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Childhood asthma linked to high maternal sugar intake during pregnancy

New research published today in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society reports that children born to mothers who drank a lot of sugary drinks during pregnancy may be at an increased risk of developing asthma during childhood.

8 Dec 2017

Gene therapy shows promising effect against blood clots, study states

A new study conducted in the Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia (CHOP) reported positive results in a phase 1/2 clinical trial for the inherited bleeding disorder hemophilia B.

8 Dec 2017

Optogenetics research sheds new light on social-spatial learning

Ilana Witten didn't set out to study spatial learning. She thought she was investigating how mice socialize--but she discovered that in mouse brains, the social and the spatial are inextricably linked.

8 Dec 2017

Study identifies mechanism that could explain early link between sound input and cognitive function

Some expectant parents play classical music for their unborn babies, hoping to boost their children's cognitive capacity. While some research supports a link between prenatal sound exposure and improved brain function, scientists had not identified any structures responsible for this link in the developing brain.

7 Dec 2017

Bacteria may be involved in progression of cancers in the mouth, study suggests

Scientists at the School of Dental Science in Trinity have made an important discovery involving bacteria and a pre-cancerous growth called oral leukoplakia which can precede oral cancer.

7 Dec 2017

Common fungus has significant impact on mosquitoes' ability to transmit dengue virus

A species of fungus that lives in the gut of some Aedes aegypti mosquitoes increases the ability of dengue virus to survive in the insects, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

7 Dec 2017

Malaria parasite employs active strategy to deceive the immune system

Global efforts to eradicate malaria are crucially dependent on scientists' ability to outsmart the malaria parasite. And Plasmodium falciparum is notoriously clever: It is quick to develop resistance against medications and has such a complex life cycle that blocking it effectively with a vaccine has thus far proved elusive.

7 Dec 2017

Research findings offer path for drug discovery to treat hyperaldosteronism

A new study led by researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, in collaboration with researchers at Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health, identifies a mechanism that explains the development of hyperaldosteronism.

7 Dec 2017

Study paves way for new therapeutic strategies to impede growth of virus-induced cancers

Researchers at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore at the National University of Singapore have identified a novel molecular pathway by which a tumor suppressor, TIP60, inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

7 Dec 2017

Study reveals connection between restless sleep and Parkinson's disease

A study published in the neurological journal, The Lancet Neurology, has identified that patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have a dopamine deficiency in the brain and suffer from a form of brain inflammation. They are subjected to increased risks of developing dementia or Parkinson's disease as they grow older.

7 Dec 2017

Fusobacterium may play role in colon cancer growth, study finds

Like nomads who carry tokens of home on their travels, colorectal cancer cells that spread to other parts of the body appear to bring several of the species of bacteria that were their companions in the colon, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists report in a new study in the journal Science.

7 Dec 2017

UMSOM researchers find two-way link between TBI and intestinal changes

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have found a two-way link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and intestinal changes. These interactions may contribute to increased infections in these patients, and may also worsen chronic brain damage.

7 Dec 2017

New 3D-printed artificial models mimic the look and feel of real organs

A team of researchers led by the University of Minnesota has 3D printed lifelike artificial organ models that mimic the exact anatomical structure, mechanical properties, and look and feel of real organs. These patient-specific organ models, which include integrated soft sensors, can be used for practice surgeries to improve surgical outcomes in thousands of patients worldwide.

6 Dec 2017

Brazilian researchers identify genes linked to melanoma progression

When researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil treated human melanoma cell lines with a synthetic compound similar to curcumin, one of the pigments that give turmeric its orange color, they identified genes with altered expression in potentially invasive tumors and malignant cells resistant to chemotherapy.

6 Dec 2017

CLOCK gene plays key role in regulating many genes important to brain evolution

Scientists have long sought to unravel the molecular mysteries that make the human brain special: What processes drove its evolution through the millennia? Which genes are critical to cognitive development?

6 Dec 2017

New compound targets APOE gene to reduce Alzheimer's damage in mice

People who carry the APOE4 genetic variant face a substantial risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

6 Dec 2017

Scientists develop reversible superglue seal to treat ocular injuries

When a soldier sustains a traumatic eye injury on the battlefield, any delay in treatment may lead to permanent vision loss. With medical facilities potentially far away and no existing tools to prevent deterioration, medics are in a high-stakes race against the clock.

6 Dec 2017

Study shows how interplay between two key enzymes promotes brain tumor growth

Study results revealed previously unknown interplay between two key enzymes and a novel understanding of how brain cancer tumors form and spread, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

6 Dec 2017

Some 3D video games benefit older adults' brains

If you're between 55 and 75 years old, you may want to try playing 3D platform games like Super Mario 64 to stave off mild cognitive impairment and perhaps even prevent Alzheimer's disease.

6 Dec 2017

Children, adults depend more on right ear for better listening

Listening is a complicated task. It requires sensitive hearing and the ability to process information into cohesive meaning. Add everyday background noise and constant interruptions by other people, and the ability to comprehend what is heard becomes that much more difficult.

6 Dec 2017