A study of the genetic determinants of HIV viral load in 3,879 people of African ancestries has found what is claimed to be the only new variant related to HIV infection discovered in more than two decades of research into how host genomics affects the response to the retrovirus.
Researchers from Laboratoire Biodim presented the discovery of novel HIV-1 integrase-LEDGF allosteric inhibitors (INLAIs), designed to share the binding site on the viral protein with the host factor LEDGF/p75. INLAIs act as molecular glues to promote hyper-multimerization of HIV-1 integrase protein to produce defective progeny virions, and as such, severely disrupt maturation of viral particles.
Evaxion Biotech A/S has presented promising results on EVX-B1, a vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus containing antigens identified using artificial intelligence. EVX-B1 induces strong immune responses, both cellular and humoral, that translate to a high level of protection in preclinical models for skin infection and sepsis.
Suzhou Ark Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. researchers have prepared and tested heteroaromatic bicyclic compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.
Colonization of the stomach by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori can cause gastric cancer by secreting the CagA oncoprotein. Now, a Japanese laboratory has discovered that CagA disrupted Wnt/PCP signaling and altered the polarity in which the squamous cells of the developing gastric epithelium are arranged, causing the hyperproliferation of the stem cells.
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have shown a possible beneficial role for muscle wasting in mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei, a parasite that causes sleeping sickness in humans. The team assessed the impact of both fat and muscle wasting on survival of mice with T. brucei infection. They found that while fat wasting appeared to have no impact on survival, mice that were unable to undergo muscle wasting died more quickly from the infection than those that experienced muscle loss.
An mRNA vaccine candidate that acts in the liver by recruiting memory T cells could be the key against malaria, according to a study in mice that demonstrated its efficacy by including a natural killer T (NKT) cell agonist.
Although huge strides have been made with antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prevention since HIV was first reported 42 years ago, there is still not an effective preventive vaccine or a scalable cure for those living with HIV. But broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) look to be a further step down the pathway to a cure, speakers said during the International AIDS Society meeting held July 23 to 26 in Brisbane, Australia.
Suzhou Ark Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has synthesized 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro; Mpro; nsp5) (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 virus) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19).
Sandfly bites transmit the intracellular protozoan Leishmania to cause leishmaniasis that exhibits with clinical presentations ranging from a cutaneous ulcer to treatment-resistant lethal systemic disease (visceral leishmaniasis; VL). VL reportedly kills 20,000 to 30,000 every year according to the World Health Organization, where current medications are limited by side effects and evolving antibiotic resistance. Accordingly, there is a great need to develop alternatives.