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Study investigates schizophrenia risk across African ancestry

Researchers have identified two previously unknown genes linked to schizophrenia and newly implicated a third gene as carrying risk for both schizophrenia and autism. Led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the multi-center study further demonstrated that the schizophrenia risk conferred by these rare damaging variants is conserved across ethnicities. The study may also point to new therapeutics.

14 Mar 2023

Mount Sinai researchers reveal mechanisms underlying autoimmunity in Down syndrome

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York have identified which parts of the immune system go awry and contribute to autoimmune diseases in individuals with Down syndrome.

23 Feb 2023

Mount Sinai researchers illuminate the role of DNA methylation in Alzheimer's disease

Mount Sinai researchers have published a study in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association that sheds new light on the role of DNA methylation in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

23 Feb 2023

Two-step screening of aroma compounds reveals a novel and effective modulator of dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) are important players of the immune system with important functions such as the identification of infectious pathogens, production of cytokines (chemical signalers of the immune system), presentation of antigens to activate T-cells, and more.

13 Feb 2023

Research reveals gene expression changes in two brain regions of individuals with cocaine use disorder

Individuals with cocaine use disorder exhibit gene expression changes in two brain regions: the nucleus accumbens, a region associated with reward, and the caudate nucleus, a region mediating habit formation, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published February 10 in Science Advances.

13 Feb 2023

Oral difelikefalin could reduce the intensity of itch in patients with notalgia paresthetica

Notalgia paresthetica-;a nerve disorder characterized by a persistent itch in the upper back-;is a common and underdiagnosed condition worldwide.

9 Feb 2023

Cochlear organoids provide a platform to understand sensorineural hearing loss

Disabling hearing loss affects one in every ten people and up to 25% of people over 60, according to the World Health Organization, and can have both genetic and environmental causes such as infections and noise exposure.

1 Feb 2023

Newly discovered genetic mutation may be a root cause of severe cases of childhood glaucoma

An international team of scientists led by Mass Eye and Ear, a member of Mass General Brigham, and Boston Children's Hospital, has discovered a new genetic mutation that may be a root cause of severe cases of childhood glaucoma, a devastating condition that runs in families and can rob children of their vision by 3 years of age.

30 Jan 2023

Key genes driving cleft lip and palate identified

A research group headed by the University of Iowa recognized three genes that, when deleted, produce cleft lip or palate, a facial abnormality that affects around one in every 1,600 babies in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

13 Jan 2023

Gaining better insights into the origins of jaws by DNA sequence

At Uppsala University, a DNA sequence found in jawed vertebrates has been discovered and characterized by scientists. This includes sharks and humans, but it is absent in jawless vertebrates, like lampreys.

28 Nov 2022

Unique combination of transcription factors trigger cell regeneration in zebrafish

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have identified a particular protein network required for cell regeneration to restore hearing in zebrafish.

From National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) 15 Sep 2022

Mount Sinai and Regeneron Genetics Center launch a large-scale genome sequencing project

Mount Sinai Health System and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have launched a new human genome sequencing research project called the Mount Sinai Million Health Discoveries Program with the Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC), part of the industry-leading, New York-based biotechnology company Regeneron.

12 Aug 2022

Dietary modifications can lower symptoms of allergic reactions, a new study reveals

Micronutrient deficits can increase inflammation and make the immune system more susceptible to allergens. Iron deficiency indicates danger to immune cells and causes an excessive immunological response.

8 Jun 2022

Corn tillers do not reduce grain yield, study shows

Corn tillers have a negative reputation with farmers and agronomists around the world. The June 7th 2022 Sustainable, Secure Food Blog explains that this bad reputation may not be deserved.

7 Jun 2022

New scalable method to advance maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

A Mount Sinai-led team has developed a reproducible and scalable method to advance maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs)-;cells that support heart muscle contraction, generated in the lab from human stem cell lines-;which researchers say will improve approaches for disease modeling, regenerative therapies, and drug testing.

8 Apr 2022

Researchers discover a gene linked to touch in sea anemones as well as hearing in humans

An international team of investigators, including several researchers in biological sciences from the U of A, have published a paper that reports the discovery of a developmental gene linked to touch in the tentacles of sea anemones as well as hearing in humans.

4 Apr 2022

Study provides first genetic evidence of demographic changes among hunter-gatherer populations

A new analysis of ancient human DNA demonstrates that people moved and chose their reproductive partners along complex social networks that stretched across large swathes of Africa between 80,000 and 20,000 years ago, according to a study co-led by Yale anthropologist Jessica Thompson.

28 Feb 2022

Moving cell groups push forward as they form organs, become cancerous and spread

Cells push and pull on surrounding tissue to move in groups as they form organs in an embryo, track down invading bacteria, and become cancerous and spread.

From New York University (NYU) 15 Feb 2022

New method helps distinguish bacterial DNA from human and other non-bacterial cells

For decades, a small group of cutting-edge medical researchers have been studying a biochemical, DNA tagging system, which switches genes on or off. Many have studied it in bacteria and now some have seen signs of it in, plants, flies, and even human brain tumors.

4 Feb 2022

MIT neuroscientists create a model that can localize sounds in the real world

The human brain is finely tuned not only to recognize particular sounds, but also to determine which direction they came from. By comparing differences in sounds that reach the right and left ear, the brain can estimate the location of a barking dog, wailing fire engine, or approaching car.

28 Jan 2022