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.

Neurodevelopmental chick model may help study microcephaly effects of Zika virus

A newly published study from researchers working in collaboration with the Regenerative Bioscience Center at the University of Georgia demonstrates fetal death and brain damage in early chick embryos similar to microcephaly--a rare birth defect linked to the Zika virus, now alarming health experts worldwide.

20 Oct 2016

Wyss Institute wins 'Best of What's New' award for paper-based rapid Zika test

A rapid Zika test, developed by an international, multi-institutional team of researchers led by synthetic biologist James Collins, Ph.D., at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, has today been named a 2016 "Best of What's New" awards winner by Popular Science magazine in the Health category.

20 Oct 2016

TSRI scientists elucidate how Zika virus attacks the brains of newborns

In a study that could one day help eliminate the tragic birth defects caused by Zika virus, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have elucidated how the virus attacks the brains of newborns, information that could accelerate the development of treatments.

17 Oct 2016

New evolutionary analysis provides insights into how Zika virus spreads between populations

In a study published in Pathogens and Global Health, researchers have modelled the evolutionary development and diversity of the Zika virus to better understand how infection spreads between populations and how the virus reacts with the immune system.

13 Oct 2016

Study provides new insights into Zika's rapid infection and risk for transmission

Though first documented 70 years ago, the Zika virus was poorly understood when it burst onto the scene in the Americas in 2015.

7 Oct 2016

Researcher investigates ethics of maternal immunization

Vaccination during pregnancy can protect women, foetuses and newborn children against infectious diseases - especially in developing countries. Maternal immunisation however also raises ethical questions.

6 Oct 2016

Two Zika vaccine candidates protect newborn mice against neurological damage

Two vaccines against Zika virus developed at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have successfully conveyed immunity from female mice to pups conceived weeks after the mother's vaccination.

4 Oct 2016

Zika-related travel recommendations extended to Southeast Asia

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week highlighted the risk of Zika infection in eleven Southeastern Asian countries and recommended that pregnant women avoid them wherever possible.

30 Sep 2016

First case-control study examines link between microcephaly and in utero Zika virus infection

The relation between Zika virus and microcephaly is widely assumed to be causal because of strong evidence of an association. However, evidence so far comes from case reports, case series, modelling studies, and preliminary reports from cohort studies – none of which have included appropriate control groups.

21 Sep 2016

Research may help explain mechanism by which Zika virus breaches placental barrier

New research reveals that in pregnant women, Zika virus infection damages certain cells that affect placental formation and function. Furthermore, herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) infection augments placental sensitivity to Zika virus by enhancing the expression of receptors that allow Zika virus to enter cells.

15 Sep 2016

Research reveals how Zika virus arrests fetal brain development in pigtail macaque

For the first time, abnormal brain development following a Zika infection during pregnancy has been documented experimentally in the offspring of a non-human primate.

12 Sep 2016

Scientists reveal underlying mechanisms leading to microcephaly in NBS patients

Scientists from Jerusalem and Duesseldorf have succeeded in generating induced pluripotent stem cells from a rare disorder called Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) and to push these cells to become early neurons, revealing the mechanisms leading to the neurological phenotype observed in these patients.

9 Sep 2016

Scientists reveal new structural insights on key protein from mosquitoes linked to spread of Zika

As health departments around the U.S. boost efforts to combat Zika, scientists are working on new ways to kill the mosquitoes that carry the virus. One approach involves understanding the molecular mechanisms that keep the bugs alive so we can then undermine them.

9 Sep 2016

Researchers uncover molecular differences between African and Asian strain of Zika virus infections

Scientists have revealed molecular differences between how the African and Asian strains of Zika virus infect neural progenitor cells.

1 Sep 2016

New research shows female mosquitoes can pass Zika virus to their offsprings

New research from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston has shown that female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can pass the Zika virus to their eggs and offspring.

30 Aug 2016

NCATS scientists identify promising compounds effective in inhibiting Zika virus replication

Researchers at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences recently identified compounds that potentially can be used to inhibit Zika virus replication and reduce its ability to kill brain cells.

29 Aug 2016

Spotlight Innovation, FSU collaborate to support development of novel therapies for Zika virus infection

Spotlight Innovation Inc. has entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement with Florida State University to support research directed by FSU Prof. Hengli Tang aimed at developing safe and effective drugs to treat patients infected with Zika virus (ZIKV).

27 Aug 2016

Microcephaly News and Research

Further Reading

Neurodevelopmental chick model may help study microcephaly effects of Zika virus

Wyss Institute wins 'Best of What's New' award for paper-based rapid Zika test

TSRI scientists elucidate how Zika virus attacks the brains of newborns

New evolutionary analysis provides insights into how Zika virus spreads between populations

Study provides new insights into Zika's rapid infection and risk for transmission

Researcher investigates ethics of maternal immunization

Two Zika vaccine candidates protect newborn mice against neurological damage

Zika-related travel recommendations extended to Southeast Asia

First case-control study examines link between microcephaly and in utero Zika virus infection

Research may help explain mechanism by which Zika virus breaches placental barrier

Research reveals how Zika virus arrests fetal brain development in pigtail macaque

Scientists reveal underlying mechanisms leading to microcephaly in NBS patients

Scientists reveal new structural insights on key protein from mosquitoes linked to spread of Zika

Researchers uncover molecular differences between African and Asian strain of Zika virus infections

New research shows female mosquitoes can pass Zika virus to their offsprings

NCATS scientists identify promising compounds effective in inhibiting Zika virus replication

Spotlight Innovation, FSU collaborate to support development of novel therapies for Zika virus infection

Biostatisticians project nearly 400 non-travel Zika cases in Florida by end of summer

Scientists report new neurological complication from Zika virus infection

Researchers link sensory polyneuropathy with acute Zika virus infection

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition) eBook

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

Managing vibration in IVF laboratories

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

Latest News