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Study identifies possible new strategies to treat silent seizures in children

As early as 3 months of age, infants with a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome start having convulsive seizures, during which their arms and legs jerk repeatedly. As they become toddlers, another type of seizure begins to appear.

2 Jan 2019

Study reveals heart cell defect as possible cause of heart failure in pregnancy

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare form of heart failure that affects women in their last month of pregnancy and up to five months after giving birth. PPCM can be difficult to detect because its symptoms -- swelling in the feet and legs and shortness of breath -- mimic many of those of third trimester pregnancy.

2 Jan 2019

Molecular signatures reveal why women are more likely to die from glioblastoma

Scientists have discovered molecular signatures that reveal why women are more likely to develop and die from the brain cancer, glioblastoma.

2 Jan 2019

Researchers compile atlas of genetic influences on osteoporosis

A ground-breaking new study led by researchers from the Lady Davis Institute (LDI) at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) has succeeded in compiling an atlas of genetic factors associated with estimated bone mineral density (BMD), one of the most clinically relevant factors in diagnosing osteoporosis.

2 Jan 2019

New research could help restore youthful characteristics

If only we could keep our bodies young, healthy and energetic, even as we attain the wisdom of our years. New research at the Weizmann Institute of Science suggests this dream could be at least partly obtainable in the future.

2 Jan 2019

Genetically diverse mouse models improves usability for precision medicine for Alzheimer's

Incorporating genetic diversity into a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease resulted in greater overlap with the genetic, molecular and clinical features of this pervasive human disease, according to a study funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.

28 Dec 2018

Multi-database electronic research finds link between gene polymorphisms with zinc status

Zinc is one of the essential components in the diet of all living organisms. It is the second most abundant biological trace element after iron.

28 Dec 2018

Kidney disease risk gene found in more populations than previously known

In the largest population genomics investigation to date, a team of researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Stanford University, and the University of Colorado have discovered that kidney disease risk variants of the gene APOL1, previously known to affect African and African American populations, are also found at appreciable frequencies in Caribbean and Latin American populations.

28 Dec 2018

Scientists move one step closer towards treatment for low-grade gliomas with SYNODOS

Treatment for low-grade gliomas in patients living with neurofibromatosis type 1 are now one step closer thanks to recent research discoveries initiated and funded by the Children's Tumor Foundation.

28 Dec 2018

Ancient genomes reveal changes in genetic status of eastern gorillas

The critically endangered Grauer's gorilla has recently lost genetic diversity and has experienced an increase in harmful mutations. These conclusions were reached by an international team of researchers who sequenced eleven genomes from eastern gorilla specimens collected up to 100 years ago, and compared these with genomes from present-day individuals.

28 Dec 2018

Himalayan marmot genome offers clues to high-altitude adaptation

Himalayan marmots can survive at altitudes up to 5,000 meters in the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, and Pakistan and on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China, where many of them face extreme cold, little oxygen, and few other resources.

27 Dec 2018

Study uncovers how skin ages, loses fat and immunity

Dermal fibroblasts are specialized cells deep in the skin that generate connective tissue and help the skin recover from injury. Some fibroblasts have the ability to convert into fat cells that reside under the dermis, giving the skin a plump, youthful look and producing a peptide that plays a critical role in fighting infections.

27 Dec 2018

White colonies on kimchi surface is not formed by molds but by yeasts, finds study

WiKim reported that the white colonies on the surface of kimchi is not formed by molds but by "yeasts" and that genomic data was acquired regarding the hygienic safety of the yeast strains.

27 Dec 2018

Breast cancer drugs could tackle lung cancers resistant to targeted therapies

A class of drugs used to treat certain breast cancers could help to tackle lung cancers that have become resistant to targeted therapies, suggests a new study in mice from the Francis Crick Institute and the Institute of Cancer Research.

27 Dec 2018

Genetic testing can help personalize diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease, study shows

A new study has found that genes cause about 1 in 10 cases of chronic kidney disease in adults, and identifying the responsible gene has a direct impact on treatment for most of these patients.

26 Dec 2018

New method of cancer stem cells activation to destroy tumors

This risky method of anti-cancer therapy was suggested by scientists of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU). Their review of mechanisms for molecular activation of stem cells of gliomas (most widely-spread brain tumors) was approved for publishing in the Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience journal.

26 Dec 2018

The impact of maternal diabetes on fetal heart development

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect. And even with remarkable advances in care, it remains the leading cause of non-infectious death in infants.

24 Dec 2018

Whole genome study identifies genetic architecture for diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome

In the largest genetic analysis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) performed to date, an international consortium, including researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, conducted a whole genome association study to identify common genetic architecture for different diagnostic criteria used to define the syndrome.

24 Dec 2018

Researchers identify hundreds of new genes linked to blindness in lab mice

Hundreds of new genes linked to blindness and other vision disorders have been identified in a screen of mouse strains. Many of these genes are likely important in human vision and the results could help identify new causes of hereditary blindness in patients.

24 Dec 2018

Glial cell maturation is severely impaired in patients with Huntington's disease

The neurological disorder Huntington's disease causes behavioral and motor changes, which among other things are a result of dysfunctional maturation or formation of glial cells, the brain's support cells, researchers from the University of Copenhagen demonstrate in a new study based on mice trials.

24 Dec 2018