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Researchers mine blood-based epigenetic data to gain insights into autism biology

Using data from blood and brain tissue, a team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that they could gain insights into mechanisms that might help explain autism by analyzing the interplay between genes and chemical tags that control whether genes are used to make a protein, called epigenetic marks.

25 Oct 2017

Weight loss following bariatric operation leads to improvements in heart health

In overweight and obese people, fat often gets deposited in the midsection of the body. Large amounts of this belly fat can lead to unhealthy changes in a heart's function and size.

25 Oct 2017

Stony Brook University scientist receives $3.9 million NIH grant for ALS research

Stony Brook University scientist Josh Dubnau, PhD, has received a $3.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the impact of environmental stressors and other external factors that contribute to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

24 Oct 2017

CRISPRy bacon ! Genetically modified leaner low-fat pigs

Genetically modified leaner pigs are on the cards soon. Researchers in china used the gene-editing technology, CRISPR, to create pigs that are less fatty and leaner with more muscle. This could mean genetically modified bacon on the plates.

24 Oct 2017

Myelin sheaths restore impaired nervous system over the long haul

In the central nervous system of humans and all other mammals, a vital insulating sheath composed of lipids and proteins around nerve fibers helps speed the electrical signals or nerve impulses that direct our bodies to walk, talk, breathe, swallow or perform any routine physical act.

24 Oct 2017

NIH launches major effort to discover, catalog the brain's ‘parts list’

The National Institutes of Health has launched a major effort to discover and catalog the brain's "parts list." The NIH's Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® Initiative Cell Census Network aims to provide researchers with a comprehensive reference of the diverse cell types in human, monkey, and mouse brain.

24 Oct 2017

APC gene mutations play dual role in development of colorectal cancer, research suggests

Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is a gene whose mutations are associated with a rare, hereditary form of colorectal cancer known as familial adenomatous polyposis. Research led by scientists at the Institut Pasteur and Inserm have recently demonstrated that mutations to this gene do not only lead to the emergence of colon polyps; they also harm the immune system, leaving it unable to tackle inflammation of the colonic mucosa.

24 Oct 2017

Study explores role of genes in depression vulnerability

In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics a study explored the role of genes in depression vulnerability. The financial crisis that has afflicted Greece since 2008 has adversely affected the physical and mental health of the population, with reports pointing to a rise in the prevalence of depression from 3.3% prior to the crisis to 12.3% in 2013.

24 Oct 2017

Pollutant from forest and crop fires induces genetic damage in human lung cells

When exposed in a laboratory to pollution levels comparable to those found in the atmosphere of the Amazon region during the forest and crop burning season, human lung cells suffer severe DNA damage and stop dividing. After 72 hours of exposure, over 30% of the cultured cells are dead.

24 Oct 2017

Study: Any amount of alcohol during pregnancy can cause lasting effects on offspring

Any amount of alcohol exposure during pregnancy can cause extreme lasting effects on a child, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

24 Oct 2017

Researchers map molecular events that direct cells' energy metabolism down the cancerous path

As cells with a propensity for cancer break down food for energy, they reach a fork in the road: They can either continue energy production as healthy cells, or shift to the energy production profile of cancer cells.

24 Oct 2017

Research findings reveal which brain region stimulates divergent behavior

Have you ever been stuck in a rut, going through the same motions day in and day out? How do you motivate to change your behavior?

24 Oct 2017

Study uses noninvasive brain imaging to evaluate surgical proficiency of medical students

While simulation platforms have been used to train surgeons before they enter an actual operating room, few studies have evaluated how well trainees transfer those skills from the simulator to the OR.

24 Oct 2017

Stem cell researchers make advance toward long-lasting blood vessel repair

Stem cell researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have made an advance toward having a long-lasting "repair caulk" for blood vessels. The research could form the basis of a treatment for peripheral artery disease, derived from a patient's own cells. Their results were recently published in the journal Circulation.

24 Oct 2017

Study discovers new genetic risk loci linked to children's food allergies

What role do genes play in egg, milk, and nut allergies? A study published in Nature Communications, led by the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, has found five genetic risk loci that point to the importance of skin and mucous membrane barriers and the immune system in the development of food allergies.

24 Oct 2017