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Increased levels of OAS1 protein may reduce the severity of COVID-19

Researchers at the Lady Davis Institute (LDI) at the Jewish General Hospital have discovered that increased levels of the protein OAS1 are associated with reduced mortality and less severe disease requiring ventilation among patients with COVID-19.

1 Mar 2021

Researchers identify a type of RNA as therapeutic target for Huntington's treatment

Huntington's disease is caused by a mutation in the Huntingtin gene (HTT), which appears in adults and features motor, cognitive and psychiatric alterations.

24 Feb 2021

Compounds from marine-derived fungus may protect cells from paraquat

Biologically active compounds from the marine fungus Penicillium dimorphosporum protect cells from paraquat, the highly toxic herbicide with no remedy, and might enhance the action of some drugs.

24 Feb 2021

Cryogenic electron microscopy reveals shape of glutamate transporters involved in neurological diseases

An international research team has uncovered the shape of the glutamate transporter and helps explain how the human brain cells interact with each other.

18 Feb 2021

Study reveals novel antibody binding implicated in liver and breast cancer

In the field of structural biology, certain molecules are so uncommon that they can only be captured with a special set of tools.

18 Feb 2021

Study identifies how CTLA-4 blockade can disable suppressive immune cells to aid tumor destruction

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has identified a novel mechanism by which a type of cancer immunotherapy known as CTLA-4 blockade can disable suppressive immune cells to aid the destruction of certain tumors.

18 Feb 2021

Research links blood-clotting protein with CNS B-cell lymphoma growth

In people with central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma, cancerous B cells--a type of white blood cell--accumulate to form tumors in the brain or spinal cord, often in close proximity to blood vessels.

18 Feb 2021

Testing for inherited genes can help understand future cancer risk in pediatric patients

Because cancers in children are rare, many details about their biology remain unknown. In the field of cancer genetics, there's a limited understanding of how inherited genetic changes may contribute to the formation and growth of tumors.

17 Feb 2021

Study suggests a way to improve immunotherapy by altering immune cells’ access to sugar

Cancer cells and immune cells share something in common: They both love sugar. Sugar is an important nutrient. All cells use sugar as a vital source of energy and building blocks. For immune cells, gobbling up sugar is a good thing, since it means getting enough nutrients to grow and divide for stronger immune responses. But cancer cells use sugar for more nefarious ends.

17 Feb 2021

Combining cholesterol-lowering medications and lifestyle interventions may yield better benefits

Combining healthy lifestyle interventions reduces heart disease through beneficial effects on different lipoproteins and associated cholesterols, according to a study published February 9 in eLife.

17 Feb 2021

New understanding of tumor microenvironment could help enhance immunotherapy

A paper published today in Nature shows how chemicals in the areas surrounding tumors--known as the tumor microenvironment--subvert the immune system and enable cancer to evade attack. These findings suggest that an existing drug could boost cancer immunotherapy.

From University of Pittsburgh 16 Feb 2021

Machine learning approach to identify drugs that could be repurposed to fight Covid-19

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, doctors and researchers rushed to find effective treatments.

16 Feb 2021

Antioxidant in green tea may lead to new anti-cancer drugs

Green tea contains an antioxidant that may boost the concentrations of p53, called the “guardian of the genome,” for its potential to kill cancerous cells.

15 Feb 2021

Gene-based blood test may predict treatment success in people with metastatic melanoma

A test that monitors blood levels of DNA fragments released by dying tumor cells may serve as an accurate early indicator of treatment success in people in late stages of one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, a new study finds.

From New York University (NYU) 15 Feb 2021

Study reveals the structure of heat shock proteins that could treat Huntington's disease

In Huntington's disease, a faulty protein aggregates in brain cells and eventually kills them. Such protein aggregates could, in principle, be prevented with a heat shock protein.

15 Feb 2021

Researchers identify protein sequences that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells

Researchers at EMBL Heidelberg have identified sequences in human proteins that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells. They have discovered that the virus might hijack certain cellular processes, and they discuss potentially relevant drugs for treating COVID-19.

12 Feb 2021

Cell cycle of cancer cells can be disrupted using two commercially available inhibitors

With two commercially available inhibitors, the cell cycle of the cancer cells in the childhood tumor neuroblastoma can be disrupted at a key point causing tumor cell death.

12 Feb 2021

Scientists identify mystery protein that explains the origins of Parkinson's Disease

Researchers have made a “vital step” toward inferring the origins of Parkinson’s disease—a neurological condition that is rapidly growing in the world.

11 Feb 2021

An outlook on latest trends in peptide drug discovery and development

Currently, there are more than 80 peptide drugs on the global market and about twice as many in clinical development. Due to their beneficial properties, these biomolecules play already an important role in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, hormone disorders, HIV infection, and multiple sclerosis.

11 Feb 2021

Inherited genetic variation plays a role in how patients respond to cancer immunotherapy

For all their importance as a breakthrough treatment, the cancer immunotherapies known as checkpoint inhibitors still only benefit a small minority of patients, perhaps 15 percent across different types of cancer. Moreover, doctors cannot accurately predict which of their patients will respond.

11 Feb 2021

Drugs News and Research

Increased levels of OAS1 protein may reduce the severity of COVID-19

Researchers identify a type of RNA as therapeutic target for Huntington's treatment

Compounds from marine-derived fungus may protect cells from paraquat

Cryogenic electron microscopy reveals shape of glutamate transporters involved in neurological diseases

Study reveals novel antibody binding implicated in liver and breast cancer

Study identifies how CTLA-4 blockade can disable suppressive immune cells to aid tumor destruction

Research links blood-clotting protein with CNS B-cell lymphoma growth

Testing for inherited genes can help understand future cancer risk in pediatric patients

Study suggests a way to improve immunotherapy by altering immune cells’ access to sugar

Combining cholesterol-lowering medications and lifestyle interventions may yield better benefits

New understanding of tumor microenvironment could help enhance immunotherapy

Machine learning approach to identify drugs that could be repurposed to fight Covid-19

Antioxidant in green tea may lead to new anti-cancer drugs

Gene-based blood test may predict treatment success in people with metastatic melanoma

Study reveals the structure of heat shock proteins that could treat Huntington's disease

Researchers identify protein sequences that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells

Cell cycle of cancer cells can be disrupted using two commercially available inhibitors

Scientists identify mystery protein that explains the origins of Parkinson's Disease

An outlook on latest trends in peptide drug discovery and development

Inherited genetic variation plays a role in how patients respond to cancer immunotherapy

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