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Study offers clues for earlier diagnosis of folate deficiency

As many expectant mothers know, getting enough folate is key to avoiding neural tube defects in the baby during pregnancy. But for the individuals who carry certain genetic variants, dealing with folate deficiency can be a life-long struggle which can lead to serious neurological and heart problems and even death.

1 Jul 2021

An oral pill for COVID-19? Molnupiravir shows promise

Recently, researchers reported molnupiravir as the first oral and direct-acting antiviral that is highly effective at reducing SARS-CoV-2 levels.

27 Jun 2021

Scientists propose new strategies to find drugs that neutralize critical enzymes

Scientists from the University of Bath explore racemases and propose strategies for finding drugs that target these important enzymes.

26 May 2021

The potential therapeutic value of CDK6 inhibitors in critical COVID-19

While drug repurposing has been explored in the context of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the success of this strategy has been limited so far. A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, describes a new method of identifying a promising hit among drugs already in use.

24 May 2021

Which biomarkers can help predict adverse outcomes in COVID-19?

A team of researchers has conducted a systematic review to identify laboratory factors that can predict the risk of severe and critical COVID-19 as well as associated mortality rates. The team – from institutions in India and the USA – recently published their findings in the Journal of Clinical Medicine Research.

24 May 2021

Vegetarians may have a healthier biomarker profile than meat-eaters, indicates study

Vegetarians appear to have a healthier biomarker profile than meat-eaters, and this applies to adults of any age and weight, and is also unaffected by smoking and alcohol consumption, according to a new study in over 166,000 UK adults, being presented at this week's European Congress on Obesity (ECO), held online this year.

10 May 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 aim to better understand clinical features associated with COVID-19 mortality

To better understand the COVID-19 clinical feaures associated with mortality, an interdisciplinary team of researchers has investigated important factors and their influence on a patient’s death.

22 Apr 2021

Zipper motif mediates SARS-CoV-2 spike trimerization within host cell membrane

A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv* server describes the results of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study to determine the structure of the S protein transmembrane domain (TMD) and its membrane-proximal regions.

13 Apr 2021

Small molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 identified by screening

A new study describes the identification of small molecule inhibitors that block the catalytic activity of the crucial viral non-structural protein 5 (nsp5), using a large-scale screening method.

12 Apr 2021

Novel protein transport system mediates toxin secretion by tuberculosis pathogen

Six years ago, Michael Niederweis, Ph.D., described the first toxin ever found for the deadly pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

9 Apr 2021

Neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in mice depend on Fc effector function

A new study reports the essential nature of Fc-mediated functionalities in determining the efficacy of such antibodies.

24 Mar 2021

Could an “ACE2 Triple Decoy” be an alternative approach to neutralizing SARS-CoV-2?

A team of scientists from the USA recently developed a recombinant “Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) Triple Decoy” that can trap SARS-CoV-2 and prevent its propagation inside the host cell.

11 Mar 2021

Simple blood test using nanoparticles could enable earlier detection of acute liver damage

University of Texas at Dallas chemist Dr. Jie Zheng has spent much of his career investigating gold nanoparticles for their potential impact in the field of nanomedicine.

10 Mar 2021

The Role of D-Amino Acids in Humans

In this interview, Dr. Daniel Armstrong from the University of Texas at Arlington talks to News-Medical Life Sciences about his upcoming Pittcon presentation.

From Pittcon 4 Mar 2021

Evolution of the spike gene of SARS-CoV-2 for human adaptation

Researchers have found a 96% similarity in nucleotide sequence between bat coronavirus (RaTG13), isolated from Rhinolophus affinis bats in China in 2013, and SARS-CoV-2 and ~97% amino acid similarity with the Spike (S) protein. This S protein performs two essential roles, i.e., mediates receptor-binding and membrane fusion. Hence, spike protein is regarded as a key coronavirus determinant of host tropism.

21 Feb 2021

Alanine News and Research

Study offers clues for earlier diagnosis of folate deficiency

An oral pill for COVID-19? Molnupiravir shows promise

Scientists propose new strategies to find drugs that neutralize critical enzymes

The potential therapeutic value of CDK6 inhibitors in critical COVID-19

Which biomarkers can help predict adverse outcomes in COVID-19?

Vegetarians may have a healthier biomarker profile than meat-eaters, indicates study

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

Researchers aim to better understand clinical features associated with COVID-19 mortality

Zipper motif mediates SARS-CoV-2 spike trimerization within host cell membrane

Small molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 identified by screening

Novel protein transport system mediates toxin secretion by tuberculosis pathogen

Neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in mice depend on Fc effector function

Could an “ACE2 Triple Decoy” be an alternative approach to neutralizing SARS-CoV-2?

Simple blood test using nanoparticles could enable earlier detection of acute liver damage

The Role of D-Amino Acids in Humans

Evolution of the spike gene of SARS-CoV-2 for human adaptation

Novel neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 N-terminal domain discovered

How have new SARS-CoV-2 strains become more transmissible?

Can metabolic biomarkers help clinicians stratify adverse outcome risk in COVID-19 patients?

SARS-CoV-2 mutations may evade T cell immunity

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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