Small Molecules News and Research

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Scientists use an original approach to resolve the 3D structure of flaviviruses

In a recent study, Australian scientists used an original approach to resolve the 3D structure of flaviviruses with an unprecedented level of detail, identifying small molecules known as 'pocket factors' as new therapeutic targets.

1 Jun 2021

New drug effectively prevents severe COVID-19 in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2

The drug diABZI which activates the body's innate immune response -- was highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19 in mice that were infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

29 May 2021

Researchers use genomic sequencing technique to detect presence of various microbes

About 12,000 bacteria and viruses collected in a sampling from public transit systems and hospitals around the world from 2015 to 2017 had never before been identified, according to a study by the International MetaSUB Consortium, a global effort at tracking microbes that is led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

27 May 2021

New favipiravir derivative is a potent SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor

In a new study recently published in Chemical Papers by Dr. Amgad Rabie (May 16th, 2021), a high potency derivative of favipiravir towards SARS-CoV-2 is engineered and investigated.

27 May 2021

Repurposed gout medication (probenecid) shows potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication

New research by a team of scientists in the USA describes the potential utility of a drug called probenecid, commonly used to treat gout, to treat this devastating viral illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative virus of COVID-19.

25 May 2021

Novel natural compounds may help treat COVID-19, study suggests

A new study in the journal Chemistry Europe reports two natural compounds identified by virtual screening and computational modeling as having great promise for the development of drugs against SARS-CoV-2.

24 May 2021

Biorbyt receives Queen’s Award for Enterprise

Biorbyt is delighted to have been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its outstanding achievements in international trade.

From Biorbyt 24 May 2021

New framework could help manage COVID-19, deal with other major stresses

A new analysis of the effects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the current pandemic, on the human body has provided novel insights into the nature of resilience and how we deal with stressful situations.

17 May 2021

Researchers identify new compound that may prevent cardiac arrhythmia risk from common drugs

Dozens of commonly used drugs, including antibiotics, antinausea and anticancer medications, have a potential side effect of lengthening the electrical event that triggers contraction, creating an irregular heartbeat, or cardiac arrhythmia called acquired Long QT syndrome.

14 May 2021

Researchers develop a hairpin-shaped bicyclic peptide to fight cancer

The inhibition of pathological protein-protein interactions is a promising approach for treating a large number of diseases, including many forms of cancer.

12 May 2021

Researchers design compounds that prevent SARS-CoV-2 entry in human lung cells

Researchers have designed a new class of TMPRSS2 inhibitors that have shown broad antiviral activity against coronaviruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

11 May 2021

Researchers discover new binding sites for active agents on cell cytoskeleton

Through a unique combination of computer simulations and laboratory experiments, researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have discovered new binding sites for active agents - against cancer, for example - on a vital protein of the cell cytoskeleton. Eleven of the sites hadn't been known before. The study appears today in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

7 May 2021

Cryptic pocket on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 may be a promising treatment target

In a new study currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, a multinational group of researchers modeled an entire membrane-embedded spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and highlighted the potential of a specific mapping approach for unveiling cryptic, potentially druggable pockets on the viral surface.

7 May 2021

New computational tool helps screen molecules for their potential COVID-fighting properties

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, mass vaccinations have begun to raise the tantalizing prospect of herd immunity that eventually curtails or halts the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

4 May 2021

New method could be used to develop more effective treatments for cancer, metabolic disorders

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have developed a new method that makes it possible to control human hormones and metabolism.

28 Apr 2021

Researchers examine potential SARS-CoV-2 antivirals using a drug repurposing library

A new study deals with the screening of the Drug Repurposing Hub (DRH) library for identifying small compounds which are capable of inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 using both in vitro and in vivo experimental studies. These molecules could be used for designing a novel therapeutic system against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

26 Apr 2021

Can an immunosuppressive cancer drug promote SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells?

A new study shows that rapamycin, an immunosuppressive drug used in some cancers, and its analogs, may have an undesirable effect on viral entry into the host cells. This finding could inform their use to treat symptomatic COVID-19.

20 Apr 2021

Novel CRISPR-based technology may lead to powerful epigenetic therapies

Scientists have figured out how to modify CRISPR's basic architecture to extend its reach beyond the genome and into what's known as the epigenome -- proteins and small molecules that latch onto DNA and control when and where genes are switched on or off.

17 Apr 2021

Researchers probe intriguing interaction between sugars and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

A new study posted to the bioRxiv preprint server focuses on a novel formulation of magnetization or saturation transfer. This method is developed by amalgamating theoretical and computational approaches based on a Bayesian deconvolution algorithm, which helps obtain data more accurately and determine the ligand-protein interaction.

16 Apr 2021

New research could help solve major challenge in the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines

New research by University of Texas at Dallas scientists could help solve a major challenge in the deployment of certain COVID-19 vaccines worldwide -- the need for the vaccines to be kept at below-freezing temperatures during transport and storage.

15 Apr 2021