Birth Defects News and Research

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Glitches in DNA replication have important implications for treating cancer

USC researchers peering deep inside a living cell have discovered something surprising: Its system for preventing genetic damage linked to diseases can fail so badly that the cell would be better off without it.

30 Jun 2020

Scientists design chiral ligands to generate useful compounds

Currently, various therapeutic compounds in the market, such as proteins, enzymes, and amino acids, are "chiral compounds"--molecules with two structures that are "mirror" images of each other but cannot be superimposed.

30 Jun 2020

Does COVID-19 injure the placenta of pregnant women?

News-Medical speaks to Dr. Jeffery Goldstein about whether COVID-19 is damaging the placentas of pregnant women and what women can do to protect themselves.

12 Jun 2020

New method uses human embryonic stem cells to generate 3D assembly of cells

Scientists from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with the Hubrecht Institute in The Netherlands, have developed a new model to study an early stage of human development, using human embryonic stem cells.

11 Jun 2020

Study provides insight on genes present during trachea and esophagus development

A new study reporting how a network of genes directs the development of the trachea and oesophagus in mice has been published today in eLife.

9 Jun 2020

Columbia engineers develop novel technique to study how tissues flow in the embryo

As embryos develop, tissues flow and reorganize dramatically on timescales as brief as minutes. This reorganization includes epithelial tissues that cover outer surfaces and inner linings of organs and blood vessels.

30 May 2020

Study analyzes cancer diagnosis in children with birth defects

Scientific studies suggest that children with birth defects are at increased risk of cancer. However, it has not been assessed whether the type of cancer, the age at which they are diagnosed or the extent of cancer spread at the time of diagnosis, is different for children with birth defects compared to children without birth defects.

29 May 2020

Frog brain discovery may pave the way for repairing birth defects in humans

A team of researchers from Tufts University, Universitat de Valencia, and Harvard University has discovered that the brains of developing frog embryos damaged by nicotine exposure can be repaired by using “ionoceuticals” that can help in the recovery of bioelectric patterns in the embryo.

28 May 2020

UTSW/Children's Health joint program approved as Certified Duchenne Care Center

A joint program of UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Health has been approved as a Certified Duchenne Care Center by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, the nation's most comprehensive nonprofit organization focused on finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

27 May 2020

Study uncovers the role of DNA repair in preserving egg quality

A Monash University study has uncovered the role DNA repair plays in preserving egg quality, offering hope for women whose eggs may be damaged through treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.

22 May 2020

Study: Recombination is crucial for proper segregation of chromosomes into germs cells

From avocado plants to baker's yeast, humans to zebras, sexually reproducing organisms must create germ cells that contain half the number of chromosomes found in a typical body cell.

7 May 2020

New mathematical tool can predict the spread of infectious diseases more accurately

An international team of researchers has developed a new mathematical tool that could help scientists to deliver more accurate predictions of how diseases, including COVID-19, spread through towns and cities around the world.

5 May 2020

Air ambulance service may lead to surprise bills for many patients

When an emergency dispatcher calls for a helicopter or plane to fly a critically ill patient to a hospital, they don't have time to check whether they take the patient's insurance.

5 May 2020

Study explores impact of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis usage on unborn children

An unforeseen consequence of normalization of marijuana use is that adolescents and adults of childbearing age are increasingly engaged in a practice of Simultaneous Alcohol and Cannabinoid (SAC) use, or co-ingestion.

28 Apr 2020

Research provides insights into how Zika virus can spread through sexual contact

Zika virus is capable of replicating and spreading infectious particles within the outermost cells lining the vaginal tract, according to new research. The findings provide the first molecular-level insights into how the virus can move from person to person through sexual contact.

27 Apr 2020

Born into a pandemic: Virus complicates births for moms and babies

Mallory Pease's contractions grew stronger as her husband, Mitchell, drove her to Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall, Michigan, to give birth to their second child. It had been a routine pregnancy, but she told her doctor she'd recently developed a sore throat, aches, coughing and shortness of breath — symptoms her provider knew could indicate COVID-19.

24 Apr 2020

Scientists model human CMV-induced microcephaly using brain organoids

A City of Hope scientist is one step closer to discovering what weakens a pathogen that appears to cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads.

30 Mar 2020

Key protein in sperm production could aid male infertility treatments

Researchers have discovered that a key protein drives sperm production, knowledge that may help infertile couples conceive.

26 Mar 2020

Targeting critical enzyme for sperm formation could help address male infertility

While some of our body's cells divide in a matter of hours, the process of making sperm, meiosis, alone takes about 14 days from start to finish. And fully six of those days are spent in the stage known as the pachytene, when pairs of chromosomes from an individual's mother and father align and connect.

25 Mar 2020

New tool shows potential to predict developmental toxicity in humans with high accuracy

Recently published results from an evaluation of 1,065 chemical and drug substances using the devTOX quickPredict (devTOXqP) screening platform developed by Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Inc. demonstrated the platform's ability to predict developmental toxicity in humans with high accuracy using a cell-based test.

3 Mar 2020