Protective selective pressure
Article Abstract:
The hypothesis that alpha-thalassaemia provides some protection against malaria was tested in children on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. It was found that children who had alpha-thalassaemia had a higher incidence of malaria, particularly for the youngest children and for the non-lethal malarial parasite Plasmodium vivax. Williams et al. theorized that early infection by the less virulent malarial parasite P. vivax may act as a natural vaccine and may produce immunity against a fatal or more severe malaria. Thus, several malarial attacks in childhood may lead to protection against dying from malaria.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Design of potent selective zinc-mediated serine protease inhibitors
Article Abstract:
Many serine proteases play key roles in disease and are targets for therapeutic intervention. Small molecule inhibitors of serine proteases could be used in the development of drugs selective for protease targets. Bis(5-amidino-2-benzimidazolyl)methane (BABIM) is the best inhibitor of trypsin. Crystallographic methods were used to probe the structural basis of inhibition, and a new method of high-affinity binding involving a Zn(super2+) ion was discovered.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1998
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Human TNF mutants with selective activity on the p55 receptor
Article Abstract:
Human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) mutants have been isolated that attach to the human TNF-R55 cell receptor but not to the TNF-R75 receptor. Binding tests involving cell lines from human larynx carcinomas showed that the mutant forms will not bind to both receptors as was the case with previous forms of TNF. The TNF mutants may become powerful tumor-fighting drugs since they cause much less systemic toxicity than earlier TNF.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1993
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Large-scale freshening of intermediate waters in the Pacific and Indian oceans
- Abstracts: Rational design of potent sialidase-based inhibitors of influenza virus replication. The power of design
- Abstracts: Electric current stimulates laughter. Electric field effect in correlated oxide systems. The electric Moho
- Abstracts: Potential awareness of plants. ATP-dependent glutathione S-conjugate 'export' pump in the vacuolar membrane of plants
- Abstracts: Sequence-specific scission of DNA by RNAs linked to a chemical nuclease. A rational attack on influenza