omicron cases are unlikely to shed infectious virus 10 days after diagnosis or symptom onset

Study demonstrates that intra-host SARS-CoV-2 variants with reduced infectivity are developed during infection

Study investigates whether immune responses to BNT162b2 vaccine differ in subjects with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection

Study identifies cellular receptors for alphaviruses shared across mosquitoes, humans, and animals

Researchers engineer enucleated cells to deliver therapeutics precisely to diseased tissues

Pathogens turn off mitochondrial defense by hijacking a normal cellular response to stress

Protein biomarkers in urine could be used to diagnose concussion and monitor recovery

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant promote cell binding

Monitoring rodents for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, Hong Kong

Topical antiseptic Acriflavine inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and other betacoronaviruses

Cannabidiol may improve innate immune response against SARS-CoV-2

UMass Amherst professor receives $2 million NIH MIRA grant for trailblazing research

Even mild SARS-CoV-2 respiratory-only infection can cause long-term neurologic damage

UV-C light prevents airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Research shows fewer deaths related to COVID-19 in Cape Town during fourth wave

Omicron variant spike protein shows significantly weaker membrane fusion activity than other variants

Synthetic antibody demonstrates Omicron detection along with all other variants of concern

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