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Insufficient placental steroid may increase autism spectrum disorder risk

A study in experimental models suggests that allopregnanolone, one of many hormones produced by the placenta during pregnancy, is so essential to normal fetal brain development that when provision of that hormone decreases or stops abruptly - as occurs with premature birth - offspring are more likely to develop autism-like behaviors.

20 Oct 2019

Discovery could lead to new therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases

Research led by Drs. Miguel Burguillos (University of Seville, Spain) and Miguel Branco (Queen Mary University of London, UK), has revealed new findings about mechanisms regulating brain inflammation which open a new pathway in the field of neuroinflammation.

15 Oct 2019

Faster, cheaper, better: improved gene therapy tool production

The heart of modern therapy is increasingly personalized and targeted at specific cellular or genetic deficits. This requires gene therapy, in many cases. A new study, published on 19 September 2019 in the journal Nature, describes an improved way to produce purified gene carrier viruses called AAVs cheaply and quickly, from the culture medium.

22 Sep 2019

Concerns over GM mosquitoes released in Brazil

A field experiment that released genetically modified mosquitoes in Brazil to control natural populations of the insect may have had unintended consequences.

18 Sep 2019

Scientists discover new drug target for fatal lung condition

Scientists have identified a molecular pathway that contributes to the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension, a severe, often fatal condition that has no cure.

12 Sep 2019

Researchers identify mechanism responsible for spatial issues in people with Down syndrome

Researchers reveal that an imbalance of gene Grik1 is behind the spatial issues that people with Down syndrome experience.

11 Sep 2019

Researchers find biological system that manages cells' response to opioid drug exposure

A team at Scripps Research in Florida has discovered a biological system that manages cells' response to opioid drug exposure. The unexpected discovery offers new ideas for improving the safety of the one of the most effective, and most abused, group of pain medications.

19 Aug 2019

Mechanical forces regulate cellular behavior during embryonic development of the brain

A new study coordinated by the Research Group in Developmental Biology at UPF shows that during the embryonic development of the brain, the cells that are between adjacent segments detect the mechanical forces generated during morphogenesis to regulate the balance between progenitor stem cells and differentiated neurons.

29 Jul 2019

MGH study shows the importance of fatty acid balance in chronic disease

Using novel transgenic mouse models they developed, Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have provided new evidence that it is the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, rather than the total amount of them, that influences risk of developing chronic disease.

27 Jul 2019

Intestinal microbes may affect course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have shown in mice that intestinal microbes, collectively termed the gut microbiome, may affect the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

22 Jul 2019

New resistance mechanism that prevent formation of blood vessels

Researchers at IDIBELL-ICO describe a new resistance mechanism to therapies that prevent the formation of blood vessels

3 Jul 2019

Copper compound with potential as therapy for ALS shows further promise

A compound with potential as a treatment for ALS has gained further promise in a new study that showed it improved the condition of mice whose motor neurons had been damaged by an environmental toxin known to cause features of ALS.

2 Jul 2019

Researchers reveal fundamental role of protein associated with Alzheimer's

Researchers from the University of Seville, the Seville Biomedicine Institute and Lund University have been able to describe how the body responds to a component present in the brain in Alzheimer's patients.

25 Jun 2019

Plant-derived siRNAs could bring a 'green revolution' in RNAi tools and therapeutics

"Green revolution" in the early 1950s, the extensive cultivation of Dwarf Rice solves the food problem in developing countries. At present, chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been a major public health problem.

11 Jun 2019

Study offers hope to slow down or prevent progression of Parkinson’s

Results from a study published today looking at a molecule targeting clumps of alpha-synuclein, a key protein linked to Parkinson’s, offers hope that it may be possible to slow down or prevent the progression of the condition in humans.

6 Jun 2019

GM fungus kills 99% of mosquitoes in Malaria-endemic region of Africa

Mosquito populations that are responsible for spreading malaria can be dramatically reduced with a new GM fungus that produces spider toxins.

31 May 2019

Researchers discover signaling protein that may protect parathyroid glands from hyperactivity

Overactive parathyroid glands,which control the body's blood calcium levels, can lead to kidney stones, neuropsychiatric disorders and bone abnormalities, particularly among elderly women.

29 May 2019

Overexpression of tumor suppressor gene may lead to B-cell lymphoma, study finds

Miguel Gallardo, researcher and coordinator of the H12O-CNIO Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit headed by Joaquín Martínez at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, has participated in a study that revealed that hnRNP K overexpression may cause B-cell lymphomas, the most common types of blood cancer.

24 May 2019

Scientists investigate function of AAPP in mosquito blood feeding

Biting insects use a range of tools when sucking blood from hosts to maximize their chances of a good meal.

13 May 2019

Novel chemical probe enables live imaging of brain immune cells

Researchers in South Korea and Singapore have, for the first time, developed a chemical probe that enables live-imaging of a type of immune cells in the brain, known as microglia, in a live animal brain.

3 May 2019