Research & Development

Pre-existing coronavirus antibodies could protect against new COVID-19 strains

9 November 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Researchers have found antibodies, from infection with common cold coronaviruses, can also target SARS-CoV-2 - especially in children.

Role of retrons in bacteria revealed, with potential for use in gene editing

9 November 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

The role that retrons in bacteria has been discovered by researchers, who found they protect colonies when infected by viruses.

Inflammatory bowel disease drugs could combat COVID-19, study suggests

6 November 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Anti-inflammatory therapies for inflammatory bowel disease could aid recovery from COVID-19 as they target an enzyme involved in both diseases.

Developing drugs for disordered proteins

6 November 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

Scientists have developed a drug-like molecule to target amyloid-beta, a disordered protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease that has been considered undruggable.

Team identifies new potential approach to treat multiple sclerosis

6 November 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Researchers have prevented immune cells from attacking myelin in mice, which stopped the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Protease inhibitor aprotinin shows promise against SARS-CoV-2 in cells

5 November 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Researchers have found that aprotinin, an approved drug for influenza in Russia, combats SARS-CoV-2 in cells.

Persistence of infected cells in lungs could explain long-term COVID-19 symptoms, say scientists

4 November 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Researchers have found the genome of COVID-19 and infected cell syncytia in the respiratory cells of deceased patients, potentially explaining long-term coronavirus effects.

IDBS

Scientists identify new way to target leukaemia cells

28 October 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Researchers have found they can make leukaemia cells vulnerable by dislodging leukaemia stem cells from a tumour-promoting niche.

Novel vaccine protects mice from lung, bowel and pancreatic cancer

23 October 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

By targeting the mutated KRAS gene, researchers have developed an experimental vaccine that protected mice against a range of cancers.

Mini lung organoids reveal early SARS-CoV-2 infection process

23 October 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Using lung organoids, researchers have shown that 48 hours after SARS-CoV-2 infection, the innate immune response began.

Novel anti-inflammatory slows progression of MS in mice

22 October 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

When delivered intranasally, the anti-inflammatory drug VX-765 prevented axon demyelination and loss in a murine model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

CBD could treat inflammation caused by COVID-19, study shows

20 October 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Researchers have found that CBD reduces inflammation in the lungs of COVID-19 mouse models by increasing levels of the apelin peptide.

First draft sequence of human proteome released

20 October 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Researchers have mapped 90 percent of the human proteome, which could inform the development of new medicines.

SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease could be a novel drug target

19 October 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

Scientists suggest targeting the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) with inhibitors could prevent the spread of infection.