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Study finds a novel therapeutic target for prevention and treatment of gout

Many Americans think of gout as a disease from a bygone era, akin to rickets or scurvy. The condition commonly afflicted the rich and royal, including American historical figures such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.

14 Dec 2022

Scientists report new target to combat coronary artery disease

Soon after cholesterol and fat start depositing on the lining of the blood vessels that supply your heart, the smooth muscle cells that give the blood vessels strength and flexibility start to get bigger and multiply.

29 Nov 2022

Inhalation therapeutics against COVID-19

A recent study published in the Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics journal described different inhalation therapeutic agents for treating respiratory viral infections like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Oct 2022

Researchers unravel a novel molecular target of eicosapentaenoic acid

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an essential nutrient belonging to the omega-3 group of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). As the human body cannot synthesize PUFAs, dietary supplements containing EPA are required for normal physiological functions. Found abundantly in natural sources like fish, hemp oil, and linseed oil, EPA is known to exhibit anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and cardiovascular protective activities.

9 Aug 2022

Latest advancements in space health and medicine

When astronauts go to outer space, microgravity, intense cosmic radiation and extreme cold can have negative impacts on their bodies and health. Scientists want to better understand the intricate details of what happens to humans in space, and they're trying to come up with ways to counteract these effects.

25 Jul 2022

Study identifies a molecule that boosts fat burning

A study led by the University of Bonn has identified a molecule - the purine inosine - that boosts fat burning in brown adipocytes.

5 Jul 2022

Associations between mucosal gene expression and microbiome composition in three gastrointestinal disorders

A new study authored by Sambhawa Priya and other researchers offers a detailed look at the interactions between the gut microbiome of humans in health and disease.

19 May 2022

COVID-19 may affect a group of biochemical reactions called one-carbon metabolism

A new study addresses the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 to the metabolism of one-carbon molecules in the host, suggesting new therapeutic pathways.

13 Apr 2022

Strand displacement mechanism in RNA appears to switch genetic expression from “on” to “off”

Similar to a light switch, RNA switches (called riboswitches) determine which genes turn "on" and "off." Although this may seem like a simple process, the inner workings of these switches have confounded biologists for decades.

29 Mar 2022

Researchers identify a potent new combination of antiviral drugs to combat SARS-CoV-2

The recent success of Paxlovid has encouraged researchers to develop new anti-covid drugs. With this in mind, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania have been investigating a new synergistic treatment. Their research is released early as an unedited version of the manuscript to be published in the journal Nature.

9 Feb 2022

New study identifies novel compound as promising pan-coronavirus drug candidate

A recent study describes a novel compound with frameshifting capability against MERS-CoV, inhibiting viral propagation within infected cells.

23 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 inhibited by pyrimidine biosynthesis inhibitors in conjunction with nucleoside analogs

In an effort to hasten the research on identifying antiviral drugs for SARS-CoV-2 infection, researchers from the U.S. and Switzerland performed extensive drug screening for antiviral activity using live virus infection in human respiratory cells. As a result, they identified a set of possible drug candidates that could potentially be tested in clinical trials.

30 Jun 2021

NIH researchers find that the SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15’s uridine cleavage can evade the immune response

Research conducted by scientists at the National Institutes of Health in the USA shows that Nsp15 targets uridines (U). Following detection of U, Nsp15 can then further cleave a broad spectrum of RNA substrates.

8 Jun 2021

New favipiravir derivative is a potent SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor

In a new study recently published in Chemical Papers by Dr. Amgad Rabie (May 16th, 2021), a high potency derivative of favipiravir towards SARS-CoV-2 is engineered and investigated.

27 May 2021

Study sheds new light on complex dynamics involved in microbial infections

Included in the vast fallout stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are paying closer attention to microbial infections and how life forms defend against attacks from pathogens.

27 May 2021

Blocking folate metabolism could reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral replication in infected cells

The novel beta-coronavirus virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and coronaviruses, in general, alter the host's cellular metabolism to support massive production of ~30 kB viral genomes and subgenomic viral RNAs. However, how this is achieved is largely unknown.

21 Mar 2021

Genome-wide CRISPR screens reveal resistance and sensitization mechanisms of drugs used in COVID-19

By leveraging nucleotide triphosphate analog-induced cell death, Chinese researchers unveiled genes that affect the import, export, and metabolism of pervasively used antiviral drugs in the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This exciting study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

28 Oct 2020

Study suggests new approach to make radiation therapy more effective for glioblastoma patients

Many modern cancer drugs target a specific genetic mutation that is driving a particular cancer's runaway growth and division -- such as the HER-2 protein in some breast cancers or EGFR in certain lung cancers.

30 Jul 2020

New genome-editing technologies can help understand disease-associated genetic mutations

New genome-editing technologies developed by researchers in J. Keith Joung's laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have the potential to help understand disease-associated genetic mutations that are based on C-to-G (cytosine to guanine) single base changes.

24 Jul 2020

Mysterious enzyme inhibits inflammation in blood vessels, LJI study shows

Scrape your knee, and you'll see some red puffiness appear around the injury. This is inflammation, and it is driven by the immune system.

23 Jul 2020