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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.

Could graphene be an effective antiviral platform against SARS-CoV-2?

The urgent need for novel therapeutics has spurred investigation into broad-spectrum inhibitors of viral infection and replication. A new study describes the antiviral activity of synthesized graphene platforms, pointing to new therapeutic approaches against this virus.

8 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 escape mutations identified against monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal immune sera

A recent study describes the experimental selection of SARS-CoV-2 mutants associated with resistance to antibodies, with important implications for vaccine development and therapeutic antibody use.

8 Feb 2021

New wearable sensor uses nanomaterials technology to detect illegal drugs in sweat

Researchers in South Korea have successfully developed a wearable sensor that can detect illegal drugs in sweat by using nanomaterials technology that amplify the optical signal of narcotics to a flexible, body-worn material.

8 Feb 2021

Scientists grow small intestinal cells from human-induced pluripotent stem cells

A team of scientists from Japan have found success in growing small intestinal cells, akin to those found in the human body, from human-induced pluripotent stem cells.

8 Feb 2021

Study reveals a novel role for Smurf2 protein in regulating bone formation

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) has a strong osteogenic (bone forming) ability. BMP has already been clinically applied to spinal fusion and non-union fractures.

8 Feb 2021

COVID-19 pandemic and nanotechnology

Writing in the International Journal of Nanomedicine, Professor Dongki Yang, from the Department of Physiology, Gachon University, South Korea, has reviewed the available knowledge on the coronaviruses, current approaches to tackle the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the innovative application of nanotechnology in the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Feb 2021

Experimental antiviral drug can significantly speed up recovery for COVID-19 outpatients

A clinical study led by Dr. Jordan Feld, a liver specialist at Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network (UHN), showed an experimental antiviral drug can significantly speed up recovery for COVID-19 outpatients – patients who do not need to be hospitalized.

8 Feb 2021

Commentary on severe allergic reaction to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines

A commentary by John M. Kelso, Division of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Scripps Clinic, published in the latest issue of the journal Vaccines, discusses anaphylactic reactions to these novel mRNA SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccines.

8 Feb 2021

Gut fungi teach the immune system how to respond to their dangerous relatives

Common fungi, often present in the gut, teach the immune system how to respond to their more dangerous relatives, according to new research from scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Breakdowns in this process can leave people susceptible to deadly fungal infections.

7 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 delays interferon signaling in host cells

A team of scientists from Sweden and India has recently conducted a study to evaluate type I interferon (IFN-I) responses in cells infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The findings reveal that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a delayed and dysregulated IFN-I response and that pretreatment with IFN-I can reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

7 Feb 2021

Molecular surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mutations using CovRadar

In a recent bioRxiv preprint research paper, scientists from Germany discuss how they made sequence information more easily accessible for epidemiologists and virologists.

7 Feb 2021

Study shows how bacteriophage lysis genes could be key to developing new antibiotics

A study from the Center for Phage Technology, part of Texas A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, shows how the "hidden" genes in bacteriophages -- types of viruses that infect and destroy bacteria -- may be key to the development of a new class of antibiotics for human health.

7 Feb 2021

New SARS-Cov-2 mutations could arise during chronic infection, say scientists

SARS-CoV-2 mutations similar to those in the B1.1.7 UK variant could arise in cases of chronic infection, where treatment over an extended period can provide the virus multiple opportunities to evolve, say scientists.

7 Feb 2021

Subdominant SARS-CoV-2 epitopes key to understanding emerging variants

Researchers in the UK have conducted a study showing the importance of considering subdominant epitopes within severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) when investigating neutralizing antibodies that target the virus.

7 Feb 2021

Study finds structural similarities between SARS-CoV-2 and pangolin coronavirus

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have found important structural similarities between SARS-CoV-2 and a pangolin coronavirus, suggesting that a pangolin coronavirus could infect humans.

7 Feb 2021

Technion team discovers new process for attacking cancer cells

When treating cancer, researchers are always searching for ways to remove cancer cells while minimizing damage to the rest of the body. One possible approach is to find processes unique to cancer cells, and which would allow specific targeting. If such a process can be disrupted, only those cells would be affected.

6 Feb 2021

New AI-assisted method could help counter COVID-19 mutations

USC researchers have developed a new method to counter emergent mutations of the coronavirus and hasten vaccine development to stop the pathogen responsible for killing thousands of people and ruining the economy.

6 Feb 2021

Anticancer drug may reduce mortality and speed up recovery for severe COVID-19 patients

Treating severe COVID-19 patients with the anticancer drug bevacizumab may reduce mortality and speed up recovery, according to a small clinical study in Italy and China that was led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden between February and April 2020.

6 Feb 2021

Novel immunotherapy approach to revert the main hallmarks of cat allergy

Researchers from the Department of Infection and Immunity of the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) brought forward the potential of high doses of a specific adjuvant molecule, namely CpG oligonucleotide, in successfully modulating the immune system's allergic response to the main cat allergen Fel d 1, thereby inducing a tolerance-promoting reaction and reverting the main hallmarks of cat allergy.

5 Feb 2021

How does SARS-CoV-2 infect the pancreas?

To understand how SARS-CoV-2 infects the pancreas and investigate its effects, a team of researchers used the human iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cells)-derived pancreatic cultures and analyzed the post-infection cellular and molecular changes.

5 Feb 2021