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.

Researchers study animal venoms to identify new medicines for treating diseases

Animal venoms are the subject of study at research center based at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo. But in this case, the idea is not to find antidotes, but rather to use the properties of the venoms themselves to identify molecular targets of diseases and, armed with that knowledge, develop new compounds that can be used as medicines.

15 Feb 2019

Newly discovered genetic disorder opens way for future diabetes drugs

Knowledge of a newly discovered genetic disorder, which means that a person cannot produce the protein TXNIP (thioredoxin interacting protein) in their cells, can open for the development of new diabetes drugs.

12 Feb 2019

Human brain protein linked with autism has an effect on fruit fly behavior

A mutant gene that encodes a brain protein in a child with autism has been placed into the brains of fruit flies. Fruit flies hosting that gene produce the variant human brain protein and show abnormal behaviors of fear, repetitive activity and altered social interaction, reminiscent of autism impairments.

12 Feb 2019

Researchers report promising advance in the search for new class of antidepressants

In experiments with mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report a promising advance in the search for a new class of drugs to treat major depression.

8 Feb 2019

Protein supplement L-norvaline may lead to neurodegenerative diseases

People taking the protein supplement L-norvaline should be aware of its potential for harm, scientists say. L-norvaline is an ingredient widely used in body building supplements and is promoted as a compound that can boost workouts and aid recovery.

8 Feb 2019

Study reveals link between altered brain activity and social deficits in autism

One in 59 children are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, a wide array of conditions affecting a child's social, emotional, and behavioral development.

31 Jan 2019

Enzyme that breaks down amino acids plays key role in promoting cellular senescence

Permanently arrested cell growth is known as "cellular senescence", and the accumulation of senescent cells may be one cause of aging in our bodies. Japanese researchers have discovered that a certain enzyme in our bodies promotes cellular senescence by producing reactive oxygen species.

24 Jan 2019

Researchers design interleukin protein to balance overshooting immune response

Small infections can be fatal: Millions of people die each year from sepsis, an overreaction of the immune system.

23 Jan 2019

Peptide isolated from soil fungi has antitumor and antibacterial properties

A team of scientists from I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University together with their colleagues isolated a peptide named emericellipsin A from soil fungi.

22 Jan 2019

Study shows how gut bacteria affect the treatment of Parkinson's disease

Patients with Parkinson's disease are treated with levodopa, which is converted into dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. In a study published on 18 January in the journal Nature Communications, scientists from the University of Groningen show that gut bacteria can metabolize levodopa into dopamine.

18 Jan 2019

B-group vitamins may be beneficial for people with first episode psychosis

B-group vitamins may be beneficial for maintaining concentration skills among people experiencing a first episode of psychosis, a study by researchers from Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, has found.

16 Jan 2019

Steady-state CD spectroscopy is a major structural tool in (bio)chemical analysis

In nature, certain molecules with the same chemical composition, can exist in two different shapes that are mirrors images of each other, much like our hands.

11 Jan 2019

New findings bring about better understanding of many cancers' metabolic needs

Scientists at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have discovered that squamous cell skin cancers do not require increased glucose to power their development and growth, contrary to a long-held belief about cancer metabolism.

10 Jan 2019

Essential nutrient may hold promise in the war against Alzheimer's disease

In a new study, researchers at the Biodesign Institute explore a safe and simple treatment for one of the most devastating and perplexing afflictions: Alzheimer's disease.

8 Jan 2019

Study elucidates how essential amino acid in humans acts as growth signal for cells

A recent study from the Laxman lab elucidates how a small metabolite and amino acid, methionine, acts as a growth signal for cells, by setting into motion a metabolic program for cell proliferation.

7 Jan 2019

Egg metabolites in blood linked to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes

Consumption of one egg every day seems to associate with a blood metabolite profile that is related to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study conducted in the University of Eastern Finland shows.

3 Jan 2019

Nature-based antibiotic molecules for treatment of infections

New developments in antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with antibiofilm properties are rapidly materializing.

2 Jan 2019

Scientists cast new light on function of long-mysterious PCSK9 mutation

High levels of low-density lipoproteins, parcels of lipids and protein that carry cholesterol, are a leading risk factor for heart disease. Many cholesterol medications lower LDL, some of them by targeting the protein PCSK9. In the January issue of the Journal of Lipid Research, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, report on an investigation into why experiments on PCSK9 give different results in a test tube and in liver cells.

2 Jan 2019

New study describes various gene therapy strategies for treating Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and nonmotor deficits majorly caused by the loss of dopaminergic cells in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta as well as the destruction of nigrostriatal pathway.

28 Dec 2018

The role of galanin-like peptide in regulating feeding behavior and energy metabolism

Galanin-like peptide is a short peptide made up of 60 amino acid residues. This sequence is homologous across several species. The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus is the place where GALP is produced. GALP has diverse physiological effects such as the regulation of feeding, energy metabolism, and reproductive behavior.

25 Dec 2018