The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 may have the ability to reactivate dormant tuberculosis (TB). In a novel study, scientists report in The American Journal of Pathology that infection with a specific coronavirus strain reactivated dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in mice. This knowledge may help to develop new vaccines for COVID-19 and avoid a potential […]
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Balanced T cell response key to avoiding COVID-19 symptoms, study suggests
By analyzing blood samples from individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, researchers in Singapore have begun to unpack the different responses by the body’s T cells that determine whether or not an individual develops COVID-19. The study, published today in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), suggests that clearing the virus without developing symptoms requires T cells […]
Overlooked cilium could be genetic key to common diseases
Until recently, scientists believed that the primary cilium—an antenna-like structure found on the surface of most human cells—was largely vestigial and had little bearing on the day-to-day lives of human beings. But more recently, a relatively small number of people have been found to have rare genetic disorders affecting the cilium, characterized by a number […]
Positive messaging plays a key role in increasing COVID-19 mask compliance
Many organizations are looking at effective ways to communicate the importance of wearing a mask, especially as highly transmissible new strains of coronavirus threaten to cause a surge in infections. Experts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggest positive messages are critical to supporting the effort. Their findings, described in a study […]
Scientists discover a key genetic driver of lymphomas
Mutations in proteins called histone H1, which help package DNA in chromosomes, are a frequent cause of lymphomas, according to a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian and The Rockefeller University. The findings could lead to new approaches to treating these cancers. Scientists in recent years have observed that mutations in histone […]
This brain protein may be key to treating Parkinson’s—study in rats shows
Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that affects over 10 million people worldwide, is caused by the gradual loss of dopamine neurons. The loss of these neurons leads to involuntary tremors, stiffness and balance problems. While there are drugs to treat these symptoms, no drugs exist to slow the progression of the disease. However, we found […]
350,000+ women likely missing out on key postnatal check-ups in the UK every year
Every year more than 350,000 women in the UK may be missing out on key formal health and wellbeing check-ups following the birth of a child, reveals the largest study of its kind, published in the online journal BMJ Open. Teen mums and those living in the most deprived areas of the country are least […]
Politics Key to Americans’ Views on COVID-19, Poll Shows
FRIDAY, Oct. 23, 2020 — The new coronavirus holds no political views. The pathogen’s only aim is to infect, spread and thrive. But in what is surely no surprise in a deeply divided America, it turns out that your political views play a large role in your attitude towards COVID-19 prevention efforts. Republicans tend to […]
Atypical myosin plays a key role in neuron branching
RIKEN scientists have used a new approach combining molecular genetics, cell imaging and artificial learning to make the unexpected finding that Myosin6, a well-known actin motor protein, plays a key role in neuron branching. This discovery could one day make it possible to help neurons recover after damage. Branch-like structures known as dendrites on neurons […]
Key gene in leukemia discovered
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common forms of blood cancer among adults and is associated with a low survival rate, and leads to the inhibition of normal blood formation. Now, a research team at Lund University in Sweden has identified one of the genes that is the basis for leukemia stem […]