by Cornell University Researchers from Cornell University have identified a possible target for antiviral treatment for COVID-19. The researchers initially set out to analyze the structure and characteristics of SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) and MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus), with a focus on the spike protein—specifically the fusion peptide—that allows these viruses...
by Anne Trafton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology In hopes of developing a possible treatment for COVID-19, a team of MIT chemists has designed a drug candidate that they believe may block coronaviruses’ ability to enter human cells. The potential drug is a short protein fragment, or peptide, that mimics a protein found on the surface...
Sponsored Content by Manchester BIOGEL Barrett’s esophagus requires endoscopic treatment and can often result in further damage of healthy tissue leading to fibrotic tissue formation, referred to as strictures. This study demonstrates that synthetic, self-assembling peptide hydrogels(PeptiGelDesign) support the activity and function of primary oesophageal cells, and, in turn, epithelialization and stratification occur during in...
Although there have been advances in microsurgical procedures, options for treatment to restore prior function after peripheral nerve injury are still unavailable. Currently, autologous nerve grafting remains the favored therapy. However, experimental researchers recently have concentrated efforts on artificial constructs development, specifically to combine smart biomaterials and stem cells, with the aim of enhancing the...
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY A team of researchers has verified that it is possible to engineer two-layered nanofibers consisting of an ordered row of alternating peptides, and has also determined what makes these peptides automatically assemble into this pattern. The fundamental discovery raises the possibility of creating tailored “ABAB” peptide nanofibers with a variety of...
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have developed nanoparticles that, in the lab, can activate immune responses to cancer cells. If they are shown to work as well in the body as they do in the lab, the nanoparticles might provide an effective and more affordable way to fight cancer. They are cheaper to produce and easier...
LUND UNIVERSITY Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a new hydrogel based on the body’s natural peptide defense. It has been shown to prevent and treat infections in wounds. The formulation kills multi-resistant bacteria, something that is increasing in importance with antibiotic resistance growing globally. “The ability to effectively heal wounds is key...
By Michael Irving One of the most alarmingly plausible (and often overlooked) doomsday scenarios is the rise of the superbug, bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. But now, scientists have found a new potential treatment – and it was hiding in our skin the whole time. Our bodies already do a pretty good job of...
by Natasha Wadlington, University of Illinois at Chicago In a paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago researchers and colleagues report a new mechanism for detecting foreign material during early immune responses. Viruses, bacteria and cancer have many ways to replicate and survive in our bodies. For viruses and...
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF NURSING PHILADELPHIA (OCTOBER 31, 2019) – Opioid use disorder and overdose deaths are a major public health crisis in the United States. While medication-assisted treatments for opioid use disorder exist, these treatments remain inadequate for many patients, resulting in a high rate of relapse following detoxification. A new study from...
