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Rare gene variant increases zoonotic H7N9 virus susceptibility in humans

Rare, single-nucleotide variants in the MX1 gene increase human susceptibility to zoonotic H7N9 avian influenza infection, according to a new study.

19 Aug 2021

Two key brain functions may improve during aging

It's long been believed that advancing age leads to broad declines in our mental abilities. Now new research from Georgetown University Medical Center offers surprisingly good news by countering this view.

19 Aug 2021

Frequent adolescent cannabis use may carry intergenerational risks, study finds

Teenagers who use cannabis frequently may be more likely to have children born preterm, when they become parents up to twenty years later, finds a new University of Bristol-led study.

19 Aug 2021

Small study suggests a mix-and-match COVID-19 booster produces robust antibody levels

In a small study published in the medRxiv* preprint server, people given a booster Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shot showed elevated and robust antibody levels.

19 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies found to neutralize bat coronavirus (RaTG13) in new study

A striking new study examines how far antibodies elicited by vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), or by natural infection, can neutralize the closely related bat coronavirus (CoV) RaTG13.

19 Aug 2021

How does the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant’s spike drive membrane fusion and immunity evasion?

A fascinating and timely new study shows how the Delta variant of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) achieved higher transmissibility and resistance to neutralization.

19 Aug 2021

Durable highly protective T cell response to AAV-spike vaccine against COVID-19 pneumonia in mice

New research, available as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, has focused on the role played by T cell immunity, particularly CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, on preventing lethal infection with SARS-CoV-2 in mice infused with peptide-loaded antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs).

19 Aug 2021

Did particulate matter from wildfires cause excess COVID-19 deaths in the US?

New research published in Science Advances investigates the relationship between wildfire smoke and COVID-19 mortality using pollution and COVID-19 incidence and mortality data.

19 Aug 2021

Early clinical trial data in for whole virus COVID-19 vaccine candidate

In a study uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv*, the efficacy of a whole virion Coronavirus vaccine was determined by giving the vaccine to healthy adult volunteers, which generated a robust immune response with evidence of T-cell activation.

19 Aug 2021

Scientists uncover previously unknown brain mechanism behind compulsive alcohol use

A small group of nerve cells in the brain determines whether an individual continues to consume alcohol even when it has negative consequences. This is the conclusion of a study carried out on rats by researchers at Linköping University.

19 Aug 2021

Fruit fly provides insight into controlling carbs and fat

Incretins are hormones secreted by intestinal cells that regulate pancreatic insulin and glucagon to control sugar metabolism in mammals.

19 Aug 2021

Scientists identify a potent neutralizing nanobody against SARS-CoV-1

In a recently published article in the journal Virologica Sinica, scientists have described the development and validation of a potent nanobody that targets the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The nanobody efficiently and specifically blocks the interaction between RBD and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and neutralizes the virus.

19 Aug 2021

Magnetic beads could offer much more precise control of prosthetic limbs

For people with amputation who have prosthetic limbs, one of the greatest challenges is controlling the prosthesis so that it moves the same way a natural limb would. Most prosthetic limbs are controlled using electromyography, a way of recording electrical activity from the muscles, but this approach provides only limited control of the prosthesis.

19 Aug 2021

White-tailed deer are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been shown to infect a wide range of animals naturally and experimentally, and prior studies indicate deer are susceptible to infection. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns have been found to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.

19 Aug 2021

Scientists use mathematical concepts to analyze fMRI data

Research led by a Wayne State University Department of Mathematics professor is aiding researchers in Wayne State's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences in analyzing fMRI data. fMRI is the preeminent class of signals collected from the brain in vivo and is irreplaceable in the study of brain dysfunction in many medical fields, including psychiatry, neurology, and pediatrics.

19 Aug 2021

Allopregnanolone exerts persistent antidepressant effects by altering brain states

New research led by neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine suggests the prolonged antidepressant effects of allopregnanolone, a neuroactive steroid used therapeutically to treat postpartum depression, may involve the ability of the compound to modify communication in an area of the brain important for mood and emotion regulation.

18 Aug 2021