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.

Novel findings on mole growth could pave way for skin cancer treatments

Moles stop growing when they reach a certain size due to normal interactions between cells, despite having cancer-associated gene mutations, says a new study published today in eLife.

13 Oct 2020

New computational approach improves characterization of cellular diversity

Researchers in the United States have developed a computational method called “weighted-nearest neighbor” (WNN) analysis that can significantly improve the ability to define cellular states across various biological contexts and data types.

13 Oct 2020

CAR NKT cells offer a promising approach to combat hard-to-treat solid tumors

Natural killer T (NKT) cells, a type of immune cells known for their potent anti-cancer properties in murine tumor models, have been developed into a novel form of immunotherapy to treat patients with cancer.

13 Oct 2020

How SARS-CoV-2's spike protein highjacks the host cell trafficking machinery

Researchers at The Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology have conducted a study showing how the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein interacts with host cell factors in ways that promote the formation of syncytia.

13 Oct 2020

New therapy may help treat or prevent multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects millions worldwide, can cause debilitating symptoms for those who suffer from it.

13 Oct 2020

Researchers identify a mechanism to prevent hair loss

An international research group headed by Associate Professor Sara Wickström at the University of Helsinki has identified a mechanism that is likely to prevent hair loss.

13 Oct 2020

Molecular stilts help deadly parasites to invade host cells

In biological terms, gliding refers to the type of movement during which a cell moves along a surface without changing its shape. This form of movement is unique to parasites from the phylum Apicomplexa, such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma.

13 Oct 2020

Researchers discover a promising treatment for frequent form of blindness in the elderly

Researchers at Ghent University, Belgium, have found a promising treatment for the most frequent form of blindness in the elderly.

13 Oct 2020

"Reparative" cardiac fibroblasts play key role in maintaining the mechanics of the heart

The researcher of the Faculty of Science of the UMA Adrián Ruiz-Villalba, who is also member of the Andalusian Center for Nanomedicine and Biotechnology (BIONAND) and the Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), is the first author of an international study that has identified the heart cells in charge of repairing the damage caused to this organ after infarction.

13 Oct 2020

Researchers explore molecular factors that drive the severity of COVID-19

While most COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic or mild, severe complications associated with acute respiratory distress have led to more than one million deaths worldwide in just several months.

13 Oct 2020

Study offers a better understanding of protective antibodies induced by coronavirus

As vaccine trials progress and public health officials brace for a rise in COVID-19 cases, understanding how the body defends itself from SARS-CoV-2 infection is essential.

13 Oct 2020

COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows potent immune response

A COVID-19 vaccine candidate that underwent extensive preclinical testing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham this spring and summer shows potent preclinical immune responses - including several that distinguish it from other COVID-19 vaccine approaches - according to a preprint deposited in the BioRxiv repository this week.

13 Oct 2020

Scientists explain why some COVID-19 patients develop neurological symptoms

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv sheds light on the mechanism behind brain involvement in the COVID-19 pandemic. A team of researchers at the Krembil Research Institute and the University of Toronto in Canada aimed to understand further the potential mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 tropism for brain vasculature to see how infection occurs in the brain.

13 Oct 2020

Why blood type O might lower risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection

The author hypothesizes that people with non-O blood groups may have highest contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus via the formation of in intermediate structure, resulting in possibly higher infection rates and more severe symptoms.

12 Oct 2020

Suramin shows promise as COVID-19 treatment

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv reports the elucidation of the mechanism of inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 by a non-nucleotide inhibitor called suramin. This is the first such compound to be shown to have such activity and shows promise for use as a repurposed drug against COVID-19.

12 Oct 2020

Integrin b3 and ACE2 linked by short linear motifs enabling endocytosis and autophagy of SARS-CoV-2

A new study by Uppsala University researchers published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 shows possible links between the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) host cell receptors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the entry of viral particles into the cell via endocytosis and autophagy.

12 Oct 2020

Enzyme SSH1 impairs the disposal of damaged tau and neurotoxic mitochondria

In a healthy brain, the multistep waste clearance process known as autophagy routinely removes and degrades damaged cell components - including malformed proteins like tau and toxic mitochondria.

12 Oct 2020

Sub-second heat inactivation of coronavirus

Three coronaviruses (CoVs) have caused global outbreaks within the past 20 years, and with the COVID19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) still ongoing, methods that can rapidly inactivate these viruses can play critical roles in ensuring public safety and safeguarding personal health.

12 Oct 2020

Leaking components from broken muscle fibers activate 'satellite' muscle stem cells

While building a muscle damage model in a cultured system, a research collaboration between Kumamoto University and Nagasaki University in Japan has found that components leaking from broken muscle fibers activate "satellite" muscle stem cells.

12 Oct 2020

Stem cells that repair broken bones can also generate arthritic bone spurs

The same stem cells that heal broken bones can also generate arthritic bone spurs called osteophytes, according to a new study in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

12 Oct 2020