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Thiopurines could help stop viral replication in human coronaviruses

Researchers from the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Dalhousie University, University of Calgary, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Canada, worked with human coronaviruses in cell cultures to look for drugs that might prevent accumulation and replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

6 Oct 2020

Understanding how the malaria parasite can withstand fever's heat

Even when a person suffering from malaria is burning up with fever and too sick to function, the tiny blood-eating parasites lurking inside them continue to flourish, relentlessly growing and multiplying as they gobble up the host's red blood cells.

5 Oct 2020

Study provides new insights into the microbiomes of pre-industrial agricultural populations

A new study published this week demonstrates a first attempt at using the methods of ancient bacterial detection, pioneered in studies of past epidemics, to characterize the microbial diversity of ancient gut contents from two medieval latrines.

5 Oct 2020

Rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 with portable CRISPR-based mobile phone diagnostic test

A large group of researchers from the United States reported developing an amplification-free CRISPR-based mobile phone assay for direct detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from nasal swabs. Their state-of-the-art paper is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

4 Oct 2020

Anti-sense agents suppress SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study showing that anti-sense agents called peptide-conjugated morpholino oligomers (PPMOs) have the ability to specifically and potently suppress the growth of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

4 Oct 2020

Researchers detect cancer cells at an early stage of development via luminescent nanothermometers

Rovira i Virgili University's study on luminescent thermometry reveals new insights into cancer detection, leveraging advanced thermal control technologies.

From Linkam Scientific Instruments 2 Oct 2020

Direction and type of the force acting on a cell can alter gene expression

Tissues and cells in the human body are subjected to a constant push and pull - strained by other cells, blood pressure and fluid flow, to name a few.

1 Oct 2020

Planaria flatworm can be used as reliable alternative for testing topical skin products

Tests for skin treatments could be screened using flatworms rather than other animals such as rabbits, according to new research.

1 Oct 2020

Researchers identify 'social cells' in the brain linked to social behavior

A research team led by Professor TAKUMI Toru of Kobe University's Graduate School of Medicine (also a Senior Visiting Scientist at RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research) have identified 'social cells' in the brain that are related to social behavior. The cells were identified via Ca imaging conducted using a microendoscope .

1 Oct 2020

First pathoconnectome shows how eye disease alters retinal circuitry

Scientists from the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah have achieved another first in the field of connectomics, which studies the synaptic connections between neurons.

30 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infects human embryonic epithelial and lung cells

As COVID-19 continues to spread the world over, investigators are still trying to understand how it ravages the human body. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 shows that the virus is capable of infecting human embryonic cells that are destined to form the epithelial surfaces of the body, both internal and external, as well as lung cells.

29 Sep 2020

New study shows efficacy of carbon nanotube implants to restore motor functions

A new study conducted by SISSA and the University of Trieste shows the efficacy of carbon nanotube implants to restore motor functions and paves the way for a new therapeutic approach for spinal cord injuries.

29 Sep 2020

Valproic acid can interact with DNA conformation and regulate gene expression

Results of recent studies involving valproic acid, used for decades as an anti-convulsant drug, show that it can interact with the conformation of DNA and regulate gene expression.

29 Sep 2020

Life-threatening COVID-19 associated with specific genetic variants

Results of a genome-wide association study on 2,244 critically-ill patients due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from 208 intensive care units across the United Kingdom revealed significant host-specific genetic determinants that can predispose people to the severe form of the disease. The report is currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

28 Sep 2020

New approach uses AI to identify which early stage breast cancers will spread

About 1 in 5 new breast cancers are caught at their earliest stages, before they've spread from milk ducts into the surrounding breast tissue.

25 Sep 2020

Leica Microsystems Center of Excellence established at Icahn School of Medicine

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Leica Microsystems, Inc. have combined efforts to establish the Leica Microsystems Center of Excellence at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

25 Sep 2020

Study highlights the importance of healthy placental development in pregnancy

The first stages of placental development take place days before the embryo starts to form in human pregnancies. The finding highlights the importance of healthy placental development in pregnancy, and could lead to future improvements in fertility treatments such as IVF, and a better understanding of placental-related diseases in pregnancy.

25 Sep 2020

Researchers uncover a new parvovirus strategy for reaching the cell nucleus

Researchers at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), in collaboration with American scientists, have uncovered a new parvovirus strategy for reaching the cell nucleus which is their site of replication.

24 Sep 2020

Predatory bacteria use unique tools to escape safely from prey cell

Predatory bacteria, capable of invading and consuming harmful bugs such as E .coli and Salmonella, use a unique tool to help them escape the cell they have invaded without harming themselves, according to a new study.

24 Sep 2020

No discernable difference in SARS-CoV-2 viral loads of young children versus older children and adults

Sharline Madera et al. , in a recent medRxiv* preprint paper, show a detailed investigation of viral nucleic acid among young children and adults, involving over 5,000 cases confirmed by RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase – Polymerase Chain Reaction) assay.

23 Sep 2020