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Molecular stilts help deadly parasites to invade host cells

In biological terms, gliding refers to the type of movement during which a cell moves along a surface without changing its shape. This form of movement is unique to parasites from the phylum Apicomplexa, such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma.

13 Oct 2020

Cell-free DNA blood tests may help predict pregnancy complications

UCLA researchers say a blood test commonly used to detect fetal genetic abnormalities may help predict complications associated with pregnancy before symptoms develop.

13 Oct 2020

Researchers launch new clinical trial to investigate role of vitamin D against COVID-19

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London, funded by Barts Charity, have launched a new clinical trial to investigate whether taking vitamin D could protect people from COVID-19

13 Oct 2020

Researchers explore molecular factors that drive the severity of COVID-19

While most COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic or mild, severe complications associated with acute respiratory distress have led to more than one million deaths worldwide in just several months.

13 Oct 2020

New study details how Michigan nursing homes limited the spread of coronavirus

Seven months ago, the nation first heard of a surge of COVID-19 deaths in a Washington nursing home – an early warning sign of how the coronavirus could rip through such facilities.

13 Oct 2020

Female mosquitoes can detect a combination of four different substances in blood

Mosquitoes spread diseases like malaria, dengue, and yellow fever that kill at least a half a million people each year. Now researchers are learning what humans taste like to mosquitoes, down to the individual neurons that sense blood's distinctive, delectable flavor.

13 Oct 2020

Neoadjuvant trial of combination immunotherapy has favorable outcomes in bladder cancer patients

Neoadjuvant, or pre-surgical, combination treatment with the immune checkpoint inhibitors tremelimumab (anti-CTLA-4) and durvalumab (anti-PD-1) was well-tolerated and showed early signs of activity in certain patients with localized bladder cancer who do not have standard treatment options available, according to a Phase I clinical trial conducted by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

13 Oct 2020

Study reveals why immobilization after injury helps in healing

By far, the most common injuries seen in emergency rooms in the United States are those affecting extremities. Immobilization is the most common treatment, and yet, until recently, it was unknown exactly why this technique worked to advance healing.

12 Oct 2020

Two well-known neurochemicals found to be involved in sub-second perception, cognition

In first-of-their-kind observations in the human brain, an international team of researchers has revealed two well-known neurochemicals -; dopamine and serotonin -; are at work at sub-second speeds to shape how people perceive the world and take action based on their perception.

12 Oct 2020

Computational biology algorithm could help optimize culture conditions required for cell therapy

Cellular therapy is a powerful strategy to produce patient-specific, personalised cells to treat many diseases, including heart disease and neurological disorders.

12 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 can survive for 4 weeks on glass, money and metal

Published in the Virology Journal, the study shows that the virus can stay infectious for more extended periods on surfaces such as phone screens, stainless steel, and banknotes than previously thought.

12 Oct 2020

UniSA researchers are one step closer to finding new biomarker for osteoarthritis

University of South Australia researchers are a step closer to finding a new biomarker for osteoarthritis, a painful condition which affects more than two million Australians and costs the country an estimated $23 billion a year.

12 Oct 2020

Intelligent robotic system to make colonoscopy easier for doctors

Scientists have made a breakthrough in their work to develop semi-autonomous colonoscopy, using a robot to guide a medical device into the body.

12 Oct 2020

Study shows how mutations in VAV1 gene may promote T-cell tumors in experimental mice

Life is an exquisite orchestration of growth and change, with checks and balances that fine-tune complex entwined interactions, both intrinsic and external.

12 Oct 2020

A new therapeutic approach for Epstein-Barr virus-associated tumors

A research team at LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) discovered that exosomes derived from Vδ2-T cells (Vδ2-T-Exos) can effectively control Epstein-Barr virus-associated tumours and induce T-cell anti-tumour immunity.

12 Oct 2020

Peer reviewers flag misleading studies on COVID-19

The preprints selected for review in Rapid Reviews: COVID-19 (RR:C19), an open-access overlay journal published by the MIT Press, cover a wide range of subjects, with peer reviewers finding a study that higher levels of cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 are associated with increased severity of COVID-19 is particularly noteworthy and could be useful in clinical care.

12 Oct 2020