SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus that causes COVID-19 disease. It attacks the human body through multiple steps. Entering cells deep in the lungs and hijacking the molecular machinery of human host cells to produce copies of the virus itself are the first two steps – both of these steps are essential for virus infection. In a new study, researchers from the University of Arizona and the University of South…
X-ray crystallization
Nature Reveals Why SARS-CoV-2 Infects Cells So Easily
According to a new study, the protein used by coronaviruses to attach to human cells has a compressed “ridge”, which allows it to attach to human cells more firmly than similar viruses, allowing it to infect better and spread faster. According to a previous field scientific report, the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, attaches to human cells through something called a “spike protein”. When the spike protein binds to a human…
Baicalin and Baicalein Can Effectively Inhibit SARS-CoV-2, Study Found
Human infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome type 2 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) can cause coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and there is currently no cure. 3c-like protease (3CLpro) is a highly conserved protease essential in the process of coronavirus replication and is a promising target for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. In order to accelerate the discovery and development of drugs, researchers from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of…
Introduction on The Significance of 3D Reconstruction of DNA to Breeding Offspring
From the father to the offspring, the transmission of genetic information requires careful packaging of the DNA in the sperm. However, the way how this DNA is packaged is still unknown. In a recent study, scientists used new techniques to reveal the three-dimensional organization of DNA in mature male germ cells, revealing a critical period of development that helps explain how fathers pass genetic information to offspring. Research findings…
New Way to Block Cancer Immunosuppression Developed
In a new study, Belgian researchers elucidated the three-dimensional structure of a protein complex that suppresses immune responses on the cell surface. They also discovered how antibodies can block this protein complex and its downstream induced immunosuppression. Such antibodies may be used to activate an immune response against tumor cells in cancer patients, thereby triggering immune cells to destroy the tumor. The results of the study were published online in…