Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Friday said a large trial found that its COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid was not effective at preventing coronavirus infection in people living with someone infected with the virus. The trial enrolled 3,000 adults who were household contacts exposed to an individual who was experiencing symptoms and had recently tested [...]
We live in a world made and run by RNA, the equally important sibling of the genetic molecule DNA. In fact, evolutionary biologists hypothesize that RNA existed and self-replicated even before the appearance of DNA and the proteins encoded by it. Fast forward to modern day humans: science has revealed that less than 3% [...]
Unvaccinated people threaten the safety of the vaccinated even when SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rates are high, according to a new modeling study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). "Many opponents of vaccine mandates have framed vaccine adoption as a matter of individual choice," writes Dr. David Fisman, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, with coauthors. [...]
In a paper recently printed in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, to imitate the photonic reaction of squid skin, researchers sequenced, recombinantly produced, and self-assembled reflective proteins from Sepioteuthis. lessioniana into spherical nanoparticles by combining reflectin B1 with a click chemistry ligand. Taking Inspiration from Cephalopods Cephalopods (cuttlefish, squids and octopuses) are natural camouflage masters. [...]
A recent article published in the journal ACS Nano discusses the application of Escherichia coli (E. coli)-mimetic nanomaterials for photolytic treatment of CT-26 or 4T1 tumors. The authors synthesized the target nanomaterials using E. coli membrane proteins, gold nanorods (AuNRs), and adhesion proteins and named them E. coli-mimetic AuNRs (ECA). Further, the synthesized ECA showed a preventive effect in mice with [...]
A team of researchers working at China's Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University has developed a new kind of male contraceptive that is easily reversed. In their paper published in the journal ACS Nano, the group describes their approach, the elements that went into making their contraceptive and how well it worked when tested on rats. [...]
A study released April 22 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine shows that a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine provides strong protection, roughly 80% to 90%, in the first few months against hospital admissions and emergency department visits caused by the delta and omicron variants. However, against omicron, this protection wanes over time—even after a [...]
In a paper published in the journal Biomacromolecules, a flexible and effective two-step method centered on triazine and azide-alkyne click-chemistry was devised for fluorescent labeling of nanoscale cellulose for use in microscopy applications. The Vast Potential of Cellulose Nanomaterials Cellulose, a major constituent of the cell wall in plants, is the most abundantly available structured [...]
Nucleic acids analysis is mainly used in pathogen detection, genetic disease identification and early cancer diagnosis. For example, quantitative analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), a free DNA fragment derived from malignant cells which carries tumor specific sequence changes, can help obtain abundant information about tumors, including gene point mutation, genome integrity. Therefore, ctDNA [...]
In a study printed in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, chemical vapor deposition approach was used to produce a nanometric hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) coating on the cambered sides of every fiber in graphene glass fiber fabric (GGFF). Encapsulating Carbon-based Materials can Improve Oxidation Resistance Owing to their superior thermal and electrical characteristics, carbon-based materials like [...]
