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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

Cephalopod + Tomocube = New formula for molecular probes

Researchers have discovered how to use the cephalopod proteins responsible for these changes to manipulate the optical RI of mammalian compartments.

From Tomocube Inc. 23 Sep 2020

New technique helps visualize the mechanical forces of cells at the molecular level

Scientists have developed a new technique using tools made of luminescent DNA, lit up like fireflies, to visualize the mechanical forces of cells at the molecular level.

23 Sep 2020

Nanoparticle SARS-CoV-2 model could potentially speed the search for drugs

A team of scientists from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., has developed a new tool that mimics how SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes COVID-19 -- infects a cell, information that could potentially speed the search for treatments against the disease.

22 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infects monocytes and macrophages, without cytopathic effect

A team of researchers from Aix-Marseille Univ, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Institut Paoli Calmettes and Laboratoire d’Immunologie, Marseille, France, conducted experiments to determine if SARS-CoV-2 can affect the myeloid compartment or infect monocytes and macrophages.

20 Sep 2020

Study examines performance of fabrics for home-made masks against the spread of COVID-19

Studies indicate that homemade masks help combat the spread of viruses like COVID-19 when combined with frequent hand-washing and physical distancing.

19 Sep 2020

Research provides deeper understanding of how neurons in the nose react to odors

Take a sniff of a freshly poured glass of wine, and the prevailing scientific thinking would suggest that the harmony of fragrances you perceive starts with sensory receptors in your nose simply adding up the individual odors they encounter.

19 Sep 2020