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Scientists identify role of Mesp1 gene in earliest step of cardiovascular lineage segregation

Researchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles and University of Cambridge identified the role of key gene Mesp1 in the earliest step of cardiovascular lineage segregation. This discovery may help to better understand congenital heart defects.

27 Jan 2018

Poor sleep quality may affect children’s weight and eating habits

Several measures of poor sleep quality were associated with higher body mass index (BMI) in children, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Special Conference Obesity and Cancer: Mechanisms Underlying Etiology and Outcomes, held Jan. 27-30.

27 Jan 2018

Valproic acid exposure results in characteristics linked to autism, zebrafish study shows

Exposure to a compound used to treat migraines and seizures causes characteristics associated with autism, groundbreaking research with zebrafish has demonstrated.

24 Jan 2018

NIH launches large study to compare treatments for pregnant women with HIV

The National Institutes of Health has launched a large international study to compare the safety and efficacy of three antiretroviral treatment regimens for pregnant women living with HIV and the safety of these regimens for their infants.

24 Jan 2018

Powerful anti-oxidant can stop progression of fatty liver disease in young mice

As obesity continues to rise in the U.S., non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major public health issue, increasingly leading to cancer and liver transplants.

22 Jan 2018

FDA grants approval for first drug to treat inherited breast cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today expanded the approved use of Lynparza (olaparib tablets) to include the treatment of patients with certain types of breast cancer that have spread (metastasized) and whose tumors have a specific inherited (germline) genetic mutation, making it the first drug in its class (PARP inhibitor) approved to treat breast cancer, and it is the first time any drug has been approved to treat certain patients with metastatic breast cancer who have a "BRCA" gene mutation.

15 Jan 2018

Implanted robotic system stimulates tissue growth in stunted organs

An implanted, programmable medical robot can gradually lengthen tubular organs by applying traction forces -- stimulating tissue growth in stunted organs without interfering with organ function or causing apparent discomfort, report researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.

11 Jan 2018

Women survive better than men during hard times, research shows

Women today tend to live longer than men almost everywhere worldwide -- in some countries by more than a decade.

9 Jan 2018

T cell-inducing dengue vaccines could confer broader protection for kids born to vaccinated mothers

For a long time, a dengue vaccine was the holy grail in dengue research. Now that a dengue vaccine is finally on the market (Sanofi's Dengvaxia), other issues have arisen, such as what happens in the babies of vaccinated mothers.

22 Dec 2017

Study finds narrowed upper airways in preterm infants that may explain higher OSA risk

Infants born preterm have significantly lower nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal volumes, compared with newborn peers carried to full term, and those lower airway volumes are independent of the infants' gender, ethnicity or weight, according to a study published online Dec. 16, 2017 in Clinical Imaging.

22 Dec 2017

Newborns with spina bifida have sleep-disordered breathing in first days of life, study finds

New parents often hear about how important sleep is for their babies' development -- but some newborns may have more serious sleep challenges than others.

19 Dec 2017

A guide to Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease, review released

A new review published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal provides guidance on Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID), a deadly and rare disease that is potentially curable if detected early.

18 Dec 2017

New review provides guidance to doctors who may treat infants with ‘bubble boy disease’

A new review provides guidance on a deadly, but rare, disease that is potentially curable if identified early. Severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), known as the "bubble boy disease" in the 1970s, is treatable with a stem cell transplant, gene therapy and other treatments if identified at birth or soon after.

18 Dec 2017

New compound targets APOE gene to reduce Alzheimer's damage in mice

People who carry the APOE4 genetic variant face a substantial risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

6 Dec 2017

Newborn screening for SMA favored by most people, study finds

Research from the University of Warwick indicates that most people are in favor of newborn screening for the potentially deadly condition spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

6 Dec 2017

Scientists develop multi-step method to harvest amniotic fluid

Amniotic fluid, the protective liquid surrounding an unborn baby, is discarded as medical waste during cesarean section deliveries.

6 Dec 2017

Lithium chloride prevents neurological damage tied to fetal alcohol syndrome, mice study shows

A single dose of lithium chloride, a drug used to treat bipolar disease and aggression, blocks the sleep disturbances, memory loss, and learning problems tied to fetal alcohol syndrome, new experiments in mice show.

5 Dec 2017

Newborn babies exhibit a heightened response to pain when under stress

Newborn babies exhibit a heightened response to pain when they are under stress, according to a study published in Current Biology. However, this is not detectable in babies’ behaviour due to the stress causing a disconnect between their brain activity and their behavior.

5 Dec 2017

Hand preference well defined at 18th week of gestation, study says

Are you born or do you become right-handed or left-handed? A study led by Valentina Parma, researcher at the International School for Advanced Studies - SISSA of Trieste, and Professor Umberto Castiello of the University of Padua, just published on Scientific Reports, shows that hand preference is already well defined at the 18th week of gestation.

4 Dec 2017

Study finds altered blood flow in brains of preterm newborns

According to a new prospective and observational study published today in The Journal of Pediatrics, very premature infants suffer from an altered cerebral blood flow (CBF) of key regions of the brain which may help to warn of complications in brain maturation, far sooner than conventional imaging could visually reveal.

4 Dec 2017