Protein C News and Research

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Study solves mystery of how cells measure their size

Scientists have searched for years to understand how cells measure their size. Cell size is critical. It's what regulates cell division in a growing organism.

15 Apr 2021

Mediterranean diet combined with lean beef can lower risk factors for heart disease

Eating red meat may have a bad reputation for being bad for the heart, but new research found that lean beef may have a place in healthy diets, after all.

15 Apr 2021

Ebola virus's key protein uses molecular triggers in the human cell to change shape

The human genome contains the instructions to make tens of thousands of proteins. Each protein folds into a precise shape - and biologists are taught that defined shape dictates the protein's destined function.

15 Apr 2021

UCSB professor receives 2021 Potamkin Prize for major contributions to Alzheimer’s research

When UC Santa Barbara neurology professor Kenneth S. Kosik was a newly minted graduate in 1972, with bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature from Case Western University, becoming one of the foremost authorities in the field of Alzheimer's research was probably nowhere on his radar. But that would soon change.

15 Apr 2021

Evidence of sustained immune responses weeks after Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccination

A new study published ahead of print in the Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM) journal reports the production of a robust immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) using the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine. The increase in humoral immunity includes elevated Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels after the second mRNA dose.

14 Apr 2021

Pigs’ brain size and digestive system are excellent analogs for human newborns

Before humans can benefit from new drug therapies and nutritional additives, scientists test their safety and efficacy in animals, typically mice and rats.

14 Apr 2021

Updated Moderna vaccines neutralize South African SARS-CoV-2 variant in mice

Researchers in the United States have conducted a pre-clinical study demonstrating the efficacy of two updated versions of the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

14 Apr 2021

Study sheds light on reduced neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Researchers in the United States have predicted the binding epitopes of uncharacterized neutralizing antibodies that target the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein.

14 Apr 2021

Biognosys announces strategic agreement with Siemens Healthineers

Biognosys announces today that it has established a strategic agreement with Siemens Healthineers through its clinical laboratory in Berkeley, California.

From Biognosys 14 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mutations impact T-cell recognition of virus

A new research paper posted to the bioRxiv preprint server deals with the impact of these mutations on adaptive cellular immunity.

14 Apr 2021

A new polymersome-based SARS-CoV-2 nanovaccine elicits robust immunity

As newer vaccines are being developed to combat the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), targeting the pathogen, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv server describes a new subunit nanovaccine that appears to have robust immunogenicity and neutralizing activity.

14 Apr 2021

Study demonstrates that the main creators of SARS-CoV-2 mutations are vaccine-suppressed

A new research paper posted to the medRxiv* preprint server describes the changes in genomic sequence observed during the course of infection in a patient on the drug tacrolimus, along with steroids, both potent immunosuppressants, and who also received convalescent plasma treatment. These mutations were observed to occur within three weeks from infection.

14 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

No evidence B.1.1.7. variant worsens symptoms or increases risk of long COVID

The study, published in The Lancet, demonstrates that there is no evidence of a link between severe illness and death and lineage when comparing the B.1.1.7 lineage and other variants.

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

Researchers develop model for SARS-CoV-2 fusion intermediate that helps membrane fusion

The spike protein is the main part of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for the infection. It consists of two subunits S1 and S2. Upon entry of the virus into the human body, the S1 subunit helps the virus bind to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on host cells.

13 Apr 2021

Novel ultrasensitive assay to measure cathepsin B in the blood

Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research demonstrated the potential of a novel blood test for cathepsin B, a well-studied protein important to brain development and function, as an indicator for a range of disease states.

13 Apr 2021

A host of mutations could compromise COVID-19 vaccines and antibody therapies

Researchers in the United States have identified 95 high-frequency mutations in the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that threaten to compromise the efficacy of current and future vaccines and antibody therapies for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 Apr 2021

Alpaca nanobodies effective against South African SARS-CoV-2 variant

Researchers in South Africa and the UK have identified alpaca-derived nanoantibodies that potently neutralize variants of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 Apr 2021