University of Massachusetts Medical School researchers, led by Kerafast providing investigator Dr. Abraham L. Brass, have used CRISPR technology to identify human proteins required for Zika virus infection and replication. These proteins now represent potential targets for the development of Zika treatments. Zika is a flavivirus, a family of mosquito-trasmitted viruses that also includes dengue,
Mitochondria are organelles within eukaryotic cells most commonly known for their role in cellular respiration and the generation of ATP. Mitochondria are unique from other organelles in that they contain their own circular DNA and reproduce independently from the rest of the cell. Interestingly, only maternal mitochondria are passed on to offspring. In order to
T cells that have been genetically altered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have demonstrated cancer-fighting activity against hematologic cancers. However, CAR T cell therapy’s potential to treat solid tumors remains a question because of the lack of cell surface antigens specific to cancer cells. A recent study published in the journal Immunity has shown
Researchers at Georgia State University have designed a protein that can effectively target a cell surface receptor linked to a number of diseases, including cancer. The researchers believe this synthetic protein, which they named ProAgio, has the potential to be a therapeutic treatment for various illnesses. Their work was recently published in Nature Communications. The
Here at Kerafast, we recently added the first monobody products to our catalog, prompting us to ask the question: what exactly is a monobody? Monobodies, as it turns out, are actually synthetic binding proteins. Based on a molecular scaffold composed of a fibronection type III domain (FN3), they are an alternative to traditional antibodies, belonging
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease where an individual’s immune cells destroy the beta cells of the pancreas. Beta cells are responsible for the production and secretion of insulin, a hormone that allows the body to use or store glucose from foods. People with T1D suffer from high blood glucose that can result
A recent study published in the Nature-affiliated journal Scientific Reports describes the use of bacteriophage, or phage, to reverse resistance of the bacteria Pseudomonas aueroginosa to antibiotics. Phage are viruses that attack bacteria and this particular bacteriophage, OMKO1 (family Myoviridae), was found in a pond in East Lyme, Connecticut, not far from lead author Dr.
Malaria parasites hijack a part of the human immune response called the complement system to invade red blood cells, according to new study published in EBioMedicine. This finding could help in the design, development and testing of more effective anti-malaria vaccines. The complement system The complement system, part of the innate immune system, consists of
As a thank you to our customers, we’re holding a raffle this month to give away a pizza party to one lucky lab! Anyone who places an order in June will automatically be entered into the raffle. At the beginning of July, we will select and contact the winning laboratory. We will then work with
Reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions involve the transfer of electrons between chemical species. These reactions play a role in many common processes, such as cellular respiration and metal corrosion, and can also result in the formation of free radicals, which in high levels cause significant cellular damage. As a result, redox biology is an important area of