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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.

Triple mutation in SARS-CoV-2 seen in second wave of COVID-19 in India

Researchers sequenced the viral genome from samples in the state of Maharashtra and found a unique combination of three mutations that suggest the SARS-CoV-2 virus is continually evolving to evade the human immune response.

27 Apr 2021

Prolactin hormone acts as a major contributor to breast cancer development, studies find

The hormone prolactin has long been understood to play a vital role in breast growth and development and the production of milk during pregnancy.

27 Apr 2021

Nanobodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in pre-clinical model

A team of Australian researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), the Doherty Institute, and the Kirby Institute have identified neutralizing nanobody cocktails that block the SARS-CoV-2 virus from entering cells in pre-clinical models.

27 Apr 2021

New urine test for prostate cancer shows aggressiveness of the disease

Researchers from the University of East Anglia have developed a new urine test for prostate cancer which also shows how aggressive the disease is.

27 Apr 2021

Study raises concern about limited immune response of transplant patients after COVID-19 vaccination

A small study from Mayo Clinic researchers raises the concern that some transplant patients may have a limited immune response after being vaccinated for COVID-19 with an mRNA vaccine.

26 Apr 2021

Researchers discover elusive cell type in fish sensory organs

One of the evolutionary disadvantages for mammals, relative to other vertebrates like fish and chickens, is the inability to regenerate sensory hair cells.

26 Apr 2021

Study uncovers a novel autoantigen in patients with narcolepsy type 1

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have identified influenza virus peptides that resemble human protein fragments and can cause an immune response against the body’s own cells due to cross-reactivity.

26 Apr 2021

AI platform can identify specific proteins that allow bacteria to infect the intestines

Researchers from Tel Aviv University have created an artificial intelligence platform that can identify the specific proteins that allow bacteria to infect the intestines - a method that paves the way for the creation of smart drugs that will neutralize the proteins and prevent disease, without the use of antibiotics.

26 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-2 antibody response robust in nursing home residents after Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

However, with the waning of the immune response, it is not clear if these older people respond to the vaccine as well as younger individuals do. A recent study explored this question and found that though the antibody levels were somewhat lower in this group, they were still robust. This is a promising observation.

26 Apr 2021

Host cell transmembrane protein MARCH8 targets lysine residues to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses

A new study deals with the inhibitory activity of a membrane protein that has broad-spectrum activity against multiple viruses, showing that this is due to its effect on cytoplasmic lysine residue incorporation into replicating virions.

26 Apr 2021

Cleavage site recognition by SARS-CoV-2 main protease as new antiviral drug target

Many research groups have and are investigating main protease inhibitors as antiviral drugs, and in a paper recently uploaded to the bioRxiv* preprint server, a team of researchers examine the crystal structure of the protein while bound to various viral substrate peptides (P1-4). In doing so, they reveal the way in which the bound peptide sequence can direct and modulate enzyme activity, providing new templates towards antiviral drug design.

26 Apr 2021

Researchers examine potential SARS-CoV-2 antivirals using a drug repurposing library

A new study deals with the screening of the Drug Repurposing Hub (DRH) library for identifying small compounds which are capable of inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 using both in vitro and in vivo experimental studies. These molecules could be used for designing a novel therapeutic system against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

26 Apr 2021

Single dose of J&J's Ad26.COV2.S vaccine effective against SARS-CoV-2 including in South Africa variant

One of these vaccines, the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine by Johnson & Johnson and Janssen, is a recombinant, replication-incompetent human adenovirus type 26 vector that encodes full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in a prefusion-stabilized conformation.

26 Apr 2021

Real-world study in India finds COVISHIELD vaccine safe and effective

New research led by Naresh Trehan of Medanta-The Medicity in India found the COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Corona Virus Vaccine) vaccine produced an immune response from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) two weeks after vaccination with limited side effects.

26 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-2 limits type I and type III IFN protein biogenesis

New research led by Roy Parker of the University of Colorado Boulder finds that SARS-CoV-2 prevents the IFN response despite an increased presence of IFN-encoding mRNAs by suppressing transcriptional processes. Inhibition of IFN mRNAs triggers degradation from the activation of RNase L and the SARS-CoV-2 protein Nsp1.

26 Apr 2021

Recombinant protein vaccine fails expectations for SARS-CoV-2 neutralization

New interim results of a phase 1-2 clinical trial published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases tested the safety and effectiveness of an adjuvanted recombinant protein vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) called CoV2 preS dTM.

26 Apr 2021

Potential new COVID vaccine from Australia

Phase 1 trial results published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases found a new subunit vaccine —an MF59-adjuvanted subunit vaccine using recombinant spike glycoprotein stabilized in a prefusion conformation by a novel molecular clamp — targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was safe and effective in producing an antigen-specific response in healthy adults.

26 Apr 2021

A detailed look at two cases of symptomatic COVID in vaccinated individuals

In a recent brief report published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Rockefeller University in New York described a case of two fully vaccinated individuals in whom they found subsequent breakthrough infections with variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), carrying a number of substitutions of interest.

25 Apr 2021

Two repurposed drugs and a blue dye show potential as SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors

A new multidisciplinary study from Australia, published in the open-access journal mBio, shows that three compounds used to treat cystic fibrosis, dry eye, and a specific medical dye may lead to future strategies for the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

25 Apr 2021

Single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine induces immunity in CML patients

Researchers in the UK have shown that a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induced antibody and cellular responses in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who were taking tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

25 Apr 2021

Protein News and Research

Further Reading

Triple mutation in SARS-CoV-2 seen in second wave of COVID-19 in India

Prolactin hormone acts as a major contributor to breast cancer development, studies find

Nanobodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in pre-clinical model

New urine test for prostate cancer shows aggressiveness of the disease

Study raises concern about limited immune response of transplant patients after COVID-19 vaccination

Researchers discover elusive cell type in fish sensory organs

Study uncovers a novel autoantigen in patients with narcolepsy type 1

AI platform can identify specific proteins that allow bacteria to infect the intestines

SARS-CoV-2 antibody response robust in nursing home residents after Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

Host cell transmembrane protein MARCH8 targets lysine residues to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses

Cleavage site recognition by SARS-CoV-2 main protease as new antiviral drug target

Researchers examine potential SARS-CoV-2 antivirals using a drug repurposing library

Single dose of J&J's Ad26.COV2.S vaccine effective against SARS-CoV-2 including in South Africa variant

Real-world study in India finds COVISHIELD vaccine safe and effective

SARS-CoV-2 limits type I and type III IFN protein biogenesis

Recombinant protein vaccine fails expectations for SARS-CoV-2 neutralization

Potential new COVID vaccine from Australia

A detailed look at two cases of symptomatic COVID in vaccinated individuals

Two repurposed drugs and a blue dye show potential as SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors

Single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine induces immunity in CML patients

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