Embryonic Development News and Research

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Embryonic development or embryogenesis is the process by which the embryo is formed and develops. It starts with the fertilization of the ovum, egg, which, after fertilization, is then called a zygote. The zygote undergoes rapid mitotic divisions, the formation of two exact genetic replicates of the original cell, with no significant growth (a process known as cleavage) and cellular differentiation, leading to development of an embryo.

Mutations in folliculin gene affect embryo implantation

New information is unfolding on the genetic controls of an early turning point in pregnancy. As the tiny, dividing cell mass, the blastocyst, travels from the oviduct and lodges in the wall of the uterus, the cells must exit their pre-implantation state and be ready for post-implantation development.

7 Feb 2019

Study reveals mechanisms responsible for embryonic development in fruit flies

The first moments of life unfold with incredible precision. Now, using mathematical tools and the help of fruit flies, researchers at Princeton have uncovered new findings about the mechanisms behind this precision.

1 Feb 2019

Study sheds light on the genetic causes of tumors in salivary glands

Acinic cell carcinoma is the third most common malignant form of salivary gland cancer. These tumors are similar to normal salivary gland tissue and occur most frequently in the parotid gland.

31 Jan 2019

Behavioral experiments confirm that additional neurons improve brain function

Most neurons in the human brain are generated from neural stem cells during embryonic development. After birth, a small reservoir of stem cells remains in the brain that keeps on producing new neurons throughout life.

18 Jan 2019

Breast cancer cells in mice coaxed to turn into harmless fat cells

As cancer cells respond to cues in their microenvironment, they can enter a highly plastic state in which they are susceptible to transdifferentiation into a different type of cell.

16 Jan 2019

Turning breast cancer cells into fat cells prevents the formation of metastases

An innovative combination therapy can force malignant breast cancer cells to turn into fat cells. This can be used to prevent the formation of metastases in mice, as researchers at the University of Basel's Department of Biomedicine recently reported in the journal Cancer Cell.

14 Jan 2019

A small protein plays key role in how cancer stem cells differentiate

A jagged little protein appears to be key to how cancer stem cells differentiate and enable metastasis, according to researchers at Rice University and the Duke University School of Medicine.

4 Jan 2019

Researchers discover new mechanism behind spread of malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is divided into three subtypes, one of which is particularly aggressive. Researchers from the Comprehensive Cancer Center of MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital have now managed to discover a mechanism that contributes to this aggressive behavior: the tumor cells of this subtype are able to assume special characteristics that promote migration and therefore spread of the cancer.

13 Dec 2018

Disrupted biological clock can contribute to onset of diseases, USC study shows

USC scientists report that a novel time-keeping mechanism within liver cells that helps sustain key organ tasks can contribute to diseases when its natural rhythm is disrupted.

11 Dec 2018

New computational model provides clearer picture of shape-changing cells' structure and mechanics

A new computational model developed by researchers from The City College of New York and Yale gives a clearer picture of the structure and mechanics of soft, shape-changing cells that could provide a better understanding of cancerous tumor growth, wound healing, and embryonic development.

11 Dec 2018

New EU-funded project provides insight into how the brain develops

The human brain is comprised of billions of different types of cells. These cells are then organized into sophisticated networks, each of which determines a specific function of the brain. But how do the neurons, or nerve cells that form these networks, find the right network? And what happens when they don’t?

6 Dec 2018

Researchers succeed in converting human skin cells into blood stem cells

Researchers have succeeded in converting human skin cells into blood stem cells in an international collaboration project.

5 Dec 2018

International study of ADHD at genomic scale

An international study, focused on the analysis of the genome of more than 50,000 people worldwide, has identified twelve specific fragments of DNA related to the vulnerability of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

26 Nov 2018

Vitamin D critical to early development of vertebrates, study suggests

New research from Portland State University finds vitamin D, or a lack thereof can trigger or suspend embryonic development in a species of fish. The study also provides evidence suggesting the vitamin is critical to the early development of vertebrates generally.

20 Nov 2018

Using light to control crucial step in embryonic development

In optogenetics, researchers use light to control protein activity. This technique allows them to alter the shape of embryonic tissue and to inhibit the development of abnormalities.

16 Nov 2018

3 Harvard scientists receive Allen awards for work in neuroimmunology, developmental biology, cancer

Three Harvard Medical School scientists have received the prestigious Allen Distinguished Investigator awards for their work in the fields of neuroimmunology, developmental biology and cancer.

31 Oct 2018

Ten Allen Distinguished Investigators for 2018 announced by Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group

Nanoparticles that could reprogram a cancer patient's immune system inside their own body. Understanding a mysterious type of brain cell in the hopes of shedding new light on Alzheimer's disease. Reimagining nuclei, the DNA-storage compartments of our cells, as miniature lava lamps.

30 Oct 2018

Dysfunction of single gene leads to miscarriages

A single gene of the mother plays such a crucial role in the development of the placenta that its dysfunction leads to miscarriages.

19 Oct 2018

Researchers examine SSRI use during pregnancy and major gestational malformations

A comprehensive new review article presents the most current understanding of the role selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors play in increased risk of multiple diverse gestational malformations and takes aim at the ongoing debate over whether SSRIs as a drug class can cause these malformations.

16 Oct 2018

Amputation injury is reflected in bioelectric properties of opposing, undamaged limb

In research that extends knowledge about the physiology of regeneration and wound repair, Tufts University biologists have discovered that amputation of one limb is immediately reflected in the bioelectric properties of the contralateral, or opposing, undamaged limb of developing frogs.

5 Oct 2018