Luciferase News and Research

RSS

Engineered T cells prevent translational shutdown in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by Schamel et al. (June 25th, 2021) engineered T cells against SARS-CoV-2 are tested against a range of cells in vitro, finding that the treatment could be used to restore cellular immune function and suppress SARS-CoV-2.

1 Jul 2021

Novel biosensor offers rapid quantitative variant of concern-independent serology for SARS-CoV-2

Even as herculean efforts are being made to extend the reach of vaccination against COVID-19 to all the regions of the world, there is a dire need for rapid and sensitive tests to assess the antibody response to the various vaccines used and to monitor antibody titers over time. A new preprint describes a new approach to this problem which could be applied to other molecules of interest as well, both in laboratories and at the point of care.

25 Jun 2021

New radiopharmaceutical shows therapeutic efficacy in preclinical model of ovarian cancer

Preclinical trials of a new radiopharmaceutical to treat ovarian cancer have produced successful results, dramatically limiting tumor growth and decreasing tumor mass.

11 Jun 2021

Researchers identify kite-shaped molecules that block SARS-CoV-2 cell entry after attachment

They have identified a group of kite-shaped compounds that are highly specific to SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. These compounds demonstrate high potency in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection at early entry steps. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

2 Jun 2021

Research suggests Garcinia kola extract might suppress severe COVID-19 cytokine storms

Researchers in the UK and Nigeria have conducted a study showing that Garcinia kola seed extract and garcinoic acid may provide therapeutic benefits in the late stage of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other coronavirus infections.

24 May 2021

New noninvasive imaging device could be used in biomedical research, translational medicine

A biochemical reaction between an enzyme called luciferase and oxygen causes fireflies to glow and is considered one of the most well-known examples of bioluminescence in nature.

12 May 2021

Scientists design 'smart' cellular biosensors for detecting SARS-CoV-2 spike

New research led by Hana El-Samad of the University of California, San Francisco, and the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub confirmed the beneficial use of an antiviral therapeutic called SARSNotch, which uses a combination of the SynNotch platform and de-novo designed protein binders. SARSNotch uses sentinel T cells to detect and mount a genetic response toward the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein.

28 Apr 2021

Novel mRNA delivery vehicle provides alternative to LNPs for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines

Researchers in the United States have developed an alternative messenger RNA (mRNA) delivery platform to the lipid nanoparticles that are currently used in vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

18 Apr 2021

Advancing the Diagnosis and Treatment of Ovarian Cancer

In this interview, News-Medical talks to Dr. Marcos Quintela Vasquez about the work he is conducting regarding the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer in partnership with Porvair Sciences.

From Porvair Sciences Limited 7 Apr 2021

New system facilitates real-time imaging of biological, pathological processes

Researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, have developed a novel far-red light-emitting luciferin-luciferase system that is more efficient than those available commercially. An article on the subject is published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

30 Mar 2021

Fluoxetine (Prozac) performs strongly in vitro against SARS-CoV-2 (including mutants)

Researchers from Finland, to expand on these studies, tested some of these drugs against the new SARS-CoV-2 variants. The study is published on the preprint server bioRxiv.

24 Mar 2021

Researchers develop innovative biosensor that can detect and quantitate SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers have generated protease-activatable fluorescent and luminescent biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 MPro (main protease) and PLPro (papain-like protease) activity, one based on “flip” GFP (FlipGFP), and the other based on circularly permuted firefly luciferase (FFluc).

24 Mar 2021

Researchers develop new method for measuring immunity to coronavirus

Igor Stagljar made his career building molecular tools to combat cancer. But when the pandemic hit last March, he aimed his expertise at a new adversary, SARS-CoV-2.

22 Mar 2021

A green tea compound shows anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties in vitro

Researchers show the antiviral potential of a green tea compound against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

22 Mar 2021

Research demonstrates multivalent nanobodies overcome SARS-CoV-2 variant mutations

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint paper, researchers isolated anti-RBD nanobodies from llamas and “nanomice” (they engineered to produce VHHs cloned from alpacas, dromedaries and camels).

10 Mar 2021

Scientists successfully restore circadian function in the liver of arrhythmic mice

Circadian clocks, which regulate the metabolic functions of all living beings over a period of about 24 hours, are one of the most fundamental biological mechanisms.

18 Feb 2021

New SARS-CoV-2 variants resistant to convalescent sera and and monoclonal antibodies

Researchers studying the effect of convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies from recovered patients found the UK and South African SARS-CoV-2 variants are more resistant to neutralization compared to the wild-type virus.

25 Jan 2021

New data on impact of spike mutations and B117 UK variant on neutralization by mAbs and sera

A recent paper by British and Dutch scientists, currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, shows that the neutralizing activity of monoclonal antibodies can be dramatically reduced by mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein – unlike polyclonal antibodies generated after natural infection that remain active regardless of any introduced amino acid changes.

21 Jan 2021

Could fenofibrate be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

The resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, has led to renewed efforts to find effective antivirals, both newly developed or repurposed drugs. A study reports the efficacy of the cholesterol-reducing drug fenofibrate in reducing infection rates of SARS-CoV-2 in cultured cells.

13 Jan 2021

Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from a naïve human Ab library

Now, a new preprint research paper published on the bioRxiv server shows how closely the antibodies formed in exposed humans resemble the germline antibody molecules. This could lead to the development of novel therapeutics to counter the pandemic.

12 Jan 2021