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New study helps better understand molecular basis of diseases affecting motor control

Neuroscientists at the University of Sussex have revealed that complex movements, such as those that maintain our posture, can be controlled by a simple genetic system, providing a framework to better understand the molecular basis of diseases that affect motor control, like Huntington's and Parkinson's.

31 Jul 2019

Study discovers paradoxical proinflammatory effect of endocannabinoids in the brain

A new study led by the Neuropharmacology Laboratory -NeuroPhar at UPF shows that increasing endocannabinoids in the brain may cause inflammation in specific brain areas such as the cerebellum, which is associated with problems of fine motor coordination.

30 Jul 2019

Cigarette smoke can make MRSA bacterium more resistant to antibiotics

Cigarette smoke can make MRSA bacterial strains more resistant to antibiotics, new research from the University of Bath has shown.

30 Jul 2019

Neurological charities pump £3 million into digital brain bank to boost MS and Parkinson’s research

Two leading neurological charities have announced £3 million of funding for Europe’s largest brain and tissue bank, based in London.

30 Jul 2019

NemaMetrix raises $5 million USD funding to expand its Precisome platform

NemaMetrix, an Oregon-based company that provides phenotyping and functional analysis using C. elegans nematodes, today announced it has closed a $5 million USD funding round to expand its Precisome platform: a tool for in vivo testing for early drug discovery, agribio, and precision medicine.

From InVivo Biosystems 30 Jul 2019

Study identifies multiple regions in the genome linked to risk of re-experiencing PTSD

A study based on the Million Veteran Program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has identified multiple locations in the human genome related to the risk of re-experiencing traumatic memories, the most distinctive symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder.

30 Jul 2019

Researchers unlock the key to clearly identifying diseased beta cells in type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, have unlocked the key to clearly identifying diseased beta cells in type 2 diabetes. This discovery has both research and therapeutic implications.

30 Jul 2019

Estrogen exposure during fetal life increases autism risk

In a new study, scientists confirmed that babies who are exposed to higher levels of estrogen while they are in the womb are more likely to be autistic. The study titled, 'Foetal oestrogens and autism', is published in the journal, Molecular Psychiatry.

30 Jul 2019

First ever American gene-editing treatment using CRISPR for genetic disease

In a pathbreaking experiment, a 34-year-old mother of four from Mississippi is in the limelight for volunteering to be the subject of CRISPR-mediated gene editing in the hope of achieving a cure for the painful sickle cell anemia with which she has suffered all her life.

30 Jul 2019

Clinical cell therapy expert shares the benefits of donating cord blood

July is National Cord Blood Awareness Month, and many parents are not aware of the option they have to donate it and the benefits that public donation can bring.

29 Jul 2019

Freshwater fish can reveal evolutionary secrets for limb regeneration

What can fish teach scientists about limb regeneration? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

29 Jul 2019

Genetics may influence the composition of the microbiome more than environmental factors

Researchers have found that the microbiome is influenced by genetics much more than it is by the maternal birth environment.

29 Jul 2019

Scientists identify link between high levels of estrogen in the womb and autism

Scientist have identified a link between exposure to high levels of estrogen sex hormones in the womb and the likelihood of developing autism. The findings are published today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

29 Jul 2019

Whole-genome sequencing could transform salmonella detection

Salmonella is among the most common organisms responsible for symptomatic and serious food poisoning. Methods to detect this have evolved from crude microscopic identification to serotype detection.

29 Jul 2019

New CRISPR tool enhances RNA editing

CRISPR-based tools helped revolutionize the ability to target genetic mutations linked to disease development. Such tools focus on using the enzymes Cas9 and Cas12 to target DNA, and Cas13 to target RNA. Now, scientists used a new CRISPR platform that expands the capabilities of RNA editing.

29 Jul 2019

Thin photoelectric film can stimulate degenerated retinal tissues

In a study recently published in Advanced Biomedical Engineering, researchers at Okayama University report a thin photoelectric film which can stimulate degenerated retinal tissues of the eye.

29 Jul 2019

Study finds specific direct targets for lung cancer treatment

A team of researchers at the Salk Institute has found two therapeutic targets for the deadly type of lung cancer, non-small-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), which accounts for 85 percent of all lung cancer cases. They believe that the breakthrough discovery could pave the way for the development of new treatments for a majority of lung cancer patients.

29 Jul 2019

Scientists reverse social traits associated with autism in mouse model

Research has been ongoing in the field of genetic mutations and changes and brain and other neural disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and a new study in mice models of autism has shown a possible link between mutations or deletions of the SHANK3 gene and a rare disorder called Phelan-McDermid syndrome and ASD.

29 Jul 2019

New gene-editing study finds protective genes against Zika virus

Tel Aviv scientists have discovered certain genes that protect the host organism against attack by Zika virus, raising hopes of an eventual vaccine or cure for this dreaded viral disease.

28 Jul 2019

Whole genome sequencing reveals role of CNVs in insecticide resistance in malaria mosquitoes

Researchers from LSTM, working alongside colleagues from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge and the Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, have used whole genome sequencing to understand copy-number variants (CNVs) in malaria mosquitoes and their role in insecticide resistance.

27 Jul 2019