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Genetic modification in the ‘coat’ of fatal brain virus may allow it to escape antibodies

A genetic modification in the 'coat' of a brain infection-causing virus may allow it to escape antibodies, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

23 Nov 2020

WSU researchers develop new approach to classify the ocean's diverse environments

Washington State University scientists have developed a new way to classify the ocean's diverse environments, shedding new light on how marine biomes are defined and changed by nature and humans.

23 Nov 2020

Adipose tissue plays key role in the aggravation of COVID-19

There is growing evidence that adipose tissue plays a key role in the aggravation of COVID-19. One of the theories under investigation is that fat cells (adipocytes) act as a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 and increase viral load in obese or overweight individuals.

23 Nov 2020

Research sheds light on T cell abnormality in critically ill COVID-19 patients

There is an idea within the coronavirus research field that there is some kind of T cell abnormality in critically ill COVID-19 patients, but specific details have not yet been clarified. To shed light on the problem, a research collaboration based in Kumamoto University (Japan) has performed a genetic analysis of T cells from lung tissue of COVID-19 patients.

23 Nov 2020

Researchers reveal new details of crucial steps involved in the maturation of ribosomes

Ribosomes synthesize all the proteins in cells. Studies mainly done on yeast have revealed much about how ribosomes are put together, but an Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich team now reports that ribosome assembly in human cells requires factors that have no counterparts in simpler model organisms.

23 Nov 2020

Biologists unravel how tissue geometry influences cell migration

Cells move constantly throughout our bodies, performing myriad operations critical to tissue development, immune responses, and general wellbeing. This bustle is guided by chemical cues long studied by scientists interested in cellular migration.

23 Nov 2020

New research opens up potential target for treating bone disorders

New research has discovered a cell type that governs the way bones form and maintain themselves, opening up a potential target for future therapies for bone disorders like osteoporosis.

23 Nov 2020

Health Star Rating system could help consumers choose healthier food products

More evidence has emerged that food labelling can encourage manufacturers to improve product nutrition, but University of Melbourne experts say the star labelling system must be compulsory to make a big difference.

23 Nov 2020

New report projects future coral reef bleaching around the world

The United Nations recently released a new report projecting future coral reef bleaching globally. The lead author of the report, Ruben van Hooidonk, is a scientist with NOAA's Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Studies based at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

23 Nov 2020

Scientists discover how abnormal proteins unleash latent toxicity in neurodegenerative diseases

Thanks to modern medicine, humans tend to live much longer than before. Unfortunately, this also opens a wider window to develop chronic diseases with late-onset, such as neurodegenerative diseases.

23 Nov 2020

Researchers investigate solutions to make cell membranes resistant to coronavirus entry

The cell membrane is the cell's outermost line of defense against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 disease.

23 Nov 2020

MMR vaccine may be protective against COVID-19, study shows

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been theorized to provide protection against COVID-19. In a new study published in mBio, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, researchers provide further proof of this by showing that mumps IgG titers, or levels of IgG antibody, are inversely correlated with severity in recovered COVID-19 patients previously vaccinated with the MMR II vaccine produced by Merck. MMR II contains the Edmonston strain of measles, the Jeryl Lynn (B-level) strain of mumps, and the Wistar RA 27/3 strain of rubella.

23 Nov 2020