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.

Genetic mutations in deadly Ebola virus appear to block antibody-based treatments

Genetic mutations called "escape variants" in the deadly Ebola virus appear to block the ability of antibody-based treatments to ward off infection, according to a team of U.S. Army scientists and collaborators. Their findings, published online this week in the journal Cell Reports, have implications for the continued development of therapeutics to treat Ebola virus disease, which has claimed the lives of over 11,000 people in West Africa since last year.

14 Sep 2015

Molecular evolution in separate species predicts convergence of toxin resistance

Researchers at LSTM have shown that under certain circumstances evolution can be highly predictable, especially in terms of how creatures become resistant to dangerous toxins.

8 Sep 2015

Researchers identify two enzymes from Legionella bacteria that are vital for protein chemistry

A research group at Umeå University in Sweden, together with researchers in Munich, have identified two enzymes from the pathogenic Legionella bacteria that are very useful in chemically modifying proteins to be used in medical drugs. The result of the study is presented in the chemical journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

7 Sep 2015

Study reveals new epigenetic mechanism underlying progression of cancer tumors

Aggressive cancer growth and alterations in gene activity without changes in DNA sequence (epigenetics) are associated with mutant p53 proteins, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

3 Sep 2015

People who eat high protein foods have lower blood pressure and arterial stiffness

Eating foods rich in amino acids could be as good for your heart as stopping smoking or getting more exercise - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

27 Aug 2015

Researchers design online database to help researchers identify cancer gene mutations

Many clinical trials use genome sequencing to learn which gene mutations are present in a patient's tumor cells. The question is important because targeting the right mutations with the right drugs can stop cancer in its tracks. But it can be difficult to determine whether there is evidence in the medical literature that particular mutations might drive cancer growth and could be targeted by therapy, and which mutations are of no consequence.

27 Aug 2015

GMP protein can improve gastrointestinal health by protecting digestive system from pathogens

The protein glycomacropeptide (GMP) is derived from whey, the liquid by-product of the cheese-making process. GMP contains low amounts of the amino acid phenylalanine. Individuals who suffer from phenylketonuria—a metabolic disorder that causes cognitive impairment when phenylalanine level is too high—can use GMP as an alternative protein source. GMP supplementation has also been observed to improve gastrointestinal health by protecting the digestive system from pathogens and by having an anti-inflammatory effect.

20 Aug 2015

Researchers examine how GABA supplementation enhances planning, controls different actions

People show an enhanced ability of prioritizing planned actions after the ingestion of the food supplement GABA. Psychologists Laura Steenbergen and Lorenza Colzato, with their colleagues at the Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition and fellow researchers from the Technical University of Dresden, published their findings in Scientific Reports.

18 Aug 2015

‘Medical foods’ for patients with rare IEMs may cause harm when not carefully managed

Many "medical foods" are designed to help manage patients with rare inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), and can help prevent serious and life-threatening complications. However, such special foods may cause harm in some patients when their use is not carefully monitored and managed, according to a research team led by scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

14 Aug 2015

Improved method for building proteins into antibodies

Some proteins exist so fleetingly in the bloodstream that they can't be given effectively as therapies. However, building them into larger proteins, such as antibodies, can make them persist long enough to be useful. Now a team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has devised an improved method for accomplishing this protein-engineering feat.

14 Aug 2015

TSRI-led team devises selection-based, protein-engineering method to work on obesity therapy

Some proteins exist so fleetingly in the bloodstream that they can’t be given effectively as therapies. However, building them into larger proteins, such as antibodies, can make them persist long enough to be useful. Now a team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has devised an improved method for accomplishing this protein-engineering feat.

14 Aug 2015

Intrexon, Synthetic Biologics form ECC to develop and commercialize novel biotherapeutics for phenylketonuria

Intrexon Corporation, a leader in synthetic biology, and Synthetic Biologics, Inc., a clinical-stage company focused on developing therapeutics to protect the microbiome while targeting pathogen-specific diseases, today announced an Exclusive Channel Collaboration (ECC) to pursue the development and commercialization of novel biotherapeutics for the treatment of patients with phenylketonuria (PKU), a serious and debilitating metabolic disorder.

10 Aug 2015

Study may lead to effective antimicrobial treatment strategies for people with uncontrolled diabetes

Case Western Reserve scientists may have uncovered a molecular mechanism that sets into motion dangerous infection in the feet and hands often occurring with uncontrolled diabetes. It appears that high blood sugar unleashes destructive molecules that interfere with the body's natural infection-control defenses.

7 Aug 2015

Molecular packaging enhances cancer drug’s effectiveness at destroying tumors

Researchers have packaged a widely used cancer drug into nanoparticles, more than doubling its effectiveness at destroying tumors.

5 Aug 2015

Researchers uncover new mechanism that p53 protein uses to trigger cell death

Researchers have identified a new mechanism that the tumor suppressor protein p53 uses to trigger cell death via apoptosis and have shown how the process could be harnessed to kill cancer cells. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists led the study, which appears today in the scientific journal Molecular Cell.

31 Jul 2015

Researchers decode molecular mechanism of fish toxin that has potential to treat cancer

Pathogenic bacteria develop killer machines that work very specifically and highly efficiently. Scientists from the University of Freiburg have solved the molecular mechanism of a fish toxin that could be used in the future as a medication to treat cancer. The scientists have now published their research in the journal Nature Communications.

25 Jul 2015

SutroVax completes $22 million Series A financing

SutroVax, a recently established biopharmaceutical vaccine company, today announced the completion of a $22 million Series A financing. SutroVax is developing vaccines for infectious disease targets, with an initial emphasis on best-in-class conjugate vaccines, using an exclusive license to Sutro Biopharma's Xpress CF and Xpress CF+ platforms for cell free protein synthesis and site-specific conjugation respectively.

23 Jul 2015

Study points to potential treatment for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

A rare autoimmune disease creates sudden pain in the abdomen or the head, sending a patient to the emergency room with a potentially fatal condition. The pain comes from a multitude of blockages of tiny blood vessels, formed after the patient's own immune system somehow inhibits an enzyme that is vital to control clotting.

23 Jul 2015

Drug addiction expert uncovers molecular mechanisms that contribute to addiction resistance

Growing up in West Virginia, Jill Turner saw firsthand the kind of havoc that drug addiction can wreak. "I had a lot of friends who had very promising lives and promising careers ahead of them," the assistant professor in the South Carolina College of Pharmacy says, "but they ended up either overdosing or going to jail for drug-related stuff. It's one of the reasons I went into drug addiction research."

22 Jul 2015

Heidelberg University scientists gain new insight into cytotoxic effect of Ebola virus

In the course of basic research in membrane biochemistry scientists at Heidelberg University have gained new insight into the cytotoxic effect of the Ebola virus. Employing biochemical and cell biological methods they have shed light on the molecular relationships between the Ebola glycoprotein and its role in mediating cytotoxicity.

22 Jul 2015

Amino Acid News and Research

Further Reading

Genetic mutations in deadly Ebola virus appear to block antibody-based treatments

Molecular evolution in separate species predicts convergence of toxin resistance

Researchers identify two enzymes from Legionella bacteria that are vital for protein chemistry

Study reveals new epigenetic mechanism underlying progression of cancer tumors

People who eat high protein foods have lower blood pressure and arterial stiffness

Researchers design online database to help researchers identify cancer gene mutations

GMP protein can improve gastrointestinal health by protecting digestive system from pathogens

Researchers examine how GABA supplementation enhances planning, controls different actions

‘Medical foods’ for patients with rare IEMs may cause harm when not carefully managed

Improved method for building proteins into antibodies

TSRI-led team devises selection-based, protein-engineering method to work on obesity therapy

Intrexon, Synthetic Biologics form ECC to develop and commercialize novel biotherapeutics for phenylketonuria

Study may lead to effective antimicrobial treatment strategies for people with uncontrolled diabetes

Molecular packaging enhances cancer drug’s effectiveness at destroying tumors

Researchers uncover new mechanism that p53 protein uses to trigger cell death

Researchers decode molecular mechanism of fish toxin that has potential to treat cancer

SutroVax completes $22 million Series A financing

Study points to potential treatment for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

Drug addiction expert uncovers molecular mechanisms that contribute to addiction resistance

Heidelberg University scientists gain new insight into cytotoxic effect of Ebola virus

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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