Olfaction News and Research

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Could certain genes be associated with a loss of smell in some COVID-19 patients?

Researchers at the 23andMe COVID-19 Team, who help search for genetic links associated with the severity of COVID-19, found that the genes UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 may be associated with the loss of smell in those infected with SARS-CoV-2.

2 Jun 2021

Odor-based test could serve as a non-invasive approach to screen for harder-to-detect cancers

An odor-based test that sniffs out vapors emanating from blood samples was able to distinguish between benign and pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells with up to 95 percent accuracy, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn's Perelman School of Medicine.

1 Jun 2021

Scientists use anti-psychotics to treat flies displaying behavioral problems linked to schizophrenia-associated genes

Scientists have successfully treated flies displaying behavioral problems linked to newly discovered schizophrenia-associated genes in humans, using common anti-psychotics.

20 May 2021

First-of-its-kind method cryopreserves fruit fly embryos in liquid nitrogen

Cryopreservation, or the long-term storage of biomaterials at ultralow temperatures, has been used across cell types and species.

28 Apr 2021

Scientists identify address codes in odorant receptor proteins

A team of scientists led by Dietmar Krautwurst from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has now identified address codes in odorant receptor proteins for the first time.

17 Mar 2021

Study reveals a neural basis for how the brain enables odors to elicit memories

Odors evoke powerful memories, an experience enshrined in literature by Marcel Proust and his beloved madeleine.

9 Mar 2021

Researchers probe deeper into the neuronal mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction in Alzheimer’s

Loss of smell or olfactory dysfunction is an early indication of the neurodegenerative Alzheimer's disease (AD) and appears in approximately 90% of all patients.

25 Feb 2021

Olfactory loss is the best predictor of COVID-19

Two international studies confirm that for the majority of patients with respiratory infections who lose the sense of smell, this is due to COVID-19.

19 Jan 2021

Altered smell and taste impacts psychological wellbeing of COVID-19 survivors, study finds

A recent study discloses that loss of taste and smell sensation after infection with SARS-CoV-2 negatively impacts the quality of life and psychological wellbeing of those that recover but experience persistence of this symptom.

1 Dec 2020

Favorable clinical outcome for ivermectin in COVID-19 animal model

A team of researchers at the Institut Pasteur in France has found that ivermectin prevented clinical deterioration in infected animals. The drug also reduced the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 and 10 (IL-6 and IL-10) in lung tissue, which leads to more favorable clinical outcomes in treated animals.

23 Nov 2020

Brain's taste map operates differently than previously believed

What happens in our brain that makes us experience the sweet taste of a donut or the bitter taste of tonic water? What are the patterns of neural activity responsible for the perception of taste? A new study from Stony Brook University found that the map of neural responses mediating taste perception does not involve, as previously believed, specialized groups of neurons in the brain, but rather overlapping and spatially distributed populations.

12 Nov 2020

Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus identifies and binds neuropilin-1 on human cells to infect them

Helping to explain what makes SARS-CoV-2 so capable of infecting human cells, researchers in two independent studies discovered that the virus's spike protein recognizes and binds a protein on the human cell surface called neuropilin-1.

21 Oct 2020

Researchers are working to advance device for detecting ultra-low levels of disease particles

In Judith Su's Little Sensor Lab, researchers are working to sense tiny amounts - down to a single molecule - of everything from doping agents to biomarkers for cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Lyme disease and, yes, even COVID-19.

14 Oct 2020

Women with unexplained miscarriages have altered perceptions to male body odors

Women who have suffered unexplained repeated pregnancy loss (uRPL) have altered perceptions and brain responses to male body odors, in comparison to those with no history of uRPL, suggests a new study published today in eLife.

30 Sep 2020

Nasal calcium-rich salts effectively eliminate airborne particles from airways

In a paper published in Molecular Frontiers Journal, researchers from Cambridge, Massachusetts have discovered a more effective way of eliminating airborne particles from airways using nasal calcium-rich salts called FEND, which have potential applications in the fight against Covid-19.

29 Sep 2020

Researchers discuss the role of chemical senses in disease and social interactions in humans, animals

Across 5 days in August (3rd-7th), scientists from around the world gathered virtually to present and discuss new information on the role of the chemical senses in disease, nutrition, and social interactions in humans and animals.

9 Sep 2020

COVID-19 may have an impact on the central nervous system of patients

Depressed mood or anxiety exhibited in COVID-19 patients may possibly be a sign the virus affects the central nervous system, according to an international study led by a University of Cincinnati College of Medicine researcher.

14 Jul 2020

Study provides new insights into the mystery of scent

The premiere of the movie Scent of Mystery in 1960 marked a singular event in the annals of cinema: the first, and last, motion picture debut "in glorious Smell-O-Vision."

2 Jul 2020

A stereo sense of smell subconsciously guides navigation in humans

"If in doubt, always follow your nose," said Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. Despite Gandalf's advice, humans tend to regard themselves as "microsmatic" - having a poor sense of smell.

24 Jun 2020

Non-stop learning presents an optimal decision-making strategy

Unlike machines, the behaviour of animals and humans almost always has an element of unpredictability. Countless experiments have shown that our responses to the exact same challenge are sometimes faster, sometimes slower, sometimes correct and sometimes wrong.

2 Jun 2020