Magnification News and Research

RSS

Small NIH clinical trial shows that new monoclonal antibody can prevent malaria

One dose of a new monoclonal antibody discovered and developed at the National Institutes of Health safely prevented malaria for up to nine months in people who were exposed to the malaria parasite.

11 Aug 2021

Novel imaging method shines new light on complex coordination molecules

Coordination compounds have molecular structures which consist of either one or multiple metal atoms at the center, surrounded by non-metal atoms.

10 Aug 2021

New method for producing pseudotyped virus particles bearing spike protein of SARS-CoV-2

A new study discusses the development of an improved protocol based on cell lines that can consistently express S proteins.

5 Aug 2021

Research sheds light on a new mechanism for inhibitory synapse specificity in the cortex

Researchers at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have discovered that the cell adhesion protein IgSF11 determines the layer-specific synaptic connectivity of a distinct class of cortical interneurons.

15 Jul 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection induces accumulation of lipids and N-proteins

Scientists from the Netherlands and the US recently studied the localization of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins in postmortem lung tissues of COVID-19 patients and in SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero cells that were processed identically. The research is posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, prior to peer review.

29 Jun 2021

New light-sheet fluorescence microscope provides high spatial resolution, lowers phototoxicity

A research group led by Takashi Saito, of the Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, developed a 2-photon excitation light-sheet fluorescence microscope which (1) lowers phototoxicity, (2) extends the field of view, and (3) heightens spatial resolution.

29 May 2021

Automated machine learning predicts male infertility based on Johnsen score

Infertility affects females and males equally. In male infertility, azoospermia (a medical condition with no sperm in semen) is a major problem that prevents a couple from having a child.

11 May 2021

New imaging technique captures real-time brain motion in stunning detail

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images are usually meant to be static. But now, researchers from Mātai Medical Research Institute (Mātai), Stevens Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of Auckland and other institutions, report on an imaging technique that captures the brain in motion in real time, in 3D and in stunning detail, providing a potential diagnostic tool for detecting difficult-to-spot conditions such as obstructive brain disorders and aneurysms - before they become life threatening.

6 May 2021

Novel method provides faster and more precise diagnostics in histopathology

Histology is the study of biological tissues at a microscopic level. Also called microscopic anatomy, histology is widely used to provide diagnosis of cancer and other diseases.

30 Apr 2021

Feline model of SARS-CoV-2 infection imitates COVID-19 in humans

Researchers in the United States have validated a feline model of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that closely imitates coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans.

15 Apr 2021

Real-time imaging shines light on the coordination of neural stem cell activation

In all adult vertebrates, neural stem cells can be recruited to produce new neurons in the brain. However, little is known about these so-called "activation" processes.

8 Apr 2021

Computer-based approach helps diagnose neurological disorders based on motor impairment

The way we move says a lot about the state of our brain. While normal motor behavior points to a healthy brain function, deviations can indicate impairments owing to neurological diseases.

7 Apr 2021

RNA-binding cylinders inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro

Research led by Michael J. Hannon from the University of Birmingham, UK, finds metallo-supramolecular helicates (cylinders) binding to untranslated regions of SARS-CoV-2 suppresses viral replication. The untranslated regions (UTR) of the viral genome could serve as drug targets for antiviral treatment.

5 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

Inhalable nanobody shows potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vivo

Researchers have developed a stable and ultrapotent homotrimeric Pittsburgh inhalable Nanobody 21 (PiN-21) against SARS-CoV-2 infection in Syrian hamsters. They demonstrated the high therapeutic efficacy of this homotrimeric Nb, leveraging both intranasal and aerosol delivery.

26 Feb 2021

Corticosteroid receptor inhibitor shows anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vivo

A team of researchers examined PT150, which is an allosteric modulator of androgen and glucocorticoid receptors, to assess whether it had any antiviral activity or immunomodulatory activity to decrease the hyperinflammatory response of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

24 Feb 2021

RIG-1-like receptors may play dominant role in suppressing SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study by researchers at the University of Connecticut Health Center, USA, reports the crucial nature of the pathogen pattern recognition receptor (PRRs), especially the two RLRs, retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5), in triggering host cell immune responses within the cell. The RLRs are viral RNA sensors.

15 Feb 2021

Antiviral compound GC-376 shows efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in vivo

Over the past months, many potential antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 have been identified as deserving further development to target several viral proteins. A new study deals with one such molecule, the viral main protease (Mpro) inhibitor GC-376, and describes its efficacy in inhibiting virus-host interaction.

2 Feb 2021

Elevated ACE2 and inflammation levels increase risk for pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2

Among the hundred million or so cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that have occurred since the pandemic began, pregnant women have been a conspicuous risk group. However, the exact nature of the risk they and their fetuses face, and the mechanism by which it operates, is far from clear.