Amino Acid News and Research

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Amino Acid is one of several molecules that join together to form proteins. There are 20 common amino acids found in proteins.

Transgenic fruit flies can shed light on genetic mutations that underlie kidney disease in humans

An off-the-shelf dietary supplement available for pennies per dose demonstrated the ability to reverse cellular damage linked to specific genetic mutations in transgenic fruit flies, an experimental model of genetic mutation-induced renal cell injury that features striking similarities to humans, a Children's National Health System research team reports April 20 in Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

21 Apr 2017

Spermidine supplement may prolong lifespan, prevent liver fibrosis and cancer

Spermidine-; a compound found in foods like aged cheese, mushrooms, soy products, legumes, corn and whole grains-; seems to prevent (at least in animal models) liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the most common type of liver cancer. There is also some evidence that it may prolong lifespan, according to a study published recently in the journal Cancer Research.

20 Apr 2017

Atomic resolution structure of key molecule may contribute to drug discovery for devastating conditions

Culminating a nearly 10 year effort, researchers have determined the atomic resolution structure of a key molecule that translates signals from a cell's local environment into a language that the cell can understand and use.

18 Apr 2017

Study may provide insight into how R-LA promotes death of hepatoma cells

A new study that measured metabolite levels over time in starved rat liver cancer cells showed that treatment with a form of alpha-lipoic acid (LA) inhibited glucose uptake and glycolysis, and led to decreased cellular glucose production from non-carbohydrate sources, which may help explain how the naturally occurring R enantiomeric form of LA (R-LA) promotes the death of hepatoma cells.

12 Apr 2017

New research explores how genetic factors may be linked to low cervical cancer rates in Western Asia

New research provides an insight into why cervical cancer is less common in certain regions of the world even though they may have limited screening and fewer or no prevention programs.

10 Apr 2017

Rutgers scientists reveal structure of TB drug target and identify new inhibitors

Rutgers University scientists have determined the three-dimensional structure of the target of the first-line anti-tuberculosis drug rifampin. They have also discovered a new class of potential anti-tuberculosis drugs that kill rifampin-resistant and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis bacteria.

7 Apr 2017

Researchers solve medical mystery through genetics

Researchers have identified the genetic mutation responsible for one patient's serious health problems, finally solving a medical mystery that has endured for over 30 years.

6 Apr 2017

Scientists find new drug target to improve cardiac output in heart failure patients

Researchers led by Julian E. Stelzer, PhD, associate professor in the department of physiology and biophysics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, have found a new target for drug developers seeking straightforward ways to improve cardiac output in heart failure patients.

4 Apr 2017

Research finding could set stage for potential development of new antimicrobial drugs

Research teams from the National Institutes of Health and abroad have identified the first inhibitor of an enzyme long thought to be a potential drug target for fighting disease-causing parasites and bacteria.

3 Apr 2017

Researchers enhance safety, effectiveness of potential HIV vaccine using on/off genetic switch

By engineering an on/off switch into a weakened form of HIV, University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers have enhanced the safety and effectiveness of a potential vaccine for the virus that has killed approximately 35 million people during the past 35 years.

30 Mar 2017

Researchers characterize ‘gold fingers’ using ion mobility mass spectrometry

Drugs containing gold have been used for centuries to treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, they might be effective against cancer and HIV.

28 Mar 2017

Research findings could help understand how Parkinson's develops on molecular level

In a complex series of experiments they examined what the effects were of changing a single amino acid in the protein.

24 Mar 2017

EPFL scientists develop synthetic methods to crack code of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes patients to lose their ability to move, speak, and even think. It is caused by a gene mutation that produces an abnormal form of the protein huntingtin, which aggregates and builds up inside neurons of the cortex and striatum.

23 Mar 2017

Researchers unravel how drug interacts with ribosome to halt protein production

The discovery of a chemical compound that halts the production of a small set of proteins while leaving general protein production untouched suggests a new drug search strategy: Find compounds that target undesired proteins before they are even made.

23 Mar 2017

Penn researcher receives $16.3 million NIAID grant to develop long-sought-after HIV vaccine

Building on earlier work in designing chimeric human-simian immunodeficiency viruses (SHIVs) that serve as a model of HIV infection of humans, George M. Shaw, MD, PhD, a professor of Hematology/Oncology and Microbiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received $16.3 million over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop a long-sought-after HIV vaccine.

22 Mar 2017

TSRI researchers develop novel drug delivery method for treating cancers

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have developed a new drug delivery method that produces strong results in treating cancers in animal models, including some hard-to-treat solid and liquid tumors.

16 Mar 2017

Researchers identify mechanisms involved in acid pump

Researchers at Aarhus University, Denmark, have succeeded in identifying the mechanisms involved in what is known as the acid pump, which at the cellular level pumps acid into the stomach - in some cases leading to gastric ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

7 Mar 2017

Researchers reveal how overloading of protein transport mechanisms triggers cellular defects

Researchers at Okayama University report in Scientific Reports how the overloading of protein transport mechanisms affects cell functioning. Over-expression of different types of target proteins leads to cellular growth defects, and the mechanism for transporting proteins out of a cell nucleus has the lowest over-expression tolerance.

7 Mar 2017

Researchers uncover new genetic clues linked to autoimmune kidney disease

Researchers have uncovered new genetic clues to understanding IgA nephropathy (IgAN), or Berger's disease, an autoimmune kidney disease and a common cause of kidney failure.

6 Mar 2017

NovAliX's new laboratory to use cryo-TEM for facilitating small molecule and biologic drug discovery

A new contract research laboratory operated by France-based NovAliX will provide pharmaceutical companies with access to high-resolution cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) by Thermo Fisher Scientific for facilitating small molecule and biologic drug discovery.

3 Mar 2017