Researchers have identified a gene that plays a crucial role in regenerating neurons of African clawed frog tadpoles, which has an unusually high capacity for nerve regeneration. Their study showed that introducing the gene into mice with spinal cord injury (SCI) led to a partial recovery of their lost motor functions. Repairing spinal cord injuries…

Employing a strategy known as ‘population modification,’ which involves using a CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive system to introduce genes preventing parasite transmission into mosquito chromosomes, researchers have made a major advance in the use of genetic technologies to control the transmission of malaria parasites. University of California, Irvine postdoctoral researcher Adriana Adolfi, in collaboration with colleagues…

Cigarette smoke can make MRSA bacterial strains more resistant to antibiotics, new research has shown. In addition cigarette smoke exposure can make some strains of Staphylococcus aureus — a microbe present in 30-60% of the global population and responsible for many diseases, some fatal — more invasive and persistent, although the effect is not universal…

Not all fats are equal in how they affect our skin, according to a new study. The investigators found that different ketogenic diets impacted skin inflammation differently in psoriasiform-like skin inflammation in mice. Ketogenic diets heavy in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) such as coconut, especially in combination with omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and plant…

Extract from the bark of the Neem tree may help treat and reduce the spread of coronavirus, according to a new study. The research shows that components of Neem bark may target a wide range of viral proteins, suggesting its potential as an antiviral agent against emerging variants of coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2). The study, reported…

Coagulation factors, which are involved in blood clotting after injury, may offer new strategies for fighting multidrug-resistant bacteria, according to a new study. Infections caused by these bacteria pose an urgent public health risk, as effective drugs to combat them are lacking. A deficiency in blood coagulation factors — for example in patients with the…

Scientists have identified novel antiplasmodial lead compounds for mass drug administration and vector control to eliminate malaria. Lead compounds are chemical compounds that show promise as treatment for a disease and may lead to the development of a new drug. Antiplasmodial lead compounds are those that counter parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which is the…

Accumulation of assembled tau protein in the central nervous system is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease and several other neurodegenerative diseases, called tauopathies. Researchers have now established a new mouse model of tau accumulation and propagation in brain. Single intracerebral injection of synthetic tau filaments induced by dextran sulphate into wild-type mice caused seeding of endogenous…

Researchers working in rural Kenya have identified the most productive breeding habitats for mosquitoes that spread a range of untreatable viruses. Their findings point to more effective health interventions that focus on the purpose of water-holding containers. «Until everyone in the world has reliable access to safe piped water, low-tech community interventions that target unused…

Scientists are turning to genomics to better understand the epidemiology of malaria and to inform control and elimination interventions and strategies. In the Lake Victoria region of Kenya, malaria burden remains very high despite more than a decade of intense control activities. A team of researchers generated whole Plasmodium falciparum genome sequences from the lake…