Morphology News and Research

RSS

Role of tau in pathogenesis of Lewy body dementias is distinct from Alzheimer’s disease, suggests study

Will a reduction in tau protein in brain neurons protect against Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementias?

21 Jun 2021

Novel calibration process for super-resolution microscopy

Light--and all waves--can bend around the corners of obstacles found along its path. Because of this phenomenon, called diffraction, it is impossible to focus light onto a spot that is smaller than half its wavelength.

15 Jun 2021

Study reports self-disinfecting polymer surfaces that can inactivate SARS-CoV-2

Surfaces with anionic block copolymers can inactivate different viruses within minutes by making the polymer-microbe interface very acidic. Such surfaces can continuously disinfect surfaces without the need for reapplication of disinfectant.

14 Jun 2021

Childhood stress associated with early emergence of permanent molars

Early in her career neuroscientist Allyson Mackey began thinking about molars. As a researcher who studies brain development, she wanted to know whether when these teeth arrived might indicate early maturation in children.

9 Jun 2021

MSU research reveals how the skin's immune cells organize themselves to ward off intruders

It can be easy to forget that the human skin is an organ. It's also the largest one and it's exposed, charged with keeping our inner biology safe from the perils of the outside world.

5 Jun 2021

Could semen quality indicate SARS-CoV-2 insult susceptibility in polluted areas?

In a recent review in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Italian researchers focused on “the evidence that correlates the degree and type of pollution with the increased susceptibility of many countries to this pandemic and proposes human semen as an early marker of the environmental health and the general health of individuals.” Their observations are based on a robust body of experimental evidence.

2 Jun 2021

IP6 molecules are key to stabilizing and protecting retroviruses

A newly discovered molecule central to the assembly of HIV may provide valuable insight into the development and function of viruses and how to combat them.

28 May 2021

New focus on adverse impact of male factors in assisted reproductive treatments

The adverse impact of male factors in assisted reproductive treatments was brought into a clear and disturbing focus at the 10th Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction.

17 May 2021

Previously overlooked hormone plays critical role in the development of endometriosis

Endometriosis, a disease found in up to 10 per cent of women, has been enigmatic since it was first described. A new theory developed by researchers at Simon Fraser University suggests a previously overlooked hormone -- testosterone -- has a critical role in its development.

10 May 2021

Cholestenone could be a new antibacterial drug against H. pylori

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a gram-negative pathogen that has infected half of the world's population is a Group I carcinogen according to the WHO. H. pylori resides in the gastric mucosa causing gastritis, ulcers, gastric cancers and malignant lymphoma of the stomach.

27 Apr 2021

Researchers discover elusive cell type in fish sensory organs

One of the evolutionary disadvantages for mammals, relative to other vertebrates like fish and chickens, is the inability to regenerate sensory hair cells.

26 Apr 2021

World Malaria Day 2021: Finding new approaches to fight malaria

In observation of World Malaria Day, News-Medical interviews renowned malaria expert Professor Maureen Coetzee about the fight against malaria.

22 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-1 utilizes ORF3a protein to trigger viral release

Scientists in the USA – from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland – have recently uncovered the mechanism by which SARS-CoV-1 is released from the infected cells.

21 Apr 2021

Could virosome-based nanovaccines be a promising new approach to preventing viral diseases?

A recent review in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules provides a novel overview of 'virosome'-based nanovaccine production, its properties, and its application in viral diseases, emphasizing its importance in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine discovery.

20 Apr 2021

Researchers investigate whether muscle pump action systematically changes with age

Chronic lower-limb edema (CLE) -- the permanent accumulation of fluid in the leg -- often occurs in elderly people.

19 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein can trigger α-synuclein amyloid fibril formation

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, casts some light on the pathogenesis of acute and subacute neurological complications associated with COVID-19.

19 Apr 2021

Researchers develop a classification scheme for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Researchers in the Department of Neurology at Tohoku University, which is led by professor Masashi Aoki, have developed a classification scheme for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, a rare autoimmune disease that until recently was thought to be a type of multiple sclerosis (MS).

15 Apr 2021

Tapeworm infection drug blocks SARS-CoV-2 damage in the lungs

New research published in the journal Nature found the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs resulted in abnormal pneumocytes and spike protein-mediated cell fusion. Their findings also showed that TMEM16F protein activation induces cell fusion. Therefore, drugs inhibiting the TMEM16F/Anoctamin6 calcium-activated ion channel, such as niclosamide, could serve as potential treatments for reducing the severity of COVID-19 infection.

12 Apr 2021

HSV-1 infection induces strain-specific transcriptional differences in infected neurons

Why do some people with cold sores around their lips experience painful lesions, while others have no symptoms at all, yet still spread the virus? A new study conducted at Penn State finds that these differences could be due to variations in the way certain strains of herpes simplex (HSV-1) -- the virus that causes cold sores, as well as genital herpes -- activate gene expression in neurons.

29 Mar 2021

Exposure to endocrine disruptors in utero associated with poorer sperm quality in adulthood

A growing number of studies show that the environmental factors and lifestyle habits of pregnant women play an important role in the health of their child. But how about the semen quality of young men?

19 Mar 2021