Articles tagged with Protease
A research team has computationally designed a synthetic peptide that enables modular detection of coronavirus 3CLPro enzymatic activity. The optimized peptide produced clear loss-of-signal or gain-of-signal responses corresponding to different 3CLPro expression levels, measuring protease activity rather than viral presence.
Researchers discover that emerging tick-borne viruses can escape the human immune system by producing enzymes that remove proteins attached to human proteins, rendering them undetectable. This finding has significant implications for developing a surveillance system to monitor these viruses and potentially mitigating large outbreaks.
Researchers developed a machine-learning model to predict protease behavior, enabling more precise and effective treatments. The ProSSpeC calculator suggests engineered synthetic proteases that outperform widely used enzymes.
A study from UMBC reveals a conserved RNA-protein interaction as a promising target for broad-spectrum enterovirus antivirals. The researchers found that a fusion protein called 3CD recruits proteins to assemble the replication complex, and targeting this interface could lead to universal drugs.
Scientists develop novel experimental screening method to identify highly selective peptides with high therapeutic potential, enabling precise recognition of proteins involved in cancer and diabetes. The technique uses biologically- and chemically-modified bacteriophages to screen up to 1 billion peptides simultaneously.
Researchers identified Phaedra1 as a gene essential for stress-induced cell death in Drosophila melanogaster. The mTOR-Zeste-Phae1 pathway controls lethal stress-dependent individual death. Suppressing this pathway increases survival rates after exposure to lethal stress.
Researchers discovered a new pathway to boost immunity against parasitic infections, suggesting that NSAIDs like ibuprofen could be repurposed as anti-parasitic treatments. Gasdermin C plays a crucial role in this process, targeting and penetrating Rab7-positive vesicles to reduce prostaglandin d2 levels.
Researchers have developed a new strategy to target hard-to-target proteins in human cells by reprogramming proteases to selectively degrade disease-causing proteins. The study demonstrates proof of concept for developing novel therapies for Parkinson's disease, cancers, and other illnesses, using α-Synuclein as a model protein.
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has an enzyme that counteracts the innate defense mechanism against viruses, allowing it to evade the innate immune system and become more infectious. Understanding this mechanism may lead to the development of new antiviral drugs and treatments.
Researchers found that At2-MMP is essential for suppressing abnormal cell division and preventing excessive proliferation in wounded Arabidopsis stems. Overexpression of At2-MMP restored normal wound healing processes.
New insights into the processing of hormones in the human gut reveal dozens of peptides regulating appetite, bowel movement, and insulin secretion. By studying human intestinal organoids, researchers characterized potentially novel gut hormones, including glucagon, and explored its role in human physiology.
Researchers developed a novel computer simulation method that can analyze key proteins in the reproductive cycle of SARS-CoV-2, promising to accelerate the search for bioactive compounds against COVID-19. The method estimates a reduction in research time from two to three years to under a year.