The world inside the human cell grew a bit more interesting in recent years as the role of a new biological structure became clearer. It was long believed that the most important operations in the cell occur in organelles. “They’re there to do certain functions, such as mitochondria generating the energy that everything runs on,”...
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet describe molecular and cellular consequences of unique genetic mutations affecting the CASK gene which has been implicated in various neurodevelopmental disorders. Notably, the results indicate differences in the development of presynapses of inhibitory neurons in individuals with specific mutations. The findings elucidate key mechanisms during early neuronal maturation and may help...
E-cigarette, or vaping, associated lung injury (EVALI) has sickened thousands of people, most under the age of 35. Studies have linked vitamin E acetate, an oily substance in some vaping liquids, to the disorder. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Chemical Research in Toxicology have uncovered a possible mechanism: Vitamin E acetate could increase the fluidity of lung...
Birds start singing in the early morning directly with the first rays of the light from the Sun. It is caused by the light that regulates the biological activity of the living organisms. The light changes the biological clock by suppressing the production of the natural hormone – melatonin. It happens due to its high...
By Sally Robertson, B.Sc.Sep 16 2020 Researchers in the United States have described the effectiveness of a candidate monoclonal antibody currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 trial as a therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The drug, called CPI-006, targets an immune signaling molecule...
A new study suggests anticholinergic medications may increase the risk of accelerated cognitive decline, especially in older adults at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. SA recent study concludes that a common type of drug might accelerate cognitive decline. Anticholinergic drugs block the action of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that controls a range of automatic...
by University of Bern The melanoma is a malignant tumor of the pigment cells. If diagnosed early, the tumor can be removed completely—and the chances of recovery are good. But in later stages, when the tumor has already spread or formed metastases in other parts of the body, the prospects become worse for those affected. No...
by University of Tsukuba Researchers from the University of Tsukuba demonstrate that the hypnotic and teratogenic effects of thalidomide are separable. Thalidomide is a medication with several different effects, one of which is promoting sleep in the context of insomnia. In a new study, researchers from the University of Tsukuba have discovered that thalidomide exerts its...
by Queen Mary, University of London An immunotherapy drug called ‘avelumab’ has been shown to significantly improve survival in patients with the most common type of bladder cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Cancer Centre, UK. This is the first time an immune therapy has...
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL A deadly combination of two mosquito-borne viruses may be a trigger for stroke, new research published in the The Lancet Neurology has found. University of Liverpool researchers and Brazilian collaborators have been investigating the link between neurological disease and infection with the viruses Zika and chikungunya. These viruses, which mostly circulate in the tropics,...
