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Gene therapy shows promise in treating SCN1B-linked epileptic encephalopathies

Dravet syndrome and other developmental epileptic encephalopathies are rare but devastating conditions that cause a host of symptoms in children, including seizures, intellectual disability, and even sudden death.

14 Feb 2025

Study reveals key role of opsin 3 in regulating food intake and energy balance

Scientists discovered years ago that the hypothalamus - which helps to manage body temperature, hunger, sex drive, sleep and more - includes neurons that express the protein opsin 3 (OPN3).

14 Feb 2025

2024 CSCO Breast Cancer guidelines revolutionize treatment approaches in China

Breast cancer remains a major global health challenge, with treatment strategies varying widely across regions.

14 Feb 2025

Lack of regulation in sperm donation sparks concerns in Africa

Poor regulation and lack of transparency in Africa's fertility industry leave sperm donors and recipients vulnerable to exploitation and unethical practices, including relatives unwittingly having children together, fertility experts warn.

14 Feb 2025

Extracellular vesicles show promise for diagnosing and treating oral diseases

A comprehensive review has explored the diverse roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the oral and maxillofacial region, highlighting their immense potential in disease detection, targeted therapies, and tissue regeneration.

14 Feb 2025

A step toward precision medicine: New drug targets for heart failure

Researchers identify several promising drug targets for heart failure and its clinical subtypes.

14 Feb 2025

Hospital sink drains found to harbor dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria

We hope to be cured when we stay in hospital. But too often, we acquire new infections there. Such 'healthcare-associated infections' (HAI) are a growing problem worldwide, taking up an estimated 6% of global hospital budgets.

14 Feb 2025

Infants with cystic fibrosis show stunted gut microbiome development

Findings from a new Dartmouth-led study, published in the journal mBio, highlight key differences in the gut microbiome (communities of bacteria) of infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) compared to that of healthy infants, and how these alterations may adversely affect their health.

14 Feb 2025

Leveling up NGS workflows with INTEGRA Biosciences’ solutions

INTEGRA Biosciences offers liquid handling solutions and magnetic modules to streamline every stage of NGS sample preparation. These innovative tools help to reduce errors, improve the precision and reliability of sequencing data, and provide more efficient processes.

From INTEGRA Biosciences 14 Feb 2025

Interferon pathway activation identified as key driver in OPLL pathogenesis

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a progressive spinal disease characterized by ectopic bone formation in the spine, leading to severe neurological symptoms due to spinal cord compression. This condition is more prevalent in Asian countries and has been associated with various genetic and hormonal factors.

14 Feb 2025

Engineering safe and effective vaccinia virus vectors for next-generation vaccines

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Vaccinia virus (VACV) confers cross-protective immunity against the variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, and has therefore been extensively exploited as a preventive vaccine. Despite the global eradication of smallpox in the 1980s, research efforts involving VACV have continued due to the potential threat of the variola virus being used as a bioweapon, which poses grave risks to human health.

14 Feb 2025

Researchers identify genetic cause of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor Genetics and collaborating institutions provided a long-awaited and rare genetic diagnosis in a child with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a type of developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), associated with a severe, complex form of epilepsy and developmental delay.

14 Feb 2025

Addressing the global challenge of bacterial STIs

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hundreds of millions of new cases of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are reported worldwide each year. Many infections go undiagnosed due to their often silent symptoms, contributing to transmission, disease and complications such as infertility and miscarriage.

14 Feb 2025