UC San Diego researchers discover the enzyme SPRK1’s role in reorganizing the paternal genome during the first moments of fertilization — a finding that might help explain infertility cases of unknown cause A sperm enters an egg, an embryo develops and eventually a baby is born. But back up aRead More →
The term “hepatitis” refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver and can be due to different possible causes, including toxic substances, such as alcohol or certain drugs and autoimmune diseases. However, hepatitis viruses are the most common cause of hepatitis around the world. If left untreated, the condition can beRead More →
An investigation in which different Spanish institutions have participated, including the University of Valencia, has shown that the factors that most influence cognitive development in childhood are the formative level of the mother and the social class of the father. The study, on 525 children minors aged 5 and 6Read More →
The first detailed cell atlas of the immune cells and gut bacteria within the human colon has been created by researchers. The study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and collaborators revealed different immune niches, showing changes in the bacterial microbiome and immune cells throughout the colon. As part of theRead More →
Parabens are used as preservatives in cosmetics. If pregnant women use cosmetics containing parabens that remain on the skin for protracted periods, this may have consequences for their child’s subsequent weight development. This is demonstrated in a study published in the journal Nature Communications by researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for EnvironmentalRead More →
Chromosomal breaks are the most harmful damage for cells. If they are not repaired, they block the duplication and segregation of chromosomes, stop the growth cycle and cause cell death. These breaks appear frequently in tumour cells and are produced spontaneously during the replication of genetic material. To be ableRead More →
Mice born blind have shown significant improvement in vision after undergoing a new gene therapy developed by a team of Japanese scientists. The results were published on January 24th in Nature Communications. This new method is an alternative strategy of gene supplementation, which involves supplementing the defective gene, such asRead More →
Listeriosis is a rare bacterial infection caused by a family of bacteria called Listeria. Listeria family contains ten different species, being Listeria monocytogenes the main responsible of causing listeriosis. Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium, capable of surviving in the presence or absence of oxygen. Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most virulent food-borneRead More →
Humans are fascinated by what scares us, be it sky-diving, roller-coasters, or true-crime documentaries – provided these threats are kept at a safe distance. Horror movies are no different. Whilst all movies have our heroes face some kind of threat to their safety or happiness, horror movies up the anteRead More →
Olivier Feron, a researcher at the University of Louvain (UCLouvain) Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, seeks to understand how metastases form from a tumour. He already demonstrated that the most aggressive cancer cells use significant amounts of lipids as energy sources. Now Prof. Feron has discovered that cancer cellsRead More →
