Press monitoring
Synthetic molecules mimic human cells to lure and kill the flu virus
16.12.2020 | Press monitoring
The influenza virus as proven to be a very tricky foe to fight. Now, researchers at EPFL in Switzerland have developed synthetic molecules that can kill the flu virus by mimicking human cells, and putting the squeeze on the virus when it attaches itself to the decoy. Current antiviral drugs, such as oseltamivir (or Tamiflu), work by attacking the...
Immunity-boosting silica nanoparticles could replace pesticides
14.12.2020 | Press monitoring
Pesticides may indeed kill plant pathogens, but they're also harmful to the environment. Newly developed nanoparticles may provide a more eco-friendly alternative, as they boost the immune systems of crop plants, then harmlessly dissolve. Occurring naturally in soil, a compound known as silicic acid has for some time been known to provoke...
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Single gene therapy injection surprisingly boosts vision in both eyes
11.12.2020 | Press monitoring
This latest study was conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge, the University of Pittsburgh and Paris’ Institut de la Vision, and focuses on a form of inherited vision loss called Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). This affects around one in 30,000 people and usually occurs in young folks aged in their 20s and 30s,...
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New method to boost supply of life-saving stem cells
9.12.2020 | Press monitoring
Researchers at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona and Columbia University in New York City have identified a protein that is critical for the expansion of typically scarce, life-saving blood stem cells. The discovery may lead to new methods for growing a large quantity of these stem cells, both inside and outside the human body,...
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Medicine-carriers made from human cells can cure lung infections
7.12.2020 | Press monitoring
Scientists used human white blood cell membranes to carry two drugs, an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory, directly to infected lungs in mice. The nano-sized drug delivery method developed at Washington State University successfully treated both the bacterial growth and inflammation in the mice's lungs. The study, recently published in...
Self-adjusting insulin promises safer blood sugar control for diabetics
4.12.2020 | Press monitoring
An incredible proof-of-concept study from a team of European scientists has demonstrated the development of a novel insulin molecule that can sense blood sugar levels and self-adjust its activity in response to a patient’s needs. The experimental molecule has only been tested in animals so far but the researchers are hopeful further development...
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Plant-inspired alkaloids protect rice, kiwi and citrus from harmful bacteria
2.12.2020 | Press monitoring
Plants get bacterial infections, just as humans do. When food crops and trees are infected, their yield and quality can suffer. Although some compounds have been developed to protect plants, few of them work on a wide variety of crops, and bacteria are developing resistance. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food...
Modified cancer-killing virus avoids triggering immune system response
30.11.2020 | Press monitoring
Viruses largely get a bad rap, but some may be helpful. Oncolytic viruses selectively hunt down and kill cancer cells, but this emerging therapy can be rendered ineffective or even dangerous if it alerts the immune system. Now scientists have tweaked these viruses to avoid detection by the immune system, allowing them to track down cancer even...
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Experimental evolution reveals how bacteria gain drug resistence
27.11.2020 | Press monitoring
A research team at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) in Japan has succeeded in experimentally evolving the common bacteria Escherichia coli under pressure from a large number of individual antibiotics. In doing so, they were able to identify the mechanisms and constraints underlying evolved drug resistance. Their findings...
DNA molecules yield biochemical random number
25.11.2020 | Press monitoring
ETH scientists have generated a huge true random number using DNA synthesis. It is the first time that a number of this magnitude has been created by biochemical means. True random numbers are required in fields as diverse as slot machines and data encryption. These numbers need to be truly random, such that they cannot even be predicted by...
