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Researchers identify risk factor for maternal antibody-related autism in subset of children

Researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute have found that prenatal exposure to specific combinations of antibodies found only in mothers of children with autism leads to changes in the brain that adversely affect behavior and development.

10 Jul 2013

Researcher receives $1.58M NIDCR grant to advance research on link between oral bacteria and fetal death

A new four-year, $1.58 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, will allow a Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine researcher to advance her work linking oral bacteria to fetal death.

9 Jul 2013

Protein in liver plays a crucial role in mice's pregnancy and human menstrual cycle

A protein first shown to function in the liver plays a crucial role in pregnancy in mice and has a key role in the human menstrual cycle, according to researchers at the University of Montreal. Mice that were genetically engineered not to produce the liver receptor homolog-1 (Lrh-1) molecule were unable to create the uterine conditions necessary for establishing and sustaining pregnancy, resulting in the formation of defective placentas.

1 Jul 2013

Transplanted bone marrow stem cells in patients with type 2 diabetes reduce insulin use

A study carried out in India examining the safety and efficacy of self-donated (autologous), transplanted bone marrow stem cells in patients with type 2 diabetes (TD2M), has found that patients receiving the transplants, when compared to a control group of TD2M patients who did not receive transplantation, required less insulin post-transplantation.

30 Jun 2013

Researchers say hCNT1 protein may affect cancer cells physiology, apart from transport function

The protein hCNT1, which plays a major role in nucleoside transport, may have other biological functions that may affect cancer cells physiology, apart from their transport function. This is the main conclusion of the new scientific work published on the journal Cell Death and Disease.

26 Jun 2013

Rewinding the developmental state of embryonic stem cells is possible, say researchers

Scientists at the Danish Stem Cell Center, DanStem, at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that they can make embryonic stem cells regress to a stage of development where they are able to make placenta cells as well as the other fetal cells.

7 Jun 2013

Scientists report new way of tackling cancer and predicting tumor virulence

A new way of tackling cancer and predicting tumor virulence are has been reported by a team of scientists from the Institut Albert Bonniot de Grenoble including researchers from CNRS, Inserm and Université Joseph Fourier, in collaboration with clinical physicians and anatomopathologists from the CHU de Grenoble, with the support of the Institut National du Cancer, the Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer and the Fondation ARC pour la Recherche sur le Cancer.

26 May 2013

Major breakthrough in IVF treatment

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the publication of a recent study in Reproductive BioMedicine Online on 5-day old human blastocysts showing that those with an abnormal chromosomal composition can be identified by the rate at which they have developed to blastocysts, thereby classifying the risk of genetic abnormality without a biopsy.

20 May 2013

Preclinical study shows PLX cells may help reverse symptoms associated with preeclampsia

Could the answer to repairing the ailing placenta in preeclampsia lie within the stem cells of a healthy placenta? New promising evidence may lead scientists to answer that question.

17 May 2013

Nutritional supplement may improve survival rates of babies born with heart defects

A common nutritional supplement may be part of the magic in improving the survival rates of babies born with heart defects, researchers report. Carnitine, a compound that helps transport fat inside the cell powerhouse where it can be used for energy production, is currently used for purposes ranging from weight loss to chest pain.

10 May 2013

Adrenomedullin plays a crucial role in preventing preeclampsia

In a study using mice, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that a hormone, adrenomedullin, plays a crucial role in preventing the pregnancy complication preeclampsia.

2 May 2013

Study finds link between bigger birth weight babies and risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder

The biggest study of fetal growth and autism to date has reported that babies whose growth is at either extreme in the womb, either very big or very small, are at greater risk of developing autism.

From The University of Manchester 2 May 2013

Abnormal placental folds help identify autism risk in newborns

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have figured out how to measure an infant's risk of developing autism by looking for abnormalities in his/her placenta at birth, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder.

25 Apr 2013

Research shows respiratory syncytial virus can be transferred during pregnancy to unborn baby

The most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), can be transferred during pregnancy to an unborn baby, according to Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital research published online this week in the journal PLOS ONE.

19 Apr 2013

Researchers shed new light on role of methylation in gene expression

Researchers at UC Davis and the University of British Columbia have shed new light on methylation, a critical process that helps control how genes are expressed.

28 Mar 2013

Johns Hopkins undergraduates develop Cooling Cure to protect newborn from brain damage

When babies are deprived of oxygen before birth, brain damage and disorders such as cerebral palsy can occur. Extended cooling can prevent brain injuries, but this treatment is not always available in developing nations where advanced medical care is scarce.

22 Mar 2013

Multipotent stem cells in deer antler may have regenerative uses in veterinary medicine

A team of researchers in Seoul, Korea have reported finding evidence that deer antlers - unique in that they regenerate annually - contain multipotent stem cells that could be useful for tissue regeneration in veterinary medicine.

20 Mar 2013

Scientist awarded $1.2M grant to develop therapy to reduce premature births

A scientist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has been awarded a $1.2 million grant to develop a therapy to reduce the prevalence of premature births, which today affect more than 15 million newborns worldwide each year.

11 Mar 2013

Cell fusion studies at Johns Hopkins could lead to improved treatments for muscular dystrophy

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a high-efficiency cell-cell fusion system, providing a new model to study how fusion works. The scientists showed that fusion between two cells is not equal and mutual as some assumed, but, rather, is initiated and driven by one of the fusion partners. The discovery, they say, could lead to improved treatments for muscular dystrophy, since muscle regeneration relies on cell fusion to make muscle fibers that contain hundreds or even thousands of nuclei.

8 Mar 2013

Link between family support in pregnancy and reduced postpartum depression symptoms

Women who receive strong social support from their families during pregnancy appear to be protected from sharp increases in a particular stress hormone, making them less likely to experience depression after giving birth, a new study by UCLA life scientists indicates.

6 Mar 2013