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Fish exposed to chemicals can cause adverse biological effects in animals and humans

Fish exposed to very low levels of chemicals commonly found in waterways can pass the impacts on to future generations that were never directly exposed to the chemicals, according to Oregon State University researchers.

25 Jun 2020

Platelets may be contributing to COVID-19

The current pandemic of COVID-19 is characterized mainly by severe acute respiratory distress of the lungs, but other organ dysfunctions are also being observed, including the heart and blood vessels. Now, a new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 describes the abnormal activation of platelets in this disease and the link between this phenomenon and poor outcomes for COVID-19 patients.

24 Jun 2020

New method could safeguard water quality, environment and health

A research team at Swansea University have developed a new method for fast removal and detection of wastewater pollutants that come from everyday pharmaceuticals like paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin, which could help minimize their impact on the environment.

24 Jun 2020

Air pollution, smoking and built environment may play a role in childhood obesity

How do environmental exposures during pregnancy and childhood influence the risk of obesity in children? The Barcelona Institute for Global Health, a center supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, and the University of Southern California led the first major study to investigate the associations between many pollutants and environmental factors --77 prenatal and 96 childhood exposures-- and the risk of childhood obesity.

24 Jun 2020

Novel treatment provides cardioprotection after heart attack in animal models

A novel treatment reduces heart damage after serious heart attacks in two animal models. Injections of two chemicals in a slow-release form significantly reduced the size of the dead heart tissue, known as the infarct, and improved the function of the left ventricle, as compared to untreated subjects.

23 Jun 2020

UAH researchers assess treatment efficacy of naturally occurring compounds against COVID-19

The Baudry Lab at The University of Alabama in Huntsville has identified 125 naturally occurring compounds that have a computational potential for efficacy against the COVID-19 virus from the first batch of 50,000 rapidly assessed by a supercomputer.

22 Jun 2020

Balanced B and T cell response required to control SARS-CoV-2

A new study by researchers in the Netherlands and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 describes the differences in T and B cell responses seen in patients with severe COVID-19.

21 Jun 2020

How an ignored white blood cell may cause COVID-19 deaths

News-Medical speaks to Professor Lola Eniola-Adefeso about her research investigating how an ignored white blood cell may cause COVID-19 deaths.

19 Jun 2020

Researchers use aquaculture to tackle snail fever

Pioneering research led by the University of Stirling could play a vital role in reducing the prevalence of "snail fever" - a debilitating infection that affects more than 200 million people worldwide.

18 Jun 2020

Scientists use CRISPR tool to make rapid, precise cuts in genomic material

In a series of experiments using human cancer cell lines, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used light as a trigger to make precise cuts in genomic material rapidly, using a molecular scalpel known as CRISPR, and observe how specialized cell proteins repair the exact spot where the gene was cut.

18 Jun 2020

NIST updates its database of chemical fingerprints

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has updated its database of chemical fingerprints, called mass spectra, that are used to identify unknown chemical compounds.

17 Jun 2020

ACE2 and pattern recognition receptor genes increase with age

A recent study by researchers in California and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 shows that advancing age is associated with increased expression of pattern recognition receptor (PRR) genes and ACE2 receptors, possibly accounting in part for the increased severity of the disease in older adults.

17 Jun 2020

New microscopy technique can be used to study the progression of wound healing

Researchers at the GSK Center for Optical Molecular Imaging have developed a new microscope that looks at the different parameters that change during wound healing. They hope to use this technique to understand how skin disorders, such as foot ulcers in diabetic patients and psoriasis, can be treated.

17 Jun 2020

Gut bacteria can take control over the host animal's sensory behavior

Gut bacteria are tiny but may play an outsized role not only in the host animal's digestive health, but in their overall well-being.

17 Jun 2020

NTU researchers develop a sustainable way to extract high-quality antimicrobial compounds

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed a sustainable and green way to extract high-quality antimicrobial compounds from seeds.

17 Jun 2020

Danish pipetting robot automates COVID-19 testing processes in hospitals

A Danish pipetting robot is automating Covid testing processes in hospitals around Europe. The robot, called flowbot ONE, significantly reduces the time it takes for laboratories to produce results for patients to tell them whether they are infected with Covid-19.

17 Jun 2020

Even brief exposure to certain chemicals can prematurely age the liver epigenome

The epigenome is sometimes referred to as the "software" or "operating system" of the genome. It comprises small chemical modifications to DNA and the proteins that make up our chromosomes, and controls the activity of all the genes within the genome.

17 Jun 2020

Persistent DNA damage in the placenta can affect embryonic growth

Scientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have shown that a dysfunctional placenta can play a previously unrecognized role during the earliest stages of development in mouse models of Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

16 Jun 2020

Researchers receive federal funding to rapidly repurpose FDA-approved drugs for COVID-19

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine will be partnering on an agreement funded by the federal government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to rapidly test hundreds of drugs, approved and marketed for other conditions, to see whether any can be repurposed to prevent or treat COVID-19.

16 Jun 2020

Diluting blood plasma helps achieve age-reversing effects in mice

In 2005, University of California, Berkeley, researchers made the surprising discovery that making conjoined twins out of young and old mice -- such that they share blood and organs -- can rejuvenate tissues and reverse the signs of aging in the old mice.

15 Jun 2020