The essence of the February 12, 2021 issue of Science

February 18, 2021 // --- This week, a new issue of Science (February 12, 2021) was published. Let the little editor come with us.
images from the Journal of Science.
1.ScienceDaily Paper Details! For the first time, new research has identified a candidate drug for heart valve disease, doi:10.1126/science.abd0724 calcification aortic valve disease, which is not only the most common heart valve disease in the elderly, but also the third most common cause of heart disease.
for those affected, calcium begins to build up in their heart valves and blood vessels over time until they harden like bones.
, blood flowing from the heart pump chamber to the body is hampered, leading to heart failure.
, however, there is no medical treatment.
can do is wait for calcification (or hardening) to the extent that surgery is needed to replace the heart valve.
In a new study, after 15 years of hard work, researchers from the Gladston Institute in the United States have now identified a potential candidate for heart valve disease that works in both human cells and animals and is ready for clinical trials.
results were published online December 10, 2020 in the journal Science under the title "Network-base screen in ipsC-derived cells reveals candidate for heart heart disease."
"The disease is usually diagnosed at an early stage, and as we age, the calcification of the heart valve worsens over the life of the patient," said Dr. Deepak Srivastava, co-author of the paper, president of the Gladston Institute and director of the Gladenberry Stem Cell Center at the Gladston Institute.
if we could intervene with effective drugs early in life, we could prevent disease.
by simply slowing the progression of the disease and ageing those in need of intervention by 5 or 10 years, we may be able to avoid tens of thousands of surgical valve replacements per year.
"2.Science: Genetic Mutations--- The Origins of Human Evolution doi:10.1126/science.aax2537 In a study published in the journal Science on February 11, 2021, Muotri's team listed the differences between different modern human populations and the genomes of Neanderthals and Denisovans in the 11th of February 2021.
researchers mimicked the changes they found in a gene, using stem cells to transform "Neanderthalized" brain-like organs.
"It's amazing that individual base pairs in human DNA can change the way the brain connects," said Muotri, senior author of the study and head of the stem cell program at the University of California, San Diego, and a member of the Sanford Foundation at the University of California, Sanford.
we don't know how and when evolutionary history happened.
but this seems important and can help explain some of our modern abilities in social behavior, language, adaptation, creativity and the use of technology.
team initially found 61 genes that differ between modern humans and our extinct "relatives."
NOVA1, one of these altered genes, caught Muotri's attention because it is the main gene regulator that affects many other genes during early brain development.
researchers used CRISPR gene editing techniques to engineer modern human stem cells with Neanderthal-like mutations in NOVA1.
, they induce stem cells to form brain cells, eventually forming Neanderthal brain organs.
3.Science: New study reveals that polyethic nanoantibodies can block SARS-CoV-2 infection and inhibit mutation escape doi:10.1126/science.abe6230; Doi:10.1126/science.abg2294 In a new study, an international team led by the University of Bonn in Germany identified and further developed new antibody fragments for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
these antibody fragments, known as nanobody, are smaller than classic antibodies, penetrate tissue better, and can be mass produced.
the researchers also combined these nanoantibodies into molecules that might be particularly effective, while attacking different parts of the virus.
this method may prevent the pathogen from escaping the attack of the active agent through mutation.
results were published online January 12, 2021 in the journal Science under the title "Structure-guided multivalent nanobodies block SARS-CoV-2 infect and suppressal escape."
antibodies are an important weapon for the immune system to fight infection.
they bind to the surface structure of bacteria or viruses, preventing them from replicating.
, one of the strategies to fight the disease is to mass produce effective antibodies and inject them into the patient.
president- and outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump's rapid recovery from the virus infection is likely to be due to this approach.
, however, the antibody used to treat him is complex in structure and cannot penetrate deeply into the tissue, which can lead to unnecessary complications.
addition, producing antibodies is difficult and time-consuming.
, they may not be suitable for widespread use.
4.Science: Accurately tracking the COVID-19 transmission chain doi:10.1126/science.abf2946 in the UK using genomic epidemiology; doi:10.1126/science.abg22978.Science: Drive protein doi:10.1126/science.abd9944 simultaneously measures the nanoscale motion and force generated by molecular machines to gain insight into how they work mechanically to achieve cellular function.
to study these molecular machines, Sudhakar et al. developed niobium semiconductor nanotubes as probes for so-called optical tweezers.
through these nanoballs with high refractive index, they improve optics