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.

Targeting IDO1 for cancer: Novel degraders show promise in preclinical studies

Cancer cells employ a variety of strategies to evade the immune system, and modern immunotherapies aim precisely at these escape mechanisms.

9 Jan 2026

Arginine can modify plaque formation on teeth and protect against dental caries

New human clinical trial proves arginine, an amino acid, can modify plaque formation on teeth, thereby protecting against dental caries.

8 Jan 2026

UC Davis team creates new class of serotonin-effecting drugs

UC Davis researchers have developed a new method that uses light to transform amino acids - the building blocks of proteins - into molecules that are similar in structure to psychedelics and mimic their interaction with the brain.

8 Jan 2026

BATF2: A novel tumor suppressor silenced by glutamine in head and neck cancer

A novel tumor suppressor, BATF2, can be silenced by factors in the tumor microenvironment, leading to a reduced immune response in five preclinical models of head and neck cancer, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

7 Jan 2026

CRISPR Cas12a3: A precise tool to halt viral protein production

Across all domains of life, immune defenses foil invading viruses by making it impossible for the viruses to replicate. Most known CRISPR systems target invading pathogens' DNA and chop it up to disable and modify genes, heading off infections at the (cellular) pass.

7 Jan 2026

Newly discovered molecules accelerate the removal of immune-modulating enzyme

Cells have a remarkable housekeeping system: proteins that are no longer needed, defective, or potentially harmful are labeled with a molecular "tag" and dismantled in the cellular recycling machinery.

7 Jan 2026

Finger-prick blood test shows promise for detecting Alzheimer’s disease biology

Finger-prick dried blood sampling can accurately measure key Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, including p-tau217, GFAP, and NfL, showing strong concordance with venous plasma and meaningful associations with CSF pathology. While analytical limitations remain, this minimally invasive approach shows promise as a scalable research and screening tool within biomarker-based diagnostic pathways.

6 Jan 2026

AI-designed molecular sensors could enable early detection of cancer

Detecting cancer in the earliest stages could dramatically reduce cancer deaths because cancers are usually easier to treat when caught early.

6 Jan 2026

Unveiling genetic links between schizophrenia and osteoporosis

A comprehensive genetic investigation led by Dr. Feng Liu at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital has uncovered striking molecular connections between schizophrenia and bone health, identifying 195 shared genetic loci that may explain why psychiatric patients face elevated fracture risks.

6 Jan 2026

TAAR1 mutation impairs brain signaling in schizophrenia

A genetic mutation passed from mother to children in families affected by schizophrenia has now been shown to completely silence a brain receptor that pharmaceutical companies are racing to target with new drugs.

6 Jan 2026

Streptococcus anginosus metabolites fuel gastric cancer

A recent study published in the medical journal Gut has revealed a novel cancer-promoting mechanism of Streptococcus anginosus (Sa).

6 Jan 2026

New evidence reveals Streptococcus anginosus promotes gastric cancer development

This study identifies a cancer-promoting mechanism of Streptococcus anginosus, linking microbial metabolism to gastric cancer and enhancing prevention efforts.

From BGI Genomics 6 Jan 2026

Immune cell energy metabolism shapes the progression of atherosclerosis

Two complementary studies reveal how an insufficient supply of energy in macrophages, key immune cells in artery walls, drives the progression of atherosclerosis - and how this knowledge could lead to better diagnostics and future therapies.

30 Dec 2025

Nascent polypeptide-associated complex regulates early stages of protein formation

To ensure that protein production in our cells runs smoothly, the protein complex NAC slows down the rate of protein synthesis right at the start.

22 Dec 2025

New insights into how a molecular gatekeeper controls early protein modification

For years, ETH researchers have been investigating a molecular complex that plays a key role in protein synthesis. They have now discovered that this complex also contributes a crucial function in ensuring that our DNA is properly processed and “packaged”.

19 Dec 2025

Genetic differences can affect the effectiveness of antibody therapies

The genome differs from person to person in thousands of positions. In some cases, this means that proteins have a different building block in certain regions, rendering some antibody-based therapies ineffective, report researchers from the University of Basel, Switzerland.

17 Dec 2025

Research reveals how the gut microbiome supports successful pregnancy

Gut microbes may play a key role in training a mother's immune system to adapt to the developing fetus during pregnancy, according to a preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

17 Dec 2025

SARS-CoV-2 manipulates host cell's RNA to weaken the immune response

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil have discovered that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses a sophisticated tactic to evade the human body's defense system.

17 Dec 2025

Lysophosphatidylcholines show gene-dependent effects in early Alzheimer’s disease

A new study presents robust evidence on the role of lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) in the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers discovered that LPCs-compounds that transport a variety of healthy fatty acids to the brain-either promote Alzheimer's or protect against it, depending on a person's genetics.

17 Dec 2025

Tau biology expands beyond microtubules to neurodegeneration, metabolism and mental illness

An Thought Leaders Invited Review published today in Genomic Psychiatry by Dr. Peng Lei and colleagues presents a sweeping synthesis of tau protein research that fundamentally reframes our understanding of this molecule's dual identity.

16 Dec 2025