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Protein Science Best Paper awards annoucement

Charlotte Miton and Zach Schaefer have won the Protein Society's Year 2016 Best Paper award for their research on mutational epistasis and protein structure. Their study reveals that epistasis plays a major role in constraining evolutionary trajectories, with half of fixed mutations becoming positive at later rounds of evolution.

A kiss of death to drug the 'undruggable'

Researchers have found a way to selectively degrade proteins that are difficult to target with drugs, using a small molecule approach that binds to neutralizing agents. The discovery provides a paradigm shift in targeting 'undruggable' proteins and offers new hope for cancer treatment and drug development.

SourceUniversity of Dundee·JournalNature Chemical Biology·DateMar 13, 2017

New study seeks to use human serum to detect heart attacks

A new study has developed an electrical immunosensor that can detect heart attacks within a minute using human serum. The system works by measuring the level of cardiac troponin I, a protein excreted by the heart muscle after a heart attack. This novel immunosensor holds considerable potential for use in biomedical diagnosis.

SourceUlsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST)·JournalBiosensors and Bioelectronics·DateDec 12, 2016

Fighting the gram-negatives

A team of scientists from Germany has identified a class of quinone-like substances with an epoxide functional group that can kill problematic Salmonella pathogens. The compounds work by interfering with the bacterial stress response system, making them a potential tool in the fight against multidrug resistance.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateOct 27, 2016

Targeted missiles against aggressive cancer cells

Researchers at Lund University have developed a method to target and destroy aggressive cancer cells using 'missiles' that can deliver lethal cell toxins. The study identified specific proteins on the surface of stressed cancer cells, which can be used as targets for delivering drugs into the cells, leaving healthy tissue unharmed.

SourceLund University·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 20, 2016

Research reveals promising novel strategy to target cancer-causing protein

A team of scientists has discovered a mechanism by which tumor cells elevate levels of MDM4, a protein highly expressed in cancer cells. Targeting MDM4 abundance with antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) impairs tumour growth and increases cell death, offering a promising clinically-compatible therapeutic target for various cancers.

SourceVIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateDec 16, 2015

New vaccine could prevent high cholesterol

A new vaccine has shown promise in reducing 'bad' LDL cholesterol levels in mice and macaques, suggesting potential as an alternative to statins. The vaccine targets the PCSK9 protein, which regulates cholesterol levels in the blood, offering a more powerful treatment with fewer side effects.

SourceElsevier·JournalVaccine·DateNov 10, 2015

Towards a favorable systemic radio-immunother target

A study using ^90Y-daclizumab, an anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody, achieved complete and partial responses in 50% of patients with relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma. The treatment showed minor toxicity, but six patients developed myelodysplastic syndrome, limiting its use as a standalone therapy.

SourceWorld Scientific·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 15, 2015

A taxi ride to starch granules

The discovery of Protein Targeting to Starch (PTST) reveals the crucial role of a molecule in transporting Granular Bound Starch Synthase (GBSS) to starch granules, necessary for normal amylose synthesis. The research found that PTST is essential for GBSS stability and function.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalPLOS Biology·DateFeb 26, 2015

The shadow of a disease

Researchers developed an optical method called iSCAT to detect individual proteins, such as those in cancers, using scattered light shadows. The method promises more sensitive diagnoses and sheds light on fundamental biochemical processes.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature Communications·DateSep 12, 2014

Knowing how bacteria take out trash could lead to new antibiotics

Researchers have uncovered how bacteria control their growth and division by destroying key proteins through regulated protein degradation, a critical process for bacterial virulence. Understanding this mechanism may lead to the discovery of new antibiotics targeting pathways that allow bacteria to overcome stressful conditions.

SourceUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 4, 2014

Unmasking viral invaders

Researchers used mass spectrometry to study CMV's dynamics in infected cells, identifying ways the virus evades the immune system and targeting cell surface proteins. The discovery offers new therapeutic targets and potential treatments for CMV-related diseases.

SourceHarvard Medical School·JournalCell·DateJun 5, 2014

New molecules doom proteins with kiss of death

Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new type of antibody, called a ubiquibody, which can target specific proteins for destruction. This technology could provide a powerful way to fine-tune research on protein deletion or reduction, and may also prove useful for future drug therapies.

SourceCornell University·JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry·DateMar 5, 2014