University of Malta researchers have discovered a potential cause of the persistent and often debilitating symptoms experienced by long COVID-19 patients. The new study published in the scientific journal BBA Molecular Basis of Disease has implications on the development of medications to treat individuals that have not completely recovered from COVID-19 infection. Nearly one third of individuals that recover from COVID-19 are plagued by symptoms that are often life-derailing including lingering fatigue, breathlessness, difficulty with concentrating (often called ‘brain fog’) and muscle weakness. Although long COVID is increasingly becoming a significant global burden affecting everyday functioning, its cause has been elusive. SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, latches onto the ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor, which acts as the doorway through which the virus infects cells. In a pioneering study, researchers at the University of Malta exploited fruit flies to curb down the levels of the ACE2 receptor. In the absence of the virus, this was enough to induce fatigue and diminished mobility.
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Published in The Sunday Times of Malta: view PDF / view digital edition
University of Malta researchers have revealed how disruption of the DCTN1 gene causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The new study published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Neuroscience has implications on the development of treatments for this relentless disease.
ALS is a neurological disease attacking the nerve cells or neurons that control the muscles of the body. Due to the disease, muscles stop functioning leading to difficulties with walking, talking, eating, and, eventually breathing. Only one drug is available for ALS patients and it is widely known to be ineffective at halting disease progression. Previous research has determined that the genes that cause ALS in Malta are different than those reported in other European populations. DCTN1 is one of the genes that is relatively much more damaged in Maltese ALS patients compared to their European counterparts. In the pioneering study, researchers inactivated the DCTN1 gene in fruit flies to discover that this triggered symptoms that overlap those observed in ALS patients having faults in the same gene. Flies developed reduced mobility and a deterioration of the contact points between neurons and muscles. Flies have long been used by scientists because ofthe remarkable genetic and biological similarities to humans. The scientists then studied how neurons without DCTN1 differed from healthy neurons. They found that several genes with a critical function in neurons were incorrectly edited. Published in The Sunday Times of Malta: view PDF / view digital edition
University of Malta researchers have discovered a potential new drug target for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), raising hopes for the development of therapies that target a broad spectrum of patients. The study will be published in the Neurobiology of Aging journal. ALS is a progressive neurological disease affecting the nerves that control the muscles of the body. Due to the disease, muscles stop functioning leading to difficulties with walking, talking, eating, and, eventually breathing. The genetics of Maltese puts the population at a greater risk of developing ALS. Incidence rate of the disease in Malta is therefore greater than the European average. In the study, researchers switched off the gene SCFD1 in fruit flies to discover that this triggered ALS symptoms. Similar to patients, the organisms developed reduced mobility and a deterioration of the contact points between nerves and muscles. Flies are used in ALS research because of considerable genetic and biological similarities to humans.
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