Bursting viruses’ bubbles

Instead of attacking the proteins on the shells of viruses — proteins that tend to evolve pretty quickly — why not just skip past those and burst the viruses’ bubbles, literally? That’s the plan over at NYU.

The idea is that the immune system doesn’t target a virus’s surface proteins — it goes after the virus particles themselves via their membranes. And it turns out that virus membranes contain a lipid called phosphatidylserine on the outside, where human cells have phosphatidylserine on the inside.

You see where this is going: Phosphatidylserine is a handy target. So the NYUians tested some artificial peptides called peptoids^* against some big-name viruses like Zika, Rift Valley fever, and chikungunya. And — Bam! — they cut through the viruses’ shells and destroyed the little buggers. In the lab, anyway.

Their peptoid-focused approach may hold promise for treating a wide range of viruses with membranes that can be difficult to treat, including Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, and herpes.

^* The real ones break down too easily.

Pfizer-Moderna mRNA cage match

Which of the two Covid mRNA vaccines is better and safer for older folks? Brown University researchers decided to find out.

The answer is … Moderna’s. It was about 15% better at preventing Covid-19 infection, and had “a slightly lower risk of adverse events than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.” Of course the dangers from getting Covid itself are far greater than either vaccine’s potential side effects.

Smells against cognitive decline

The fact that losing your sense of smell is an indication of declining cognitive function isn’t news. But UC Irvine neurobiologists decided to see if they could flip that idea. They exposed sleeping older people (with their consent) to various scents^* via aromatherapy diffusers to see if that would affect their mental acuity.

There were seven different scents involved, used individually for two hours each night over 6 months. Then they tested the subjects. And what d’ya know:

People in the enriched group showed a 226% increase in cognitive performance compared to the control group […] Imaging revealed better integrity in the brain pathway called the left uncinate fasciculus….

Note for cynics: The study was supported by Proctor & Gamble, and “A product based on their study and designed for people to use at home is expected to come onto the market this fall.”

^* Rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and lavender

Someone didn’t get the message

Most people know that GLP-1 inhibitors can have some significant gastrointestinal side effects. But “most people” apparently doesn’t include at least one woman in Louisiana. She’s suing Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

The lawsuit claims that [she] has suffered from “severe vomiting, stomach pain, gastrointestinal burning,” and has been hospitalized for stomach issues on “several” occasions.

The drugs’ labels warn about ‘gastrointestinal adverse reactions,’ but she says they weren’t specific enough and now she wants “damages for past and future pain and suffering [and] medical costs along with attorney fees and court costs.”

Two new cancer targets

Targeting cancer’s spread

Belgian researchers are testing a different way to tackle cancer. Rather than simply trying to kill the tumor, they’re trying to prevent it from metastasizing — that, after all, is what eventually causes most cancer deaths.

If you want some big words, here you go: They’re targeting the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process that cancer cells use to form metastases, and they’ve created the first drug to do that.

What’s even better about the drug, called NP137, is that it’s not only been tested on mice, but human trials have started with positive results.

Attacking solid tumors

Researchers at Los Angeles’s City of Hope cancer center say they’ve developed a drug that targets a protein in solid tumors called proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). What’s special about PCNA is that a mutated form of it “is critical in DNA replication and repair of all expanding tumors.”

In other words, the mutated PCNA is unique to tumors, making it a great target.

That in mind, they’ve “developed a targeted chemotherapy that appears to annihilate all solid tumors in preclinical research” while leaving normal cells alone. And even if it doesn’t work 100%, it can make cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy.

“Our cancer-killing pill is like a snowstorm that closes a key airline hub, shutting down all flights in and out only in planes carrying cancer cells.”

They’ve already begun phase 1 human trials.

The Long Read: Don’t Trust, Do Verify edition

Yikes: “Investigations suggest that, in some fields, at least one-quarter of clinical trials might be problematic or even entirely made up.”