Small Molecules News and Research

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New small molecules offer promising new way to treat autoinflammatory diseases

EPFL scientists have discovered two small-molecule compound series that can effectively block a central pathway of the innate immune system, offering a promising new way for treating autoinflammatory diseases.

4 Jul 2018

Researchers use Tecan Spark multimode reader to investigate epidermolysis bullosa

Researchers at the University Hospital of Salzburg's EB House Austria are using a Tecan Spark multimode reader to investigate epidermolysis bullosa, a rare inherited disease that causes the skin to become ‘as fragile as a butterfly’s wings’, blistering in response to friction or trauma.

From Tecan 4 Jul 2018

Potential oocyte-specific factors that can drive somatic cell reprogramming

The promise of generating truly pluripotent stem cells from terminally differentiated adult cell types continues to captivate scientists who envision great potential for therapeutic interventions.

4 Jul 2018

Study finds that several existing anti-cancer drugs may work in part by binding to RNA

Bolstering the notion that RNA should be considered an important drug-discovery target, scientists at Scripps Research have found that several existing, FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs may work, in part, by binding tightly to RNA, the regulators of the basic activities of life within cells.

30 Jun 2018

Hearing partially restored in deaf lab mice using novel therapy

A small molecule of a drug has been successfully used to treat an inherited form of hearing loss in laboratory mice.

28 Jun 2018

Novel theranostic agent designed for precise tumor diagnosis and therapy

A novel, intelligent theranostic agent for precise tumor diagnosis and therapy has been developed that remains as small molecules while circulating in the bloodstream, can then self-assemble into larger nanostructures in the tumor, and be activated by the tumor microenvironment for therapy guided by photoacoustic imaging.

26 Jun 2018

Targeting proteins in semen could prevent sexually transmitted spread of Ebola virus

Protein fragments, called amyloid fibrils, in human semen significantly increase Ebola virus infection and protect the virus against harsh environmental conditions such as heat and dehydration. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report these findings in a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

26 Jun 2018

New approach could provide objective and easy-to-obtain measure of dietary adherence

An analysis of small molecules called "metabolites" in a blood sample may be used to determine whether a person is following a prescribed diet, scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have shown.

20 Jun 2018

Scientists elucidate 3D structure of protein involved in cancer

The human glutamine transporter ASCT2 is upregulated in several forms of cancer. It is also the docking platform for a wide range of pathogenic retroviruses.

6 Jun 2018

New 3D brain organoid may hold potential in drug discovery, disease modeling

Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine scientists have developed a 3D brain organoid that could have potential applications in drug discovery and disease modeling.

30 May 2018

Cancer cells co-opt pain-sensing 'neural channel' to increase tolerance against oxidative stress

Anyone who's taken a bite of a sandwich with too much spicy mustard or a piece of sushi with too much wasabi can attest to the tear-inducing sensation these condiments can cause. These loud warnings to the nervous system of exposure to potentially harmful chemicals are triggered by TRPA1, a calcium channel protein sometimes referred to as the "wasabi receptor."

25 May 2018

Researchers take important step toward finding protein biomarkers during cancer surgery

Isabelle Fournier and her team are out to change surgical oncology. "Better surgery is associated with better prognosis and higher survival," said Fournier, a professor at the University of Lille and co-director of a proteomics center of INSERM, the French national institute of health.

24 May 2018

Study identifies new mechanism involved in development of Lou Gehrig's disease

A new Tel Aviv University study identifies a previously unknown mechanism involved in the development of Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

23 May 2018

Malaria-causing parasite seeks refuge inside the liver to replicate and survive

When the malaria-causing Plasmodium parasite first slips into the human bloodstream, injected by the bite of an infected mosquito, it does not immediately target red blood cells.

23 May 2018

Scientists discover how unusually long strands of RNA help colon cancer cells avoid death

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered how unusually long strands of RNA help colon cancer cells avoid death, allowing unregulated growth.

17 May 2018

Researcher develops small molecules that inhibit derailment of gene expression in cancer

Not everyone person who has a "cancer gene" will inevitably develop this disease in their lifetime. Thanks to a new area of research called epigenetics, we now know that many genes are only read under certain circumstances.

17 May 2018

Researchers are developing new algorithms to predict protein structure

With protein design dating back to the mid-1970s, today’s scientists have access to a huge amount of information and tools that they can use to create proteins – such abundant, diverse material, in fact, that the data they need may be hard to find.

16 May 2018

Scientists find way to inhibit growth of specific gut microbes associated with diseases

Emerging evidence suggests that microbes in the digestive system have a big influence on human health and may play a role in the onset of disease throughout the body.

3 May 2018

Researchers discover blood biomarkers that may help detect, confirm mild traumatic brain injury

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, Georgetown University and the University of Rochester have found that specific small molecules in blood plasma may be useful in determining whether someone has sustained a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), commonly known as a concussion.

20 Apr 2018

Experts propose new solutions to increase benefit, affordability of targeted cancer medicines

Spending on cancer drugs in the United States has nearly doubled in the past five years and continues to grow, imposing substantial financial burden on patients with cancer.

18 Apr 2018