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Study uncovers the locus of male sexual desire in the brain

The locus of male sexual desire has been uncovered in specific regions of brain tissue where a key gene named aromatase is present, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study in mice.

12 Sep 2020

Scientists identify genetic risk factors underlying penicillin allergy

Penicillin, a life-saving medicine, is the most common cause of drug allergy, with clinical manifestations ranging from temporary skin reactions to life-threatening systemic syndromes.

3 Sep 2020

Exercise confers stress resilience by increasing brain protein levels

Exercise fights off stress by increasing levels of the brain protein galanin, according to research in mice recently published in JNeurosci.

27 Aug 2020

Identifying COVID-19 host genes using symptom-based predictions

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 shows that symptom-based prediction of the diagnosis can help identify host genes that are responsible for part of this variability.

26 Aug 2020

Researchers identify new mechanism that causes leukemia

Every year, 1.1 million new cases of blood cancers are diagnosed worldwide. Presently, chemotherapy remains the most common and effective course of treatment.

13 Aug 2020

Genetic variant in Japanese population increases risk of interstitial lung disease among RA patients

In many cases, a complex interplay between our genes and the environment governs whether or not we will develop a certain disease. Interestingly though, researchers are discovering that the genetic component of disease predisposition may depend on our ethnic background.

10 Aug 2020

Eosinophils contribute to antiviral host defense mechanisms during influenza

Eosinophils residing in the airways of mice respond to influenza A virus infection through alterations in surface expression of various markers necessary for migration and cellular immunity responses, according to research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology by researchers from Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

5 Aug 2020

CNIO and HKUST researchers identify how some gliomas acquire chemoresistance

A team led by Massimo Squatrito, Head of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation Brain Tumour Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, have made important findings of how some gliomas can acquire chemoresistance.

4 Aug 2020

Nix gene can help develop future mosquito control techniques

Virginia Tech researchers have proven that a single gene can convert female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into fertile male mosquitoes and identified a gene needed for male mosquito flight.

15 Jul 2020

COVID-19 complications may be associated with von Willebrand factor in the blood

Anna Aksenova, a senior research associate at the Laboratory of Amyloid Biology at St Petersburg University, has advanced a hypothesis that the severe course of COVID-19 may be associated with von Willebrand factor.

6 Jul 2020

Packed bars serve up new rounds of COVID contagion

As states ease their lockdowns, bars are emerging as fertile breeding grounds for the coronavirus. They create a risky cocktail of tight quarters, young adults unbowed by the fear of illness and, in some instances, proprietors who don't enforce crowd limits and social distancing rules.

25 Jun 2020

Evidence of link between ACE2 genotype and COVID-19 disease severity

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 shows that variants in the ACE2 gene which encodes the enzyme receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, are linked to the risk of severe disease.

24 Jun 2020

Blood types and COVID-19 risk confirmed

Blood type may play a pivotal role in driving disease severity among coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients. Genetic analysis of COVID-19 patients has shown that people with blood type O seemed to be protected against severe disease. In contrast, those with blood type A may experience complications tied to the viral infection.

18 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 mutation reduces S1 shedding, increases infective potential

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans. SARS-CoV-2 emerged in the last month of 2019 in Wuhan, China, sparking off the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This virus enters the host cells through receptor binding and membrane fusion between the viral and host cell membrane.

16 Jun 2020

Effect of human genes on severity and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2

Now, a new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* reports the results of an analysis of the association between the genetic variants in the patients and the clinical progression of the disease. The study included 332 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a single-center, with widely varying laboratory and clinical features. There were 25, 12, and 17 patients with asymptomatic, mild, and critical disease.

14 Jun 2020

Genetic variations linked to COVID-19 severity

A new report by researchers from Thailand's Mahidol University and published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports that the clinical severity of COVID-19 may be linked to the genetic makeup of the patient in addition to external factors.

3 Jun 2020

Blood group type may affect susceptibility to COVID-19 respiratory failure

A group of over 120 researchers from various institutions across Europe has performed the first genome-wide association study to reveal host genetic factors that may contribute to respiratory failure in cases of coronavirus disease 209 (COVID-19).

3 Jun 2020

Studies advance the understanding of sensory disconnection during sleep and anesthesia

During sleep and under anesthesia, we rarely respond to such external stimuli as sounds even though our brains remain highly active.

28 May 2020

DZD researchers discover additional genetic cause for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

In Germany about 18 million people suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver. The causes of this disease are manifold and include environmental as well as genetic factors.

19 May 2020

Variations in genome’s 'dark matter' region can make patients susceptible to inflammatory diseases

A study led by researchers at the Babraham Institute in collaboration with the Wellcome Sanger Institute has uncovered how variations in a non-protein coding 'dark matter' region of the genome could make patients susceptible to complex autoimmune and allergic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.

14 May 2020