Birth Defects News and Research

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Study could open new therapeutic avenues to attack herpesviruses

Human cytomegalovirus is a leading cause of birth defects and transplant failures. As it's evolved over time, this virus from the herpes family has found a way to bypass the body's defense mechanisms that usually guards against viral infections. Until now, scientists couldn't understand how it manages to do so.

28 Aug 2018

Advanced microscopes determine structure of molecular complex implicated in several cancers

In a study published today in Science, UT Southwestern and Rockefeller University researchers used advanced microscopes to determine at atomic resolution the structure of a molecular complex implicated in birth defects and several cancers.

24 Aug 2018

Research suggests link between epilepsy and bipolar disorder

Research at Royal Holloway University of London, has suggested a link between patients with epilepsy and patients with bipolar disorder, through investigating a medicine used to treat both disorders.

21 Aug 2018

NIH begins first-in-human trial of experimental live, attenuated Zika virus vaccine

Vaccinations have begun in a first-in-human trial of an experimental live, attenuated Zika virus vaccine developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

16 Aug 2018

Long term effects of Zika virus exposure during pregnancy studied

Zika is a mosquito borne virus that can be dangerous in pregnant women as it can cause severe congenital malformations and damage to the baby. The extent of danger however is not known and a large study followed children who were exposed to this virus during their time within the womb.

7 Aug 2018

Unique experimental vaccine against Zika virus proves powerful in mice

A uniquely designed experimental vaccine against Zika virus has proven powerful in mice, new research has found.

6 Aug 2018

Mice study shows mother's dengue immunity protects unborn from ZIKA infection

Dengue and Zika viruses are closely related and carried by mosquitos. In infested subtropical and tropical areas, dengue transmission often precedes Zika virus infection, suggesting that women who previously acquired dengue immunity may be bitten by ZIKV-carrying mosquitoes during pregnancy.

2 Aug 2018

Scientists solve 60-year-old mystery of how thalidomide caused birth defects

More than 60 years after the drug thalidomide caused birth defects in thousands of children whose mothers took the drug while pregnant, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have solved a mystery that has lingered ever since the dangers of the drug first became apparent: how did the drug produce such severe fetal harm?

2 Aug 2018

Scientists find people's assumptions about DNA repair after CRISPR editing to be wrong

Despite high hopes and high investment in CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, scientists still have a lot to learn about how it works in humans.

31 Jul 2018

Most Americans skeptical about gene editing

A new survey from Pew Research Center has found that nearly half of the surveyed Americans believe that in the coming 50 years, nearly all genetic birth defects could be eliminated due to advances in gene editing.

26 Jul 2018

Mutated gene linked to 3-year-old girl's severe neurological symptoms

A young girl with severe neurological symptoms finally has a diagnosis, following the discovery by the Translational Genomics Research Institute of a genetic mutation that likely caused the girl to experience a cascade of symptoms.

24 Jul 2018

Purdue startup to create sensor that provides early detection of mosquito-borne diseases

A startup created by Purdue University professors is developing a sensor that can detect dangerous mosquito-borne tropical diseases faster and at a lower cost than current methods, giving health officials time to take action before the viruses are transmitted to humans.

13 Jul 2018

Mice study shows promise for treating genetic conditions during fetal development

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Yale University have for the first time used a gene editing technique to successfully cure a genetic condition in a mouse model.

10 Jul 2018

Pregnant women with type 1 diabetes at increased risk of having babies with heart defects

Pregnant women with type 1 diabetes run a higher risk of having babies with heart defects, especially women with high blood glucose levels during early pregnancy, a study from Karolinska Institutet and the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden published in The BMJ shows.

5 Jul 2018

Zika virus-related pregnancy loss in humans may be more common than thought

Fetal death in utero occurred in more than one-fourth of monkeys infected in the laboratory with Zika virus in early pregnancy, according to new research published in Nature Medicine.

3 Jul 2018

Special collection of papers highlights research on craniofacial genetics

Our faces can reveal a lot about us, and now scientists are revealing a lot about faces. PLOS Genetics announces a special collection of papers to highlight recent advances in our understanding of how faces form, curated by Seth Weinberg of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues.

26 Jun 2018

Identifying gene variants that contribute to ovarian reserve may improve female fertility

For a woman to conceive and deliver a healthy baby, thousands of genes have to work correctly and together. These include genes controlling fertility factors such as the ovarian reserve, the capacity of ovaries to produce viable and fertilizable oocytes, or eggs.

20 Jun 2018

Study finds elevated risk of congenital defects in lithium-exposed infants

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found an elevated risk of major congenital malformations in fetuses after first-trimester exposure to lithium, in the largest study ever to examine the risk of birth defects in lithium-exposed babies.

19 Jun 2018

Study finds more information about how gene linked to ASD affects the brain

New preclinical research shows a gene already linked to a subset of people with autism spectrum disorder is critical to healthy neuronal connections in the developing brain, and its loss can harm those connections to help fuel the complex developmental condition.

18 Jun 2018

New research will use mathematics to solve mysteries in cell biology

A new interdisciplinary research and education center at the University of California, Irvine will apply the power of mathematics to some of the more vexing mysteries in cell biology.

25 May 2018