Amino Acid News and Research

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Amino Acid is one of several molecules that join together to form proteins. There are 20 common amino acids found in proteins.

Study suggests algorithm may help optimize future COVID-19 vaccine design

Scientists predict the COVID-19 pandemic is on its way to becoming endemic. The rising spread of COVID-19 variants such as Delta has helped infect unvaccinated and some vaccinated individuals. COVID-19 vaccines continue to be the best way to protect against severe illness and death, but there may be a need for vaccines to protect against a specific variant.

23 Aug 2021

Researchers unravel pathomechanisms involved in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

ME (Myalgic Encephalopathy), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), can be a debilitating disease. It frequently presents after an infection, and key features are long-lasting fatigue and worsening of symptoms after exertion.

23 Aug 2021

The emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Lambda (B.1.621) variant

A new study details the genomic characteristics and descent of a SARS-CoV-2 variant of interest.

23 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mutations alter dynamics of neutralizing antibodies

A new study describes how monoclonal antibodies raised against SARS-CoV-2 are affected by mutations in the antibody binding site.

20 Aug 2021

White-tailed deer are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been shown to infect a wide range of animals naturally and experimentally, and prior studies indicate deer are susceptible to infection. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns have been found to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.

19 Aug 2021

A spike-derived epitope YLQ induces robust polyfunctional cytotoxic T cell responses in COVID-19 recovered individuals

The findings reveal that the dominant spike-derived epitope induces polyfunctional CD8+ T cell response in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recovered individuals. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

18 Aug 2021

Tool for defining new SARS-CoV-2 spike nucleotide sequences to Pango lineage sets

In a recent study, a group of researchers determined the degree to which Pango lineages are distinguishable using spike-only nucleotide sequences.

16 Aug 2021

Bioengineers develop implantable piezoelectric therapeutic devices

Bioengineers have developed biocompatible generators that create electrical pulses when compressed by body motions.

16 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Spike may trigger production of antibodies that cross-react with human thrombopoietin to induce thrombocytopenia

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected individuals often suffer from thrombocytopenia, a condition associated with low platelet counts. The cytokine thrombopoietin regulates platelet count. Previous studies have reported that thrombocytopenia can increase the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality rate by about five times.

16 Aug 2021

L452R mutations may have triggered the emergence of several COVID-19 variants

Most of the recently risen coronavirus variants of interest or concern -- delta, kappa, epsilon, iota and lambda -- are universally carrying a mutation in amino acid L452 of the Spike protein that helps the virus bind to host cells.

13 Aug 2021

New approach could be a useful tool in the fight against cancer drug resistance

Using a virus to purposely mutate genes that produce cancer-driving proteins could shed light on the resistance that inevitably develops to cancer drugs that target them, a new study led by UT Southwestern scientists suggests.

10 Aug 2021

Dileucine more effective than leucine in stimulating muscle-building in humans

In a randomized control study of 10 healthy young men, researchers compared how consuming the single amino acid leucine or its two-molecule equivalent, dileucine, influenced muscle-building and breakdown.

9 Aug 2021

Research shows how SARS-CoV-2 variants are evolving towards increased furin cleavage efficiency

The spike protein comprises of two subunits: S1 subunit having the receptor-binding domain (RBD) that helps it to bind to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is present on the cell surface of the host, and the S2 subunit that helps in the fusion of the cellular membrane and the viral membrane.

9 Aug 2021

Researchers identify genetic markers linked to COVID-19 severity and susceptibility

In collaboration with Northwestern Medicine investigators, an international multi-center study has identified genetic factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity, according to findings published in Nature.

6 Aug 2021

Study reveals structural differences and unique polymorphs in amyloid-β fibrils

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological condition leading to dementia that worsens with age as patients exhibit cognitive, memory, and psychological deficits.

5 Aug 2021

Research suggests potential new treatment strategy for phenylketonuria

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a critical new factor in regulating phenylalanine metabolism and, therefore, in preventing the inherited metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU).

5 Aug 2021

New study examines B cell receptor repertoires in COVID-19 patients

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by Kim et al. (August 2, 2021), the B cell receptor repertoire of 1,060 COVID-19 patients is compared to that of an equal number of healthy volunteers in a novel manner, utilizing computational deep-learning-based protein embedding techniques, which demonstrate a resolution capable of tracking the changes in immunity in an individual over the course of infection.

5 Aug 2021

Monoclonal antibody could inform development of pan-coronavirus vaccines

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the potential of a monoclonal antibody to inform the design of pan-coronavirus vaccines that could prevent the outbreak of future pandemics such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

4 Aug 2021

PROTEIN-ID project aims to develop a device able to generate identity card of proteins

A device able to generate proteins identity card: this is the ambitious goal of the "PROTEIN ID" project, funded by the European Union with about 3 million euro for the next 3 years and coordinated by the IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology).

3 Aug 2021

Scientists develop a potent peptide inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

In a recently published article in the journal Drugs in R&D, scientists have described the development and validation of a 13-amino acid peptide inhibitor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

2 Aug 2021