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Personalized Mini-Brains Provide Insight into Autism Spectrum Disorder

Using stem cells generated from patients with a rare and severe form of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, Scripps Research scientists have grown personalized "mini-brains" (or organoids) to study the disorder in new detail.

24 Oct 2024

Mutant Neurons Show Accelerated Development in Mouse Brain

The mechanisms behind intellectual disabilities and autism remain largely unknown. However, researchers from the labs of Prof. Pierre Vanderhaeghen and Prof. Vincent Bonin at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research and NERF have identified that mutations in the SYNGAP1 gene interfere with the extended development of human neurons, a process believed to be critical for normal cognitive function.

15 Oct 2024

Blood Vessel Cells Play a Crucial Role in Bone Development

Researchers have discovered a protein that inhibits the activity of bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) by preventing their maturation during the process of migrating to bone-formation sites.

14 Oct 2024

Motor And Extracellular Matrix Proteins Play A Critical Role In Cleft Palate Formation

The study reveals 44 differentially expressed proteins in cleft palate models, shedding light on molecular mechanisms and potential prenatal diagnostic markers.

30 Sep 2024

Study Confirms Comparable Efficacy of Lamotrigine and Mexiletine in Muscle Channelopathy

The study, published in Lancet Neurology, detailed the "head-to-head" trial implemented by the researchers to test two drugs, mexiletine and lamotrigine, on people with the condition.

30 Sep 2024

Study Reveals Immune Cells' Role in Lung Scarring After Viral Infections

Investigators involved in a multicenter study co-led by Cedars-Sinai discovered a pathway by which immune cells prevent the lungs' protective barrier from healing after viral infections like COVID-19.

5 Sep 2024

Single-Cell Sequencing Reveals Mechanism of Coronary Artery Formation

The process by which new arteries develop in the heart has been clarified by a group under the direction of Dr. Elena Cano at the Integrative Vascular Biology Lab of Professor Holger Gerhardt at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin.

2 Sep 2024

Study Uncovers Biomarkers for Low Muscle Mass, Offering Insights for Personalized Prevention

Machine learning models to analyze computed tomography (CT) images of the chest and a proteomics approach to determine blood protein biomarkers.

15 Aug 2024

CRISPR-Cas: A Promising Tool For Combatting Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Using CRISPR-Cas systems in various studies to detect and treat Staphylococcus aureus.

12 Aug 2024

Injectable Therapy Using 'Dancing Molecules' Promises New Hope for Cartilage Repair

In November 2021, Northwestern University researchers introduced an injectable new therapy, which harnessed fast-moving "dancing molecules," to repair tissues and reverse paralysis after severe spinal cord injuries.

29 Jul 2024

Specific Genes May Determine Stroke Recovery Path

New research led by UCLA Health has found that specific genes may be related to the trajectory of recovery for stroke survivors, providing doctors insights useful for developing targeted therapies.

29 Jul 2024

Researchers Discover Genes Key to Spitting Cobra Venom's Cytotoxicity

Functional genomics to dissect and understand the cytotoxicity of spitting cobra venom and define the genetic interactions between the venom and the target to develop a locally acting antidote.

25 Jul 2024

Whole Genome Sequencing Provides Answers Where Exome Sequencing Falls Short

Genetic mutations in human DNA can prevent proteins that perform important functions in the body from being formed correctly.

11 Jun 2024

LSTM Scientists Discover Treatment for Tissue Damage by African Spitting Cobra Venom

Scientists at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) have discovered a groundbreaking new snakebite treatment to prevent the devastating tissue damage caused by African spitting cobra venom.

11 May 2024

New Study Uncovers Direct Link Between Learning and Memory Impairment and Specific Gene

A gene previously associated with intellectual disability has been discovered to play a role in regulating learning and memory in mice.

9 May 2024

New Study Discovers Gene Associated with Epilepsy and Autism

A genetic mutation or variation in the SCN2A gene is known to cause infantile seizures, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability, among other moderate-to-severe impairments in movement, communication, feeding, and vision.

29 Apr 2024

Unveiling the Neural Basis of Number Sense in Rats

The existence of discrete number sense in rats has been confirmed by research co-led by neuroscientists Professor Yung Wing-ho from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and Professor Ke Ya from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine).

16 Apr 2024

New Platform Reveals Individual Sensitivity to Disease-Causing Mutations

In humans, the exact same mutation in a specific gene can produce widely different outcomes. It's a bit like adding the same amount of salt to different recipes-;the effect on the finished dish can be quite different, depending on the mix of other ingredients.

4 Apr 2024

Cryo-EM Imaging Unveils Similar Protein Structures in Alzheimer's and Down Syndrome

More than 90% of people with Down syndrome, the most common chromosomal disorder in humans and the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability, are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease by ages 55-60.

30 Mar 2024

Canadian-Led Study Identifies Genetic Links to Cerebral Palsy

A Canadian-led study has identified genes which may be partially responsible for the development of cerebral palsy.

29 Mar 2024