Reproduction News and Research

RSS

Substrain of SARS-CoV-2 variant in UK may resist antibody neutralization

Researchers at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw have identified a substrain of the recently emerged B.1.1.7 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that may confer resistance to antibody neutralization.

10 Feb 2021

BioRescue research project exemplifies challenges posed by global pandemic

The BioRescue research project, a program aiming at saving the northern white rhinoceros from extinction, exemplifies the challenges to overcome when conducting research and conservation in an international consortium in times of a global pandemic.

10 Feb 2021

Study shows relation between mothers' income level and children's finger length

Low-income mothers feminize their children in the womb by adjusting their hormones, whereas high-income mothers masculinize their children, a major study based on finger length, led by a Swansea University expert, has found.

9 Feb 2021

COVID-19 vaccination associated with 3- to 5-fold reduction in viral load

Researchers in Israel report a reduction in viral load in vaccinated individuals.

9 Feb 2021

Emergence and transmission of UK SARS-CoV-2 variant in the US

Researchers describe the impending rise to dominance of the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant in the US. Understanding this development will help to shape preventive action to reduce the infection and mortality rates.

9 Feb 2021

Research from Israel shows mRNA vaccine is ~50% effective in reducing severe cases

In a report published on the pre-print server medRxiv, researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Trento, and the Racah Institute of Physics suggest that the shape of the outbreak in patients over 60 years old has changed because of the vaccinations.

8 Feb 2021

Zinc supplements can improve infertility issues during COVID-19 pandemic

Wayne State University School of Medicine researchers have reported that zinc supplements for men and women attempting to conceive either naturally or through assisted reproduction during the COVID-19 pandemic may prevent mitochondrial damage in young egg and sperm cells, as well as enhance immunity against the virus.

5 Feb 2021

Study shows that human hormones also follow a seasonal pattern

Our minds may be affected by winter's long nights or spring's flowers, but what about our bodies? A new study at the Weizmann Institute of Science reveals that our hormones also follow a seasonal pattern.

4 Feb 2021

Why SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 is more virulent

A new preprint research paper by scientists from Sweden and India attempts to provide a preliminary answer to these questions using computational modeling. The research, which appears on the bioRxiv* server, predicts increased virulence with the new variant. If validated, this could help public health authorities prepare for new variants' possible impact as they emerge.

2 Feb 2021

Vitamins and other antiviral drugs may help combat COVID-19

Evidence is emerging that vitamin D - and possibly vitamins K and A - might help combat COVID-19. A new study from the University of Bristol published in the journal of the German Chemical Society Angewandte Chemie has shown how they - and other antiviral drugs - might work.

29 Jan 2021

Study shows why children of obese mothers have propensity to develop metabolic diseases

A Brazilian study published in the journal Molecular Human Reproduction helps understand why obese mothers tend to have children with a propensity to develop metabolic disease during their lifetime, as suggested by previous research.

26 Jan 2021

Rapid reopening crucial in promoting the second wave of COVID-19

The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected almost a hundred million people, with over two million deaths being attributed to this illness over the past 12 months or so. The only means to counter this so far has been through non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).

26 Jan 2021

Herd immunity to SARS-CoV-2 may not be achievable with current vaccines

A recent preprint research paper posted on the medRxiv server asks the question: “Is “herd immunity” to COVID-19 a realistic outcome of any immunization program with the two main vaccines currently licensed in the UK?”

25 Jan 2021

Can the onset and end of an epidemic be predicted? A SARS-CoV-2 modeling case study

A recent study by researchers in France shows how differences in infection history and viral spread patterns are important factors in predicting the time course of a localized epidemic of SARS-CoV-2.

22 Jan 2021

Busting myths on airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2

The rapid spread of COVID-19 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to significant research on the mechanisms of how the virus spreads, which is usually by airborne transmission.

20 Jan 2021

Near-universal adoption of masks along with public health measures could eliminate disease spread

Research published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that near-universal adoption of nonmedical masks in public, combined with complementary public health measures, could reduce spread to essentially zero.

18 Jan 2021

Researchers produce first African lion in-vitro embryos after vitrification of immature oocytes

A team of scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) inGermany, Givskud Zoo - Zootopia in Denmark and the University of Milan in Italy succeeded in producing the very first African lionin-vitroembryos after the vitrification of immature oocytes.

18 Jan 2021

What are the key factors and impact of interventions in England’s COVID-19 epidemic?

Researchers from Imperial College London provide a mathematical model to help understand how SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen of (COVID-19), spread across England in the first two waves of the epidemic, and the effect of various interventions by the government.

18 Jan 2021

Newly discovered biochemical pathway can protect cells from ferroptosis

The hallmarks of cancer include rapid cell-reproduction and metabolic activity. But these processes also lead to increased cellular stress and oxidation, and the risk of cell death.

15 Jan 2021

Researchers develop a tiny, yet effective method for preventing premature birth

In a study in mice and human cells, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say that they have developed a tiny, yet effective method for preventing premature birth.

13 Jan 2021