Microcephaly News and Research

RSS

Measuring head circumference (also known as occipito-frontal circumference) is a significant part of the proper evaluation of a child’s growth and development, as it represents a direct indication of head growth. Therefore deviations from normal head growth may reveal certain congenital or acquired problem.

Research reveals how whole-genome sequencing may enhance detection of fetal CNS anomalies

BGI-Research and the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province (MCHH) published whole-genome sequencing research results in npj Genomic Medicine.

3 Nov 2022

Duke researchers identify role for key gene in developmental disability syndrome

A single gene that was previously found to be the driving force in a rare syndrome linked to epilepsy, autism and developmental disability has been identified as a linchpin in the formation of healthy neurons.

28 Jun 2022

Taking valproic acid during pregnancy can cause birth defects, study shows

Valproic acid-; a drug used to treat epilepsy, migraine, and bipolar disorder-; can cause birth defects when taken during pregnancy.

14 Jun 2022

Researchers investigate Zika virus and Dengue virus co-immunity

In a new study, researchers successfully created new strains of the Zika virus and proved that the process of passaging through mice resulted in significantly increased virulence.

19 Apr 2022

Zika virus can mutate to become more infective and dangerous, finds study

LA JOLLA, CA-;Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have found that Zika virus can mutate to become more infective-;and potentially break through pre-existing immunity.

13 Apr 2022

Researchers discover a four-protein complex that may play key role in generating ribosomes

UT Southwestern researchers have identified a four-protein complex that appears to play a key role in generating ribosomes – organelles that serve as protein factories for cells – as well as a surprising part in neurodevelopmental disorders.

29 Mar 2022

A single gene can control brain cell growth in humans, research shows

Controlling how cells grow is fundamental to ensuring proper brain development and stopping aggressive brain tumors.

19 Mar 2022

Surprising discovery about genetic form of microcephaly has potential to inform treatment strategies

Virginia Tech researchers publishing in the Journal of Medical Genetics made a discovery about a genetic form of microcephaly -- a condition where babies' heads and brains are smaller and grow more slowly than those of unaffected children.

14 Feb 2022

Researchers identify first known patients with BUB1 biallelic mutations

A new study published in Science Advances described the first two patients known to have mutations in both copies of BUB1, a critical gene for cell division.

20 Jan 2022

Study opens up prospects for using virotherapy to treat central nervous system tumors

In a study conducted at the University of São Paulo's Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center (HUG-CELL) in Brazil, serial systemic injections of zika virus into mice with brain tumors destroyed the cancer without causing neurological damage or injuring other organs, and increased the animals' survival rate.

11 Jan 2022

Researchers review transmission, origin, pathogenesis, animal model and diagnosis of Zika virus

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Dallas Vue and Qiyi Tang from Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA review transmission, origin, pathogenesis, animal model and diagnosis of Zika Virus.

9 Dec 2021

Researchers identify γ-tubulin ring complex to be responsible for providing centriole stability

Centrioles are cylindrical structures involved in the generation of microtubules-;fibers inside of cells that form a network to provide structure and shape to cells and to mediate transport processes.

1 Nov 2021

Structural and molecular contributions to understanding antibody recognition of pathogenic viruses

A new review discusses how molecular and structural biology have contributed to our understanding of antibody recognition of HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and Zika.

1 Nov 2021

Study illuminates how BRD4 protein directs the spatial organization of DNA within cell nucleus

New research is advancing understanding of certain cancers and complex congenital disorders by illuminating how BRD4, a protein that scientists have studied for years, directs the spatial organization of DNA within the nucleus of the cell, a function critical for stem cell differentiation into muscle cells.

7 Oct 2021

Children with CZS-associated microcephaly show severe neurodevelopmental impairments

At age two, children who were born with neurological abnormalities due to congenital Zika Virus (ZIKV) have a range of neurodevelopmental profiles that can be tracked using a routine neurological assessment, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Dr. Albert Ko of Yale University, US and Dr. Federico Costa of The Federal University of Bahia, Brazil, and their colleagues.

15 Sep 2021

Brain organoids provide a valuable model to study autism

Variations in the 16p11.2 region of the genome are associated with autism spectrum disorder. While people with genetic deletions in this region have larger heads (macrocephaly) and people with genetic duplications have smaller heads (microcephaly), both variation types affect brain development and function.

26 Aug 2021

New study disproves suspicion that dengue raises risk of zika-related microcephaly

A pregnant woman infected by zika virus does not face a greater risk of giving birth to a baby with microcephaly if she has previously been exposed to dengue virus, according to a Brazilian study that compared data for pregnant women in Rio de Janeiro and Manaus.

20 Jul 2021

Microcephaly News and Research

Further Reading