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Researchers discover new link between a class of persistent pollutants and gut microbiome

Researchers at Duke University have completed the most comprehensive study to date on how a class of persistent pollutants called semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are associated with the gut microbiome in human children.

3 Dec 2020

Researchers identify potential drug target that may improve cognition in people with mental illnesses

More than a dozen drugs are known to treat symptoms such as hallucinations, erratic behaviors, disordered thinking and emotional extremes associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other severe mental illnesses.

3 Dec 2020

Experts address the global burden of brain diseases

Think Brain Health - a policy, clinical and research challenge, a virtual meeting featuring expert speakers in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, addressed current and future opportunities to help everyone achieve good brain health.

3 Dec 2020

COVID-19 mutation mapping identifies escape mutations against therapeutic antibodies

A new study maps all known mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, showing how each contributes to escape from individual antibodies.

3 Dec 2020

Patch-seq technique helps depict the variation of neural cells in the brain

The tree of life describes the evolution of life and seeks to define the relationships between species. Likewise, the tree of cell types aims to organize cells in the brain into groups and describe their relationships to each other.

3 Dec 2020

Circadian gene mutation increases drug-taking behaviors in mice

A mutation in the gene regulating circadian rhythms increases self-administration of cocaine in mice, University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences researchers found in a paper published today in the Journal of Neuroscience.

2 Dec 2020

Surprising discovery reveals new target for aggressive lung adenocarcinoma

Targeted therapies are currently available for about one-third of people with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common kind of lung cancer.

2 Dec 2020

The UK approves Pfizer vaccine for December 2020 roll out

The UK approves Pfizer vaccine and schedules phased vaccination process, commencing December 2020.

2 Dec 2020

New lab-on-a-chip can process and present results rapidly

The chip, developed at Imperial College London and known as TriSilix, is a 'micro laboratory' which performs a miniature version of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the spot. PCR is the gold-standard test for detecting viruses and bacteria in biological samples such as bodily fluids, faeces, or environmental samples.

2 Dec 2020

SARS-CoV-2 deletion mutations may have attenuated infectivity in some strains

A team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong has identified a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants, called Del-mut, which contains a deletion in the S1/S2 junction. Upon investigating one of the deleted variants in animal models, they found that Del-mut-1 is attenuated in its ability to cause disease or pathological changes.

2 Dec 2020

Genethon to start international clinical trial for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Genethon, dedicated to designing and developing gene therapy products for rare diseases, received this Monday 30th of November the authorization from the ANSM, the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety, to start in France a multicentre international clinical trial for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy with product GNT 004.

2 Dec 2020

Study: Tumors with high TMB tend to respond better to immune checkpoint inhibitors

Treatments that harness the immune system to fight cancer have greatly improved outcomes for some people with cancer. Scientists are learning more about why some people respond much better than others to these drugs.

2 Dec 2020

Researchers develop telomerase gene therapy for treating different pathologies

After several years of research and many joint scientific publications, molecular biologists Maria Blasco (National Cancer Research Centre, CNIO) and Fàtima Bosch (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, UAB) have developed a telomerase gene therapy for the treatment of different pathologies related to shortening telomeres and, therefore, ageing.

2 Dec 2020

New combination therapy may help fight antimicrobial resistance

An inexpensive, FDA-approved drug -- cholestyramine -- taken in conjunction with an antibiotic prevents the antibiotic from driving antimicrobial resistance, according to new research by scientists at Penn State and the University of Michigan. The team's findings appear today (Dec. 1) in the journal eLife.

2 Dec 2020