Welcome to The Visible Embryo

Dec 7, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Low vitamin D in newborns increases risk MS later Babies born with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life than babies with higher vitamin D levels.

Dec 6, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Toddlers can tell when others hold 'false beliefs' A new study finds 2.5 year-old children can answer questions about people acting on 'false beliefs', an ability most researchers believe will not develop until age 4.

Dec 5, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Protein that enables our brains and muscles to talk A huge colony of receptors must be correctly positioned and functioning on muscle cells in order to receive signals from our brains. Now a protein has been identified that helps anchor those receptors, ensuring receptor formation and function.

Dec 2, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Tracking development of individual blood stem cells Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers use a new cell-labeling technique to track development of adult blood cells to original stem cell in bone marrow advancing our understanding of blood development and blood diseases.

Dec 1, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Having last baby after 35? Mental sharpness increases A new study finds women have better brainpower after menopause if they had their last baby after 35, or used hormonal contraceptives for more than 10 years, or began their menstrual cycle before turning 13. The women were tested for their verbal memory, attention, concentration, and visual perception.

Nov 30, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Mouse embryos put in suspended animation for weeks Inhibiting a molecular path lets mouse blastocysts survive for weeks in the lab. Researchers have found a way to pause the development of early mouse embryos for up to a month in the lab. The finding has potential implications for assisted reproduction, regenerative medicine, aging, and even cancers.

Nov 29, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Tissue damage is key for a cell to reprogram Damaged cells will send signals to neighboring cells to reprogram them back to an embryonic state. This initiates tissue repair and could have implications for treating degenerative diseases.

Nov 28, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

'Princess Leia' brainwaves help store memories Every night while you sleep, electrical waves of brain activity circle around each side of your brain, tracing a pattern that were it on the surface of your head might look like the twin hair buns of Star Wars' Princess Leia.

Nov 25, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Measuring the gaze between mom and autistic baby Mothers and children with autism spectrum disorder communicate through their gaze just as all parents do. However, a new tool measuring that gaze and its impact on an infant's neurologic development, reveals more.

Nov 24, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Lying face up pregnant could increase risk of stillbirth Researchers at the University of Auckland have found that pregnant women who lie on their backs in the third trimester, may be increasing their risk for stillbirth.

Nov 23, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Mom Rheumatoid Arthritis links to epilepsy in child A new study shows a link between mothers with rheumatoid arthritis and children with epilepsy. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease, causes our own immune system to attack our joints. It differs from osteoarthritis, caused by wear and tear on the joints.

Nov 22, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

A protein that points cells in the right direction In animals, the stretching of skin tissue during the growth of an embryo requires the unique CDC-42 GTPase protein. It directs the movement of migrating cells.

Nov 18, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Genes for speech may not be limited to humans Vocal communication in mice is affected by the same gene needed for human speech..th.

Nov 17, 2016----- News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Insulin resistance reversed by removal of Gal3 protein By removing the protein galectin-3 (Gal3), a team of investigators were able to reverse diabetic insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in mice used as models of obesity and diabetes.

Nov 16, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

B12 deficiency can increase risk for type 2 diabetes B12 deficiency during pregnancy may predispose baby into adulthood for metabolic problems such as type-2 diabetes.

Nov 15, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Non-invasive prenatal test at five weeks of pregnancy? The latest developments in prenatal technology may make it possible to test for genetic disorders one month into pregnancy.

Nov 14, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Heart disease, leukemia links to dysfunctional nucleus In cells, the nucleus keeps DNA protected and intact within an enveloping membrane. But a new study reveals that this containment influences how genes are expressed.

Nov 11, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Blood vessels control brain growth Blood vessels play a vital role in stem cell reproduction, enabling the brain to grow and develop in the womb, reveals new research in mice.

Nov 10, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Antibody protects developing fetus from Zika virusThe most devastating consequence of Zika virus is the development of microcephaly, an abnormally small head, in babies infected in utero. Now, research has identified a human antibody preventing pregnant mice, from infecting the fetus with Zika and damaging the placenta. It also protects adult mice from the Zika disease.

Nov 9, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Better treatments possible for child brain cancer More than 4,000 children and teens are diagnosed with brain cancer yearly, killing more children than any other cancer. Researchers targeted an aggressive pediatric brain tumor CNS-PNET using a zebrafish model. And, in about 80% of cases, eliminated the tumor using existing drugs.

Nov 8, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Autism linked to mutations in mitochondrial DNA Study of 903 affected children shows inherited, spontaneous mutations increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The children diagnosed with autism had greater numbers of harmful mutations in their mitochondrial DNA than other family members.

Nov 7, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Mother's blood test may predict birth complications DLK1 protein found in the blood of pregnant women could be developed to test the health of babies and aid in decisions on early elective deliveries, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London.

Nov 4, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Essential mouse genes give insight into human disease About a third of all genes in mammals are essential to life. Now an international, multi-institutional team, describes their discovery of which genes they are and what impact they make on human development and disease.

Nov 3, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Newborns given dextrose gel avoid hypoglycaemia A single dose of dextrose gel, rubbed inside a newborn baby's mouth an hour after birth, can lower the risk for developing neonatal hypoglycaemia, according to a randomized study.

Nov 2, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Mitochondria divide differently than once thought For the first time a study reveals how mitochondria, the power generators found in nearly all living cells, regularly divide and multiply.

Nov 1, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Customizing vitamin D may benefit pregnant women Individualized vitamin D supplements help protect pregnant women from its deficiency. Tailored doses may compensate for individual risk factors and even protect bones.

Oct 31, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Antibody breaks leukemia's hold In mouse models and patient cells, anti-CD98 antibody disrupts interactions between leukemia cells and surrounding blood vessels, inhibiting cancer's spread.

Oct 28, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Strong, steady forces needed for cell divisionBiologists studying cell division have long disagreed about how much force is needed to pull chromosomes apart in order to form two new cells. A question fundamental to how cells divide.

Oct 27, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

"Fixing" energy signals to treat mitochondrial disease Restoring cellular energy signals may offset mitochondrial diseases in humans. Using existing drugs to treat lab animals, researchers have set the stage for clinical trials.

Oct 26, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

How eggs get the wrong number of chromosomes Twentyfour hours before ovulation, human oocytes start to divide into what will become mature eggs. Ideally, eggs include a complete set of 23 chromosomes, but the process is prone to error especially as women age.

Oct 25, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Fatal preemie disease due to mitochondrial failure A life-threatening condition preventing gut development in premature infants may be triggered by a disruption in the way the body metabolizes energy from Mitochondria.

Oct 24, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Zika virus spread timed to brain growth spurts Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) are able to pinpoint timing of the most aggressive ZIKA attacks on newborn mouse brains information that could help treatments.

Oct 21, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Short jump from single-cell to multi-cell animals Our single-celled ancestors lived about 800 million years ago. Now, new evidence suggests their leap to multi-celled organisms was not quite as mysterious as once believed.

Oct 20, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Brainstem and visual cortex control our eyes A mouse study is illuminating how our brain quickly adapts and functions. Tracking mouse eye movements, researchers make an unexpected discovery the part of the brain known to process sensory information, our visual cortex, is also key to spontaneous eye movements.

Oct 19, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Embryos make sex cells in their first two weeks Producing the next generation of life is already occuring in an embryo in its own first weeks. Human primordial germ cells which give rise to sperm or egg cells are present in embryos by their second week of development.

Oct 18, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Mom's BMI may affect biological age of her baby Higher Body Mass Index (BMI) in a mother before pregnancy is associated with shorter telomere length a biomarker for biological age in her newborn. Her baby's short telomere length means the baby's cells have shorter lifespans.

Oct 17, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Two distinct cell types can initiate Crohn's disease A new discovery could lead to personalized treatment for the debilitating gastrointestinal disorder called Crohn's. There appear to be two distinct disease types. One expressed in normal colon tissue, the other in the small intestine. Detecting which type a patient has will assist her in her treatment and desire to get pregnant or carry a pregnancy.

Oct 14, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Potential treatment of newborns via amniotic fluid? A breakthrough study offers promise for therapeutic management of congenital diseases in utero using designer gene sequences.

Oct 13, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Infants use their prefrontal cortex to learn Researchers have always thought the prefrontal cortex (PFC) the brain region involved in some of the highest forms of cognition and reasoning was too underdeveloped in young children, especially infants, to participate in complex cognitive tasks. A new study suggests otherwise.

Oct 12, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

'Amplifier' helps make connections in the fetal brain A special amplifier makes neural signals stronger in babies then stops once neural connections are fully strengthened. Oct 11, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Neurons migrate throughout infancy A previously unrecognized stage of brain development has just been recognized to continue long after birth. Neurons in the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain, migrate into the cortex continuing growth throughout infancy.

Oct 10, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Calcium triggers stem cells to generate bone Calcium is the main constituent of bone, and now is found to play a major role in regulating its growth. This new finding may affect treatment of conditions caused by too much collagen, such as fibrosis which thickens and scars connective tissue, as well in diseases of too little bone growth, such as Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS).

Oct 7, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

How evolution has given us 5 fingers Have you ever wondered why our hands have exactly five fingers? Dr. Marie Kmita's team has. The researchers at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montral and Universit de Montral have uncovered a part of this mystery.

Oct 6, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly New links between genes and bigger brains A number of new links between genes and brain size have been identified by United Kingdom scientists, hopefully opening up whole new avenues of understanding brain development including diseases like dementia.

Oct 5, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Progesterone in contraceptives promotes flu healing Over 100 million women are on hormonal contraceptives. All contain some form of progesterone, either alone or in combination with estrogen. Researchers found treatment with progesterone protects female mice against influenza by reducing inflammation and improving pulmonary function.

Oct 4, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

ZIKA in Men? "No procreation for 6 months" The Zika virus has largely spread via mosquitoes, but it can also be spread by sexual intercourse. Men who may have been exposed should wait at least six months before trying to conceive a child with a partner. Regardless whether they ever had any symptoms, say US federal health officials.

Oct 3, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Genetically modified baby boy - with 3 parents New, cheap and accurate DNA-editing techniques called CRISPR-Cas9 and SNT, or single nucleic targeting, are allowing for gene modification in humans. It is not science fiction anymore. In a first, a baby boy with modified DNA has been born in Mexico to overcome a mitochondrial disease that claimed the life of his two earlier sibblings

Sep 30, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Meet the world's largest bony fish For the first time, the genome of the ocean sunfish (Mola mola), the world's largest bony fish, has been sequenced. Researchers involved in the Genome 10K (G10K) project want to collect 10,000 nonmammalian vertebrate genomes for comparative analyses. The ocean sunfish genome has now revealed several altered genes that may explain its' fast growth, large size and unusual shape.

Sep 29, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Genetic variations that cause skull-fusion disorders During the first year of life, the human brain doubles in size, continuing to grow through adolescence. But sometimes, the loosely connected plates of a baby's skull fuse too early, a disorder known as craniosynostosis. It can also produce facial and skull deformities, potentially damaging a young brain.

Sep 28, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Heart defect genes both inside and outside the heart Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are a leading cause of birth defect-related deaths. How genetic alterations cause such defects is complicated by the fact that CHD's many critical genes are unknown. Those that are known often contribute only small increases in CHD risk.

Sep 27, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Cesarean baby 15% more likely to become obese Cesarean born babies are 15% more likely to become obese as children than individuals born by vaginal birth and 64% more likely to be obese than their siblings born by vaginal birth. The increased risk may persist through adulthood. All of this data is according to a large study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Sep 26, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly

Male primes female for reproduction - but at a cost Research has discovered that male worms, through an invisible chemical "essence," prime female worms for reproduction but with the unfortunate side effect of also hastening her aging. The results might lead to human therapies to delay puberty or prolong fertility.

Sep 23, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Why Tardigrades Are So Indestructible Tardigrades, or water bears, are microscopic animals capable of withstanding some of the most severe environmental conditions even being "dead" for 30 years, and then restored to life! Research from Japan has now created the most accurate picture yet of the tardigrade genome and why it matters to humans.

Sep 22, 2016-----News ArchiveLatest research covered daily, archived weekly Mouse bone marrow cells reduce miscarriage? Progenitor cells are like stem cells, but differentiated by a first step into one specific cell type. Research now finds the progenitor cells in bone marrow which replace worn out cells may help placental blood vessel growth and reduce abnormal placental development such as in pre-eclampsia.

Follow this link:
Welcome to The Visible Embryo