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Study provides new insights into potential outcomes of Zika virus infection

Using a relevant animal model (pigs), University of Saskatchewan researchers have shown that mild Zika virus infection in fetuses can cause abnormal brain development in apparently healthy young animals.

15 Nov 2019

Access to mobile phone location data can help understand spread of vector-borne diseases

Researchers from EPFL and MIT have shown that human mobility is a major factor in the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue even over short intra-city distances. In a paper published in Scientific Reports, the team compares different mobility models and concludes that having access to mobile phone location data can prove crucial in understanding disease transmission dynamics - and, ultimately, in stopping an outbreak from evolving into an epidemic.

15 Nov 2019

New way to promote insulin production in pre-diabetes phase discovered

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore scientists have discovered that a type of immune cell known as 'pancreatic islet macrophages' is capable of promoting insulin production during the pre-diabetes phase.

15 Nov 2019

PhoreMost and Sentinel Oncology expand partnership to advance novel allosteric PLK1 inhibitor

PhoreMost Limited, the UK-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to drugging ‘undruggable’ disease targets, and Sentinel Oncology, today announce an expansion of their collaboration to accelerate the progression of SOL686, a novel allosteric Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitor through preclinical development and IND enabling studies for the treatment of Glioma.

From PhoreMost 15 Nov 2019

Lab Innovations 2019 achieves record breaking numbers

Lab Innovations celebrated its 8th edition on 30 & 31 October 2019, trumping all records for the event. Attracting 3,860 attendees - an impressive 24% increase on the previous year - this makes it the largest Lab Innovations to date.

From Lab Innovations 15 Nov 2019

New insights into how immune system and inflammation play a role in PD

Relatively new research findings indicating that the earliest stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) may occur in the gut have been gaining traction in recent years. In a review published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, Tomasz Brudek, PhD, evaluates evidence for the association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and PD and proposes directions for future research.

14 Nov 2019

Researchers develop, test new blood assay that predicts patients at risk of death from sepsis

After decades of little or no progress, biomedical researchers are finally making some headway at detecting and treating sepsis, a deadly medical complication that sends a surge of pathogenic infection through the body and remains a major public health problem.

14 Nov 2019

Blocking metastasis-promoting enzyme can prevent spread of breast cancer

In a breakthrough with important implications for the future of immunotherapy for breast cancer, UC San Francisco scientists have found that blocking the activity of a single enzyme can prevent a common type of breast cancer from spreading to distant organs.

14 Nov 2019

Thermo Fisher Scientific becomes member of the Pistoia Alliance

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, has become a member of the Pistoia Alliance, a global, not-for-profit alliance of life science companies, vendors, publishers and academic groups working to lower barriers to innovation in life science and healthcare R&D through pre-competitive collaboration.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 14 Nov 2019

Bushfire smoke more hazardous to inhale than dust storm particles

Bushfire smoke particles covering Queensland and New South Wales are more dangerous to inhale than the particles from the dust storms which blanketed Brisbane in 2009.

14 Nov 2019

Timely identification of prenatal exposure to opioids, gabapentin could mean more appropriate care

Timely identification of newborns exposed to both opioids and gabapentin during pregnancy could mean more appropriate care for newborns experiencing withdrawal, according to researchers at Marshall University, in collaboration with Marshall Health, Cabell Huntington Hospital and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

13 Nov 2019

Study shows potential of phage therapy to treat alcoholic liver disease

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically destroy bacteria. In the early 20th century, researchers experimented with phages as a potential method for treating bacterial infections.

13 Nov 2019

Targeting the formation of alpha-synuclein aggregates may slow Parkinson's progression

Aggregates of the protein alpha-synuclein arising in the gut may play a key role in the development of Parkinson's disease.

13 Nov 2019

Cleveland Clinic researchers identify novel target for anti-fibrotic therapies

In a new study published in Science Signaling, Cleveland Clinic researchers have identified a novel target for new therapies that may help to treat or prevent a host of fibrotic conditions, which contribute to nearly half of overall mortality in the United States.

13 Nov 2019

Researchers find mechanism that controls the growth of B1-cells

Directly after birth, the immune system completes production of a subtype of antibody-producing immune cells, B-1, that are to last for a lifetime. No more B1-cells are formed after that point. However, these cells are self-reactive - they produce not only antibodies against foreign substances, but also against the body's own substances, and it is unclear why the immune system allows for the development of these particular cells.

13 Nov 2019

Tulane virus needs intracellular calcium to replicate

Some gastrointestinal viruses need calcium. They need calcium ions to carry out several essential aspects of viral life, such as entry into host cells, genome replication and building new viruses to invade other cells. The cells invaded by viruses also use calcium. They use it as signals to regulate many of the cells' own processes, but viruses can takeover cellular calcium signaling to satisfy their own needs.

13 Nov 2019

Study examines nature of sleep in evacuation shelter environment

In the Building Environment Laboratory at Toyohashi University of Technology's Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, researchers study the effects that indoor environments have on the people that live in these spaces. As part of this research, the laboratory conducted an experiment on the nature of sleep in an evacuation shelter environment.

13 Nov 2019

Stress affects circadian rhythm, increases metabolic disease risk

Stress is a normal part of life, but too much of everything isn’t healthy. Every day, people from all walks of life experience stress of various degrees. A new study found that when stress has disrupted the circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock, it can increase the risk of developing metabolic diseases.

12 Nov 2019

Doctors issue stern warning on e-cigarette use as it can damage vital organs

E-cigarette use has increased dramatically over the last decade. With its popularity, the use of e-cigarette spans from adolescents to adults. Now, cardiologists warn against the use of e-cigarettes and how these devices cause damage to vital organs, including the heart, brain, lungs, and blood vessels.

12 Nov 2019