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Large-scale analysis of Alport syndrome reveals the effectiveness of existing treatments

A large-scale analysis of the clinical characteristics of Alport syndrome in Japanese patients has revealed that the effectiveness of existing treatment with ACE inhibitors and/or angiotensin receptor blockers (RAS inhibitors) varies depending on the type of mutation in the syndrome's causal gene (COL4A5).

7 Aug 2020

Study: Early training of cell development and network improves response

When it comes to training neural circuits for tissue engineering or biomedical applications, a new study suggests a key parameter: Train them young.

7 Aug 2020

New test can pinpoint which people with gonorrhea can be cured with ciprofloxacin

A test designed by UCLA researchers can pinpoint which people with gonorrhea will respond successfully to the inexpensive oral antibiotic ciprofloxacin, which had previously been sidelined over concerns the bacterium that causes the infection was becoming resistant to it.

7 Aug 2020

New insight into the molecular underpinnings of muscle development

In the world of weightlifting, some people gain more muscle faster than others, no matter what they do. Now, a novel human study may explain why this happens.

6 Aug 2020

Study shows recombination among SARS-CoV-2 strains is already occurring, but remains rare

A recent study by U.S. researchers, currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server, indicates that the recombination events among the viral strains of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are already occurring – however, considering current levels of viral genetic diversity, they are neither widespread nor readily detectable.

6 Aug 2020

Powerful treatment for IPF stops dangerous scar formation in mouse lungs

A pre-clinical study led by scientists at Cincinnati Children's demonstrates that in mice the drug barasertib reverses the activation of fibroblasts that cause dangerous scar tissue to build up in the lungs of people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

6 Aug 2020

Racial disparities related to outcomes exist among stroke patients

Two new studies indicate that racial disparities related to outcomes exist among stroke patients, including one study that specifically examines stroke patients with COVID-19.

6 Aug 2020

Study finds evidence of gut dysbiosis in people with Huntington's disease

A world first clinical study of the gut microbiome in people with Huntington's disease (HD) has found that it is not just a disease of the brain, but also of the body.

6 Aug 2020

Tasmanian devil research provides new insights for treating human cancers in future

A rare, transmissible tumor has brought the iconic Tasmanian devil to the brink of extinction, but new research by scientists at Washington State University and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle indicates hope for the animals' survival and possibly new treatment for human cancers.

6 Aug 2020

A new device for modeling the human gut’s complex microbiome environment

Several thousand strains of bacteria live in the human gut. Some of these are associated with disease, while others have beneficial effects on human health.

6 Aug 2020

Specific gene impairment may also protect people with Down syndrome

Scientists from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago discovered that a set of genes with decreased expression in individuals with Down syndrome may lead to clinical abnormalities in this population, such as poor muscle development and heart valve problems.

6 Aug 2020

Scientists highlight the need to develop microbiome biobanking infrastructure

A team of scientists, led by CABI’s Dr Matthew Ryan, have outlined a series of challenges and opportunities presented in a necessary review of how microbiomes – biological communities including bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, protists and viruses – can be ‘banked’ and preserved for generations to come.

6 Aug 2020

31st International Symposium on Human Identification is going virtual in 2020

Forensic DNA experts from around the world will gather virtually in 2020 for the 31st International Symposium on Human Identification.

6 Aug 2020

Researchers shed new light on epigenetic changes associated with ADNP syndrome

A study led by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai found that two different blood epigenetic signatures associated with ADNP syndrome (also known as Helsmoortel-Van Der Aa syndrome) have only a modest correlation with clinical manifestations of the syndrome. The study results were published online August 5 in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

6 Aug 2020

Carefully engineered spike protein can help develop COVID-19 vaccine

The experimental vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 that was the first to enter human trials in the United States has been shown to elicit neutralizing antibodies and a helpful T-cell response with the aid of a carefully engineered spike protein that mimics the infection-spreading part of the virus.

6 Aug 2020

HDAC6 inhibitors increase efficacy of immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer

Genetic modifier HDAC6 was found to control tumor growth and halt metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer in vivo, according to a new study published in the top-tier journal Cancer Research by investigators at the George Washington University (GW) Cancer Center.

6 Aug 2020

Study reveals changes in transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 due to D614G spike mutation

A recent research endeavor from the UK, currently available on the medRxiv preprint server, indicates that spike 614G variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) increases in frequency relative to 614D variant in a selective advantage manner – but without higher coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mortality rates.

5 Aug 2020