Zinc News and Research

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Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Zinc is also found in many cold lozenges and some over-the-counter drugs sold as cold remedies.

How can nanomaterials help in the fight against COVID-19?

Researchers have reviewed different types of nanomaterials and how they can be used for the detection, prevention, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

3 Jun 2021

How the decline in fish biodiversity is affecting human nutrition

Researchers have found that biomass compensation may impair the health of populations that depend on fish for their daily nutritional intake.

1 Jun 2021

Researchers develop chemical probe to fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

In the perpetual arms races between bacteria and human-made antibiotics, there is a new tool to give human medicine the edge, in part by revealing bacterial weaknesses and potentially by leading to more targeted or new treatments for bacterial infections.

28 May 2021

Facets of SARS-CoV-2 infection and animal models

A new study in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology discusses the ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome of the virus, and the mechanisms by which it establishes infection within the host cell. The researchers also summarize the development of animal models of COVID-19, which will both help understand the clinical features of the illness, and indicate new approaches for the treatment of the infection.

21 May 2021

Could graphene oxide nanosheets be an effective SARS-CoV-2 antiviral in PPE?

A new study has been published in Small, which has combined in silico and in vitro analysis to examine if graphene oxide (GO) sheets have an inhibitory effect against SARS‐CoV‐2 surface proteins.

20 May 2021

Virtual analysis identifies a potential natural inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15

A new paper reports the discovery of promising antiviral hit compounds through the use of computational modeling studies on natural compounds.

19 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2 structure revealed by cryo-EM and AI

Researchers in the United States analyzed the non-structural protein 2 (Nsp2) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in order to better understand its function and to guide future drug discovery. The research paper is currently available on bioRxiv* preprint server.

16 May 2021

Study may provide a basis for oral insulin development using DNP peptides

Researchers from Kumamoto University, Japan have found that DNP peptide, a small intestine-permeable cyclic peptide originally used as an insulin additive to improve absorption into the small intestinal, lowers blood glucose levels in mice.

26 Apr 2021

Study offers insights into protective effects of dietary supplements against COVID-19

Taking multivitamins, omega-3, probiotics or vitamin D supplements may lessen the risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 infection--at least among women--indicates a large population study, published online in the journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

22 Apr 2021

Study sheds new light on the ability of pancreatic cancer cells to metastasize

With an overall survival rate of 9% for those diagnosed, pancreatic cancer remains exceedingly difficult to treat. However, the patient's primary tumor typically isn't what leads to death - it is the cancer's ability to evade detection and metastasize to other organs.

19 Apr 2021

New research could help solve major challenge in the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines

New research by University of Texas at Dallas scientists could help solve a major challenge in the deployment of certain COVID-19 vaccines worldwide -- the need for the vaccines to be kept at below-freezing temperatures during transport and storage.

15 Apr 2021

Study of antiviral nutraceutical phenolics against SARS-CoV-2 main protease

To address this issue, a team of researchers led by Professor Mohamed El Raey of the National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt, looked at phytopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals as potential antivirals against SARS-CoV-2.

13 Apr 2021

Study: Aquatic biodiversity change can have direct impact on human nutrition, well-being

Seafood is a pillar of global food security--long recognized for its protein content. But research is highlighting a critical new link between the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems and the micronutrient-rich seafood diets that help combat micronutrient deficiencies, or 'hidden hunger', in vulnerable populations.

7 Apr 2021

Could a flavonoid found in common fruit and vegetables combat COVID-19?

Researchers in India have gathered and presented a large body of evidence highlight quercetin – a flavonoid molecule found in many common fruits and vegetables – may be developed into drug therapies used to combat COVID-19.

1 Apr 2021

Development of a model of substrate coordination to Zn-bound ACE2

The ongoing coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has claimed more than 2.8 million lives worldwide. Authorities are facing difficulty in preventing the spread of disease due to the highly infectious nature of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, reducing the virus's ability to infect an individual's respiratory epithelial cells could prove an effective measure to prevent disease transmission.

31 Mar 2021

New method could drive down the production cost of antibodies

Antibody injections are a highly desirable treatment for people with chronic diseases such as cancer, psoriasis, Crohn's disease and arthritis. And recently, antibodies have been in the news as a promising treatment for severe cases of COVID-19.

22 Mar 2021

Researchers test novel gene regulation approach to treat brain diseases

Researchers at the DZNE (Germany), at Massachusetts General Hospital (USA) and at the genomic medicine company Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. tested a novel gene regulation approach to treat brain diseases such as Alzheimer's in laboratory studies.

22 Mar 2021

Genetic engineering strategy dramatically reduces tau levels in Alzheimer's animal model

Researchers have used a genetic engineering strategy to dramatically reduce levels of tau--a key protein that accumulates and becomes tangled in the brain during the development of Alzheimer's disease--in an animal model of the condition.

21 Mar 2021

Identifying druggable targets on an essential SARS-CoV-2 protein

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Newman et al. (March 15th, 2021) the structure and role of one such protein: NSP13, is investigated, with two appealingly druggable targets being identified, possibly opening a new route towards a novel SARS-CoV-2 antiviral agent.

18 Mar 2021

The role of S-acylation in the enhancement of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity

A new study published on the bioRxiv server focuses on the role of S-acylation in the SARS-CoV-2 infection cycle. It has also characterized Spike acylation and has also identified other acylated viral proteins and host enzymes involved in the process of infection. Further, it has also revealed the importance of acylation in viral biogenesis and infection.

18 Mar 2021