ACE2 protein protects against severe COVID-19 in women, study shows 18 December 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review) According to new research, because women have two copies of the ACE2 protein, they are less likely to suffer from severe COVID-19, unlike men who have one copy.
Researchers reveal protein function that could improve chemotherapy 18 December 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review) Scientists have found that the RFWD3 protein could play a role in recruiting DNA key repair and signalling factors, impacting chemotherapy.
New treatment approach kills lymphoma while sparing healthy cells in mice 17 December 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review) By combining natural killer cells with a new molecule called Sialyl-Lewis X, researchers were able to treat lymphoma in mice.
Assay reveals potency of neutralising antibodies in COVID-19 patients 17 December 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review) Researchers have shown that neutralising antibodies developed in COVID-19 patients were less potent if from those with severe or fatal disease.
Next-generation diabetes prodrugs identified using novel screening platform 17 December 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review) Researchers engineered the Disque Platform, a high-fidelity culture system, to enable them to screen drugs able to promote β cell proliferation.
Single interaction could explain the disparity in COVID-19 effects 17 December 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review) According to researchers, an interaction between host microRNA and SARS-CoV-2 could be responsible for the range of disease severities.
Novel class of targeted cancer therapies could treat myeloid leukaemias 16 December 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review) Cancer researchers have created a new class of drugs to selectively target and destroy myeloid leukaemia cells with TET gene mutations.
New drug may boost vaccine responses in older adults 16 December 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review) Researchers have found that spermidine can ramp up autophagy and boost T-cell function, potentially increasing the protective effects of vaccines in older adults.
Opaganib shows promise in preventing ARDS-induced thrombosis 16 December 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review) Opaganib reduced blood clot length and weight in a pre-clinical model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Researchers develop drug discovery tool for RNA 16 December 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review) Scientists have created a drug discovery platform that enables the discovery and optimisation of RNA-targeting compounds.
One-step method developed to generate mice for vaccine research 15 December 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review) Using CRISPR-Cas9, scientists have developed a new method for generating mouse lines for vaccine research in just a few weeks.
Biomarkers for predicting COVID-19 disease severity 15 December 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review) Scientists have created a prognostic classification model which uses biomarkers to help predict an individual’s risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms.
New SARS-CoV-2 strain identified in South East England 15 December 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review) UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said there is a mutated form of SARS-CoV-2 that may be causing a rise in infections in South East England.
Identification of novel biosynthetic pathways in lichens could lead to new therapeutics 14 December 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review) Scientists have identified a new family of biosynthetic genes in lichens with unknown functions, which could produce new molecules for the pharmaceutical industry.
Genome-wide association study reveals targets for COVID-19 treatments 14 December 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review) The study found five key genetic differences when they compared sequences from severe COVID-19 patients to healthy individuals.
