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Genetic Sequencing Leads to Major Discovery in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

A seminal study from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and their collaborators in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, and Iceland has uncovered a new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).

11 Apr 2025

Scientists Trace Cell Origins to Understand Inner Ear Development

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a method that shows how the nervous system and sensory organs are formed in an embryo.

4 Apr 2025

Scientists Discover Key Genes for Regenerating Sensory Cells in the Ear and Eye

The same genes could hold the key to regenerating cells in the ear and eye, according to a new mouse study from the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Ksenia Gnedeva, PhD, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

1 Apr 2025

Breakthrough Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Hereditary Hearing Loss

Congenital hearing loss refers to impaired auditory function that occurs due to genetic causes. GJB2 is the gene responsible for approximately half of all cases of hereditary hearing loss.

28 Mar 2025

Gamma-Actin's Influence on Cell Rigidity and Junctional Proteins

Epithelial cells defend human skin and mucous membranes. Specialized structures known as “junctions” enable this “barrier” tissue to carry out its role. They control interactions between cells and maintain cell cohesion.

21 Mar 2025

Innovative AI Software Automates Complex Microscopy Image Segmentation Tasks

Identifying and delineating cell structures in microscopy images is crucial for understanding the complex processes of life.

26 Feb 2025

Viking Skulls Show Evidence of Disease and Painful Conditions

Sweden's Viking Age population appears to have suffered from severe oral and maxillofacial disease, sinus and ear infections, osteoarthritis, and much more.

24 Feb 2025

Unveiling the Genetic Basis of Mating Behavior in Fruit Flies

The way fruit flies mate could be crucial to preventing mosquitoes from spreading disease.

27 Jan 2025

Outer Ears Evolved From Fish Gills Through Unique Genetic Mechanism

The outer ear is unique to mammals, but its evolutionary origin has remained a mystery. According to a new study published in Nature from the USC Stem Cell lab of Gage Crump, this intricate coil of cartilage has a surprisingly ancient origin in the gills of fishes and marine invertebrates.

10 Jan 2025

Insights into Neurodegenerative Diseases and Pest Control

Key gene regulators that allow certain deafened animals, such as fish and lizards, to naturally regenerate their hearing have been identified by a recent USC Stem Cell study that was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

10 Dec 2024

Advanced Sequencing Uncovers Cause of Rare Mitochondrial Encephalopathy

Mitochondrial diseases are among the most prevalent hereditary metabolic disorders, known to occur in one out every 5000 births.

19 Nov 2024

From Bone Regeneration to Heart Repair: Stem Cell Transplantation Paves the Way for New Medical Frontiers

Stem cell transplantation offers promising solutions for tissue regeneration and age-related degeneration, despite challenges in safety and production costs.

9 Sep 2024

New Insights into Mosquito Mating Could Enhance Malaria Control Strategies

A high-pitched buzzing sound in your ear is an unmistakable sign that a female mosquito is out on the hunt -; for they, not males, drink blood. Hearing that tone might make you turn to try to swat the pest. But for a male mosquito, that tone means it's time to mate.

2 Sep 2024

Christchurch Variant Offers Protection Against Early-Onset Alzheimer's

A scientific story that began with a discovery in just one extraordinary patient is now panning out.

21 Jun 2024

Scientists Create Lifelike Human Ear Replica with 3D Printing

Using state-of-the-art tissue engineering techniques and a 3D printer, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Engineering have assembled a replica of an adult human ear that looks and feels natural.

1 Apr 2024

Using Genomic Methods to Track Pesticide Resistance

Pesticides are used by farmers to manage agricultural pests. However, pesticide-resistant insects frequently become immune to their toxins.

19 Mar 2024

Newly Discovered Bacterial Species Shed Light on Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic-resistant infection is projected to catch up to cancer as the leading cause of death by 2050, making understanding and limiting the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria a priority worldwide.

1 Mar 2024

Novel Antibiotic Discovery: Harnessing Energy Compounds to Combat Bacterial Infections

About a decade ago, researchers in UC Santa Barbara chemistry professor Guillermo Bazan's lab began to observe a recurring challenge in their research: Some of the compounds they were developing to harness energy from bacteria were instead killing the microbes.

22 Feb 2024

mEnrich-seq: A High-Specificity Bacterial Enrichment Technique for Microbiome Research

In a landmark study recently published in the journal Nature Methods, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have unveiled mEnrich-seq-;an innovative method designed to substantially enhance the specificity and efficiency of research into microbiomes, the complex communities of microorganisms that inhabit the human body.

5 Jan 2024

Midshipman Fish Song Shows Midbrain's Role in Vocal Production

Talkative midshipman fish also referred to as “California singing fish,” rely heavily on the midbrain to initiate and organize the trains of sounds necessary for vocal communication.

4 Jan 2024