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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine candidate shows promise in phase I trial

Moderna, who partnered with the National Institutes of Health, announced that its candidate vaccine appeared to be safe when administered to eight healthy volunteers. The vaccine also stimulated an immune response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

20 May 2020

Methodologies to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2

In an important, comprehensive, and timely review, an expert team from the University of California Berkeley details the methodologies used in nucleic acid-based tests for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

20 May 2020

MicroRNAs in maternal blood may predict development of preeclampsia

Small non-coding RNA molecules, called microRNAs (miRNAs), found and measured in the blood plasma of asymptomatic pregnant women may predict development of preeclampsia, a condition characterized by high blood pressure and abnormal kidney function that affects roughly 5 to 8 percent of all pregnancies.

20 May 2020

Study could help identify more targeted treatments for ovarian cancer

The rogue cellular engine that drives a majority of ovarian cancers remains frustratingly difficult to disable. A new study comparing cancerous tissue with normal fallopian tube samples advances important insights about this machinery and confirms biological hallmarks of survival.

20 May 2020

Texas A&M lab produces 3D-bioprinted bone tissue to benefit bone regeneration

Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar, associate professor, has developed a highly printable bioink as a platform to generate anatomical-scale functional tissues. This study was recently published in the American Chemical Society's Applied Materials and Interfaces.

19 May 2020

Does COVID-19 infect peripheral blood cells?

The emergence of the novel coronavirus outbreak in December 2019 was followed by its spread on a global scale unparalleled in the last 100 years. At present, it has claimed over 322,000 lives the world over, with over 4.88 million cases having tested positive.

19 May 2020

MGH researchers identify potential molecular targets for ALD drug development

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a deadly condition affecting more than 150 million people worldwide with no treatment available besides transplant.

19 May 2020

Researchers create more crucial reagents for use in COVID-19 tests

Researchers in Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick have developed a way to create more crucial reagents for use in COVID-19 tests that could also provide enhancements to the use of, and production of, future tests.

19 May 2020

Multi-institutional clinical trial sheds new light on non-responsive tumors

Over the last decade, enzalutamide and similar drugs have led to significant tumor control and increased survival time for men who have metastatic prostate cancer that continues to grow despite treatments to reduce male hormone levels.

19 May 2020

New animal model for COVID-19

As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to ravage the world, scientists are frantically searching for a vaccine or new drug that will effectively counter the lethal effects of the virus that leads to COVID-19 disease.

19 May 2020

Study shows how RNA editing affects the replication of COVID-19 virus

Two human deaminase enzymes edit the RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 virus when it enters a patient's body, with implications for the evolution of the virus and the spread of the infection, according to a new study.

19 May 2020

Three FDA-approved drugs can block the replication of COVID-19 virus

Three drugs that are already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or other international agencies can block the production of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in human cells, according to computational and pharmaceutical studies performed by UT Southwestern scientists.

19 May 2020

Researchers identify determining factor in luminal cancer cells

The Translational Control of Cell Cycle and Differentiation Lab at IRB Barcelona, led by ICREA researcher Raúl Méndez, has published a study in the journal Science Advances that has identified a key factor in the development of luminal breast cancer.

18 May 2020

SMART researchers awarded NMRC funding to develop rapid paper-based COVID-19 tests

Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, has received a grant from the National Medical Research Council COVID-19 Research fund for the acceleration of research and development of rapid paper-based serological and diagnostic tests for COVID-19.

18 May 2020

Novel insights on SARS-CoV-2 cell entry may inform further vaccine and treatment development

A research group from Harvard Medical School reported two cryo-electron microscopy structures derived from a single preparation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein in their paper available on the preprint server bioRxiv. Understanding the nuances of prefusion and postfusion conformations shed light on viral cell entry and may, in turn, guide the development of vaccines and drugs.

18 May 2020

Neuroscientists discover anti-aging molecule that repairs age-related DNA damage

MIT neuroscientists have discovered that an enzyme called HDAC1 is critical for repairing age-related DNA damage to genes involved in memory and other cognitive functions.

18 May 2020

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences launches a high-performing, validated viral extraction solution

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences today announced the launch of RNAdvance Viral XP, a new RNA extraction kit validated for use in infectious disease and real-time PCR virus research.

From Beckman Coulter Life Sciences 18 May 2020

New and unexplored angle in the binding of SARS-CoV-2 to host cells

Researchers in the Netherlands, Cuba, and Italy have made important discoveries about the carbohydrate-mediated binding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein to host cell lectin receptors and host lung microbiota.

17 May 2020

Study shows broad geographic and evolutionary dispersal of betacoronaviruses from African bats

A research group from Nigeria found evidence of long-distance transmission and dispersal between bat coronaviruses isolated in Africa and the ones Europe and Asia, as described in a new paper available on the preprint server bioRxiv.

17 May 2020

More research is needed to determine if fecal matter spreads COVID-19, say researchers

Early studies show evidence of COVID-19 genetic material in fecal matter, but more work is needed to determine if the virus can be spread through stool, according to a new review paper from a Rice University epidemiologist.

15 May 2020