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.

Global spread of COVID-19 has raised serious concern for patients with transthyretin amyloidosis

The global spread of COVID-19 has raised serious concern for patients with chronic disease. A correlation has been identified between the severity of COVID-19 and a patient's preexisting comorbidities.

7 May 2021

Cryptic pocket on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 may be a promising treatment target

In a new study currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, a multinational group of researchers modeled an entire membrane-embedded spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and highlighted the potential of a specific mapping approach for unveiling cryptic, potentially druggable pockets on the viral surface.

7 May 2021

Study may lead to personalized treatments for cystic fibrosis

Some 2,103 mutations have been identified in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common fatal genetic disease in Canada, and together they pose huge challenges for patients and researchers, including those affiliated with Université de Montreal and its teaching hospital, the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM).

7 May 2021

New strategy could increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments

New research led by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) points to a promising strategy to boost tumors' intake of cancer drugs, thereby increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments.

7 May 2021

Study reports vitamin C inhibits SARS-CoV-2 virus main protease

Based on structural analysis, researchers found that vitamin C binds to 3CLpro, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease essential in viral replication. In vitro cell inhibition studies also showed vitamin C could inhibit 3CLpro, indicating a possible new antiviral treatment method.

6 May 2021

Indian SARS-CoV-2 variant shows enhanced host cell entry and immune evasion

A study conducted by researchers in Germany has found that the B.1.617 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has emerged in India entered certain types of lung and intestine cells with slightly increased efficiency compared with the original wild-type strain.

6 May 2021

Large-scale study focuses on COVID-19 antibodies in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers added to the understanding of the protective immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a study published in April in iScience.

6 May 2021

UMass Amherst researchers achieve breakthrough in the fight against cancer

A team of researchers at the Center for Bioactive Delivery at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Institute for Applied Life Sciences has engineered a nanoparticle that has the potential to revolutionize disease treatment, including for cancer.

6 May 2021

Study: Novavax Covid-19 vaccine is efficacious against the B.1.351 South African variant

The published data provide additional detail of an initial analysis conducted in January, while more robust data from a complete analysis of the study was subsequently shared in March 2021.

6 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 is activated for fusion by a broad range of proteases, finds study

A team of researchers from the University of Virginia, USA, used single-virus fusion experiments with exogenously controlled proteases to investigate the mechanism of activation directly. They found that the subcellular location of entry depends on the protease activity of the various components, and parallel pathways are possible.

6 May 2021

New method shows that tau forms small aggregates as part of the body's normal physiology

It turns out that not all build-ups of tau protein are bad, and a team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania developed a method to show that.

6 May 2021

Transplant recipients with COVID-19 may show lower cellular and antibody immune responses

Transplant patients are typically on chronic immunosuppression, making them automatically more vulnerable to infection with SARS-CoV-2, the agent responsible for the loss of over three million lives in the current COVID-19 pandemic. A new study discusses evidence for subnormal immune responses following COVID-19 in this population.

6 May 2021

Aberrant immune features in healthy elderly and male subjects with severe COVID-19 may predate infection

A new study shows that the immunological features of severe COVID-19 are already present in healthy older adults and in men, before they are infected, indicating a possible explanation for this differential susceptibility towards the virus.

6 May 2021

About 84% of antibodies in plasma target non-RBD epitopes on SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, finds study

In a new study recently published in the journal Science, a team of researchers in the U.S. found that most of the antibodies circulating in the blood target areas of the viral spike protein outside the receptor-binding domain (RBD), the part of the spike that binds directly to human cell receptors.

6 May 2021

Mental health may influence a person's recovery after heart attack

Young and middle-aged adults who reported severe psychological distress--such as depression or anxiety--after suffering a heart attack were more than twice as likely to suffer a second cardiac event within five years compared with those experiencing only mild distress, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session.

6 May 2021

Researchers develop a multivalent vaccine for COVID-19 and influenza

Researchers at Duke University, USA, are looking into the possibility of a combined influenza and COVID-19 vaccine that could be used to simultaneously protect against annual flu strains and the SARS-CoV-2. Preclinical results showed the vaccine protected mice from both SARS-CoV-2 and the flu.

6 May 2021

Research shows how the world’s population has created an ideal breeding ground for infectious diseases

The way that many of us live has created the “perfect storm” for the evolution and transmission of infectious diseases like Covid-19 according to a researcher at the University of East Anglia.

6 May 2021

Study describes IgG antibodies in Crohn's disease specific for human bacterial flagellins

Last year, Charles O. Elson, M.D., demonstrated a potential preventive treatment for Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease. He used a mouse model that included immune-reactive T cells from patients with Crohn's disease in a flagellin peptide-specific immunotherapy.

6 May 2021

Researchers study sex-specific gene mutation linked to autism

After reviewing a database of gene mutations in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a team of Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) researchers decided to study a specific gene mutation that likely caused ASD in a girl.

6 May 2021

Monocytes promote viral control during SARS-COV-2 infection

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Vanderheiden et al. (May 4th, 2021) the contribution of monocytes in promoting protective immunity from SARS-CoV-2 is investigated in a murine model, suggesting that CCR2 plays the role of an inflammation modulator in early infection.

6 May 2021

Protein News and Research

Further Reading

Global spread of COVID-19 has raised serious concern for patients with transthyretin amyloidosis

Cryptic pocket on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 may be a promising treatment target

Study may lead to personalized treatments for cystic fibrosis

New strategy could increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments

Study reports vitamin C inhibits SARS-CoV-2 virus main protease

Indian SARS-CoV-2 variant shows enhanced host cell entry and immune evasion

Large-scale study focuses on COVID-19 antibodies in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients

UMass Amherst researchers achieve breakthrough in the fight against cancer

Study: Novavax Covid-19 vaccine is efficacious against the B.1.351 South African variant

SARS-CoV-2 is activated for fusion by a broad range of proteases, finds study

New method shows that tau forms small aggregates as part of the body's normal physiology

Transplant recipients with COVID-19 may show lower cellular and antibody immune responses

Aberrant immune features in healthy elderly and male subjects with severe COVID-19 may predate infection

About 84% of antibodies in plasma target non-RBD epitopes on SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, finds study

Mental health may influence a person's recovery after heart attack

Researchers develop a multivalent vaccine for COVID-19 and influenza

Research shows how the world’s population has created an ideal breeding ground for infectious diseases

Study describes IgG antibodies in Crohn's disease specific for human bacterial flagellins

Researchers study sex-specific gene mutation linked to autism

Monocytes promote viral control during SARS-COV-2 infection

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