Research in Germany

Possible target for drugs to combat the yo-yo effect Many people who have dieted are familiar with the yo-yo effect: after the diet, the kilos are quickly put back on. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research and Harvard Medical School have now shown in mice that communication in the brain changes during a diet: The nerve cells that mediate the feeling of hunger receive stronger signals, so that the mice eat significantly more after the diet and gain weight more quickly. In the long term, these findings could help developing drugs to prevent this amplification and help to maintain a reduced body weight after dieting.

A research group from Würzburg led by Bernhard Nieswandt deciphered a platelet-mediated regulatory mechanism of fibrin formation in blood clotting opening the way to new therapeutic approaches. Hemostasis is vital to prevent excessive blood loss. However, there is an increased risk for thrombosis if there is an excessive reaction and uncontrolled formation of fibrin. In the study published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, the researchers uncover platelet glycoprotein GPV as a central regulator for hemostasis and thrombus formation.

Effective drugs against viral diseases like COVID-19 are urgently needed now and in the future. The emergence of viral mutants and yet unknown viruses could push vaccines to their limits. The DZIF scientist and bioinformatician Andreas Dräger from the University of Tübingen is working on a computer-based method that can help to accelerate the time-consuming identification and development of antiviral agents. Using a novel analysis technique that applies to any virus and host cell type, the research team around Dräger has now created a model to detect additional host cell targets that allow inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 replication.