April 11, 2021,
Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical
Mutations to Dyrk1a gene lead to brain undergrowth; an existing drug rescues the condition in newborn mice. Damage to the autism-associated gene Dyrk1a, sets off a cascade of problems in developing mouse brains, resulting in abnormal growth-factor signaling, undergrowth of neurons, smaller-than-average brain size, and, eventually, autism-like behaviors, a new study from Scripps Research, Florida, finds.
The study from neuroscientist Damon Page, PhD, describes a new mechanis...
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August 24, 2016,
Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical
Surface reconstruction postnatal CT image obtained one week after delivery at 38 weeks of gestational age in the case of a 24-year-old woman pregnant with twins, with characteristic rash at nine weeks of pregnancy and confirmed Zika virus infection. Credit: Radiological Society of North America
Researchers from the epicenter of the current Zika virus outbreak have released a report on imaging findings in babies and fetuses infected with the Zika virus. In addition to microcephaly, the report identifies a wide array of brain defects, visible on CT, MRI and ultrasound. Zika appears to be most dangerous when transmitted from a pregnant mother to her fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy. Zika has also been linked to eye defects, hearing impairment and stunted growth in babies.
Though ...
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May 6, 2016,
Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical
In a 3-D brain model, Zika virus activates immune receptor TLR3, which in turn inhibits brain cell development and survival, causing the organoids to shrink — an effect reminiscent of microcephaly. Credit: UC San Diego Health
Fetal brain model provides first clues on how Zika virus blunts brain development; blocking mechanism reduces cell damage, hinting at a new therapeutic approach to mitigate effects of prenatal Zika virus infection. Using a 3D, stem cell-based model of a first-trimester human brain, the team discovered that Zika activates TLR3, a molecule human cells normally use to defend against invading viruses. In turn, hyper-activated TLR3 turns off genes that stem cells need to specialize into brain cells and turns on genes that trigger cell suicide...
This image shows cell death of the human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) is mark by cleaved caspase 3 in red, the nuclei of hNPCs are labeled by DAPI in white/grey, and the ZIKA virus is labeled by ZIKA virus envelope protein in green. Credit: Sarah C. Ogden
The Zika virus infects a type of neural stem cell that gives rise to the brain’s cerebral cortex. On laboratory dishes, these stem cells were found to be havens for viral reproduction, resulting in cell death and/or disruption of cell growth. While this study does not prove the direct link between Zika and microcephaly, it does pinpoint where the virus may be doing the most damage.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins, Florida State Uni and Emory University School of Medicine, worked around the clock for a month to conduct the study, whi...
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