Tag: protein

Blood plasma protein fibrinogen interacts directly with nerve cells to cause brain inflammation

Neuroinflammatory diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury, have been linked to deposits of a tough protein known as fibrin, derived from the blood clotting factor fibrinogen. These mesh-like fibrin deposits occur outside blood vessels in the brain, contributing to the death of certain central nervous system cells (neurons) that eventually leads to impaired

Protein network map uncovers previously unknown cancer drivers

In three studies from the Cancer Cell Map Initiative, researchers uncovered previously unknown interactions between proteins that drive cancer and combined this new data to generate a map of protein pathways informing cancer outcomes. Their approach offers a framework that could improve scientists' understanding of cancer progression and aid in identifying therapeutic targets. For many

Chaperone protein imbalance promotes toxic tau buildup in the aging brain

Chaperone protein imbalance can play a significant role in initiating toxic accumulation of tau in the aging brain—an early step in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies, a new preclinical study by University of South Florida Health (USF Health) neuroscientists suggests. In humans, misfolding of the protein tau leads

Updated Moderna vaccines neutralize South African SARS-CoV-2 variant in mice

Researchers in the United States have conducted a pre-clinical study demonstrating the efficacy of two updated versions of the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Study: Variant SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines confer broad neutralization as primary or booster series in mice

COVID19's cytokine storm ushers in a local complement storm in the lungs

A new study published in the journal Science Immunology analyzed lung epithelial cells from patients infected with COVID-19 and found the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces the complement system as a dangerous weapon for viral infection. The complement system is an extension of the innate immune system to recognize pathogens and remove

Researchers develop novel nanoadjuvant COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Finding effective and safe vaccines is crucial in the fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As a vital component of a subunit vaccine, the adjuvant strengthens the antigen-induced immune responses. Researchers at the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, the

Researchers examine the evolutionary race between SARS-CoV-2 and human defenses

Analysis indicated the number of mutations in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding domain (RBD) doubles every 72 days. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues infecting more people, SARS-CoV-2 is also evolving. Several new variants of the virus have now been discovered, some more infectious than the original strains. This

RNA editing protein ADAR1 protects telomeres and supports proliferation in cancer cells

Scientists at The Wistar Institute identified a new function of ADAR1, a protein responsible for RNA editing, discovering that the ADAR1p110 isoform regulates genome stability at chromosome ends and is required for continued proliferation of cancer cells. These findings, reported in Nature Communications, reveal an additional oncogenic function of ADAR1 and reaffirm its potential as

The Rock Just Shared His Favorite Post-Workout Protein Shake Recipe

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson regularly posts updates from his home gym showing off his epic workouts and sharing his advice for staying motivated while pursuing your fitness goals. And perhaps unsurprisingly given the results he achieves, he also knows a thing or two about supporting your progress through nutrition. As the training in his months-long

How effective has Israel’s SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination campaign been against the UK variant?

Several genetic variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have risen to prominence during the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, one of which is the UK variant – termed B.1.1.7 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This variant is associated with increased transmissibility compared to the wild-type

Current monoclonal antibodies less potent against SARS-CoV-2 variants

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to wreak havoc across the globe. Scientists are racing to develop effective therapeutic regimens to combat the infection. One of therapy currently used to stimulate a robust immune response against the virus is monoclonal antibodies, a treatment used for

COVID-19 and lung cancer have a common pathway, say researchers

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a transmissible viral disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen responsible for the ongoing global pandemic. The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019 and to date has caused over 109 million infections worldwide. With over 2.4 million