Dementia gene raises risk of severe COVID-19

Having a faulty gene linked to dementia doubles the risk of developing severe COVID-19, according to a large-scale study. Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine analysed data from the UK Biobank, and found high risk of severe COVID-19 infection among European ancestry participants who carry…

Defects in developing frog brain can be prevented or repaired with bioelectric drugs

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. (May 26, 2019)– Researchers led by biologists at Tufts University have discovered that the brains of developing frog embryos damaged by nicotine exposure can be repaired by treatment with certain drugs called “ionoceuticals” that drive the recovery of bioelectric patterns in the embryo, followed by repair of normal anatomy, gene expression and brain…

New research identifies two drug classes that could be re-purposed for T1D treatment

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. – Researchers from the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI), a leading independent, industry-inspired applied research institute, and Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Center for Diabetes Research, identified two classes of compounds that prevent most of the effects of interferon-α (IFNα) on human beta cells, paving the way for potential future clinical trials of…