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Three articles in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis uncover previously unknown drug and disease mechanisms

Researchers have identified promising treatment candidates for morphine tolerance and cancer, as well as a biomarker for kidney injury. A monoclonal antibody targeting the mu-opioid receptor has been shown to alleviate morphine tolerance and physical dependence, while inducing excessive mitochondrial fission in tumor cells. Additionall...

SourceCactus Communications·JournalJournal of Pharmaceutical Analysis·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 14, 2023

Accelerating drug development for lung diseases: New insights from single-cell genomics

A new experimental model, human precision-cut lung slices (hPCLS), was used to study lung disease mechanisms and understand treatment response. The team leveraged single-cell genomics to analyze cell activity in hPCLS after specific treatments.

Small but mighty: Microparticles from the placenta may offer major clues on the in utero development of neurobehavioral disorders

Researchers discovered how biological information travels between mothers and babies during pregnancy. Microscopic extracellular vesicles, produced by placental cells, act as a protective mechanism transporting important biological information to emerging neurons.

SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalBiology of Reproduction·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 5, 2023

Taking antibiotics back in time

A team of researchers successfully synthesized a 1.5-million-year-old antibiotic called paleomycin, which displays potent properties against human pathogens. By tracing the evolutionary path of glycopeptide antibiotics, the team gained insights into the development of new drugs and uncovered a common precursor molecule.

SourceCluster of Excellence “Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections” (CMFI)·JournalNature Communications·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 30, 2023

The role of marketing in disrupted health care markets: It’s time to move beyond conventional strategies to account for new actors, roles, and exchanges

Disrupted health care markets have changed the creation, provision, and consumption of health care. Marketing strategies need to account for new producers, providers, and consumers. The editorial calls for a research agenda outlining opportunities for marketing scholars to examine the impact of disrupted exchanges on consumer welfare.

SourceAmerican Marketing Association·JournalJournal of Marketing·DateNov 29, 2023

Can't un-cook an egg

Researchers at Kyoto University developed a new reactant demonstrating efficacy on proteins with drug-resistant mutations. The new inhibitor, ArNASA, reacts with lysine residues and is highly stable in physiological environments.

SourceKyoto University·JournalJACS·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 29, 2023

Scientists harness flower “super power” to pave the way for new drug treatments

Researchers at the University of Bath have created a novel bacterial system to mass-produce cyclic proteins and peptides, addressing a significant bottleneck in the development of new therapeutic treatments. By harnessing the natural cyclization process from the Oldenlandia flower, they improved heat and chemical stability, as well as ...

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalJACS Au·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 28, 2023

Two synthetic molecules developed to help elucidate cellular functions

Researchers at iGCORE in Japan developed two synthetic versions of an ADP-ribose fragment to study cellular functions. The approach enables the production of structurally well-defined oligo- and poly(ADP-ribose) samples, accelerating ADP-ribose biology research.

SourceInstitute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), Tokai National Higher Education and Research System·JournalEuropean Journal of Organic Chemistry·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 28, 2023

Oral delivery a possibility for silica-based C’Dots

Researchers at Cornell University have found that silica-based C’Dots can be taken up by the bloodstream after oral administration, making them a potential therapeutic delivery method. The particles' ability to induce ferroptosis, a cell death program, may also provide health benefits due to their natural presence in food.

SourceCornell University·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateNov 27, 2023

Scientists map the antigenic landscape

Researchers have successfully mapped the entire HLA class II landscape, predicting how pathogens are displayed on cell surfaces. The mapping reveals that multiple HLA variants play essential roles in autoimmune disorders and organ rejection, highlighting their potential for developing immunotherapy treatments.

SourceTechnical University of Denmark·JournalScience Advances·DateNov 24, 2023

Texas lab unlocks keys to alcohol withdrawal headache

A study by University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio researchers found that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) activates immune cells in the dura membrane under the skull, leading to pain signals. This discovery may lead to the development of a small-molecule drug therapy to inhibit CRF and MrgprB2 interaction.

SourceUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio·JournalNeuron·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 30, 2023

Suppression of cancer stemness and drug resistance via BRAF/EGFR/MEK inhibition in colorectal cancer cells

Researchers discovered that inhibiting the BRAF/EGFR/MEK pathway significantly reduced cancer stemness and drug resistance in primary colorectal cancer cells. The study also identified a triple combination treatment against BRAF, EGFR, and MEK as a promising approach to block these activities and develop effective treatments.

SourceImpact Journals LLC·JournalOncotarget·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 11, 2023

Significant development in mild cognitive impairment treatment revealed in Australia

A clinical trial led by Western Sydney University's NICM Health Research Institute has revealed that Sailuotong, a novel herbal extract, shows promise as a potential treatment for mild cognitive impairment. The study found improvements in memory and executive function in participants taking SLT compared to those on a placebo.

SourceNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University·JournalAlzheimer s & Dementia·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateOct 11, 2023

STAT3 as a target in H3K27M-mutant DMGs

Researchers discovered the STAT3 signaling pathway as a potential target for treating H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs), a uniformly lethal central nervous system malignancy. The current standard of care, including palliative radiation and chemotherapy, remains ineffective in this disease.

SourceImpact Journals LLC·JournalOncotarget·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateOct 10, 2023

University of Virginia team’s research offers hope for pulmonary fibrosis patients

A University of Virginia team has developed a new analytical tool using hydrogels to cultivate vascular sprouting from mouse lung tissue, providing new insight into idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The research aims to understand the biomechanical and biochemical cues to blood vessels in the lungs during disease progression.

SourceUniversity of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalMicrocirculation·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 29, 2023

"Radar" detects active cellular destroyers

A team of scientists has developed a method to detect active Cullin-RING ligases (CRLs), which are responsible for destroying unwanted proteins in cells. The new technology, called a molecular radar, reveals which CRLs are deployed to address cellular stresses and perform the actions of some anti-cancer drugs.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature Chemical Biology·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 26, 2023

Drug discovery on an unprecedented scale

A recent study published in the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling presents a significant breakthrough in accelerating giga-scale virtual screens using machine learning. The researchers successfully reduced processing time by 10-fold for 1.56 billion drug-like molecules, identifying top-scoring compounds in under ten days.

SourceUniversity of Eastern Finland·JournalJournal of Chemical Information and Modeling·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 25, 2023