A new model of aging takes into account not only genetics and environmental exposures but also the tiny changes that randomly arise at the cellular level. University Professor Caleb Finch introduced the "Tripartite Phenotype of Aging" as a new conceptual model that addresses why lifespan varies so much, even among human identical twins who share […]
Researchers report zoonotic spillover of adapted SARS-CoV-2 from minks to humans
In a recent report made available on bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers from Poland and Finland reveal a spillover event of mink-adapted severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from farmed mink to humans after an extensive adaptation process. Study: Zoonotic spillover of SARS-CoV-2: mink-adapted virus in humans. Image Credit: An inspiration / Shutterstock Even before […]
Researchers explore how N501Y mutation in SARS-CoV-2 increases viral transmissibility
Researchers at Erasmus University Medical Center in The Netherlands have explored how and why new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have exhibited heightened infectivity. Study: Experimental evidence for enhanced receptor binding by rapidly spreading SARS-CoV-2 variants. Image Credit: Design_Cells / Shutterstock They suggest […]
Plant breeding can help increase crop productivity, reduce human malnutrition
Your morning cereal or oatmeal. The bread on your sandwich. The corn chips for your snack, and the cookies for dessert. Not one would be possible with the humblest of ingredients: the seed. Seeds such as wheat, rice, and corn directly provide about 70% of the calories eaten by people every day. And they ultimately […]
Probiotics as adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 patients
Back in 1892, Doderlein first established the beneficial association of microorganisms in the human body. Therefore, under the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be beneficial to assess microorganisms' role in the human body and the use of probiotics as therapy for COVID-19 patients. While the term "microbiome" (coined by the Nobel laureate Joshua Lederberg, 2001) includes […]
What is Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID)?
Skip to: What is CVID? What is the prevalence of CVID? What are the causative factors? How CVID is inherited? What are the common symptoms? How is CVID diagnosed? How is CVID treated? Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) is a genetic disorder characterized by a weakened immune system. Patients with CVID frequently suffer from infections. […]
Alstrom Syndrome Research
Alstrom syndrome has been the focus of attention, among other ciliopathies, in research on the biological functions of cilia as well as the best mode of treatment of these disorders. The ALMS1 gene has been associated with this condition. Physiological Roles of ALMS1 Protein The ALMS1 gene has been the locus of research because of […]
History of Sleep
Ancient Indian sages, Egyptians and Greeks, and Romans, have all described sleep in various ways, including naming the gods who brought dreams to sleepers. It was also well known that many people experienced sleep in two shifts, with an hour or three of intervening wakefulness, when one could have quiet time alone or visit one’s […]
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Body Dysmorphia, also called Body Dysmorphic Disorder, is an anxiety-related psychiatric condition characterized by intrusive and persistent pre-occupation with an imagined or unnoticeable flaw in appearance. Body Dysmorphic Disorder affects one out of 50 people and could occur at any age. People with body dysmorphia tend to obsess over their appearance, often resorting to repetitive […]
Gwen Stefani Opens Up About Sons' Dyslexia 'Issues': 'It's Genetic'
In it together. Gwen Stefani said that her sons have some of the same dyslexic “issues” she has struggled with. Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale’s Quotes About Their Split, Coparenting Sons “One thing that I’ve discovered through having kids is that I have dyslexia — everyone has things that happen and mine was that,” the Voice […]