Birth Defects News

April 29, 2024

Top Headlines

Gene-Based Therapy Restores Cellular Development and Function in Brain Cells from People With Timothy Syndrome

Apr. 24, 2024 — In a proof-of-concept study, researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of a potential new therapy for Timothy syndrome, an often life-threatening and rare genetic disorder that affects a wide range ...

Two Key Brain Systems Are Central to Psychosis

Apr. 11, 2024 — When the brain has trouble filtering incoming information and predicting what's likely to happen, psychosis can result, research ...

Impact of Aldehydes on DNA Damage and Aging

Apr. 10, 2024 — Researchers have discovered the connection between aldehydes, organic compounds produced by cells as part of metabolic processes, and rapid aging. Their findings indicate a potential treatment for diseases that lead to accelerated aging as well as a ...

Are Lab-Grown Brain Tissues Ethical? There Is No No-Brainer Answer

Apr. 8, 2024 — Researchers offer insights into the ethical dilemmas and legal complexities surrounding brain organoids, especially those derived from human fetal tissue. Their findings advocate for thorough regulatory frameworks to ensure that scientific and ...

Latest Headlines

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Pregnancy Cytokine Levels Impact Fetal Brain Development and Offspring Behavior

Apr. 26, 2024 — Researchers have discovered in a preclinical model that cytokines, proteins that control immune response, circulating in maternal blood during ...

Mosaics of Predisposition Cause Skin Disease

Apr. 22, 2024 — Clarifying the cause of a skin disease led to the discovery of a new disease-causing gene, a new category of diseases, and new perspectives for both counseling and therapy. The discovery is the first ...

Genetic Variant Identified That Shaped the Human Skull Base

Apr. 17, 2024 — Researchers have identified a variant in the gene TBX1 as key in the development of the unique morphology at the base of the skull. TBX1 is present at higher levels in humans than in closely related ...

Adults With Congenital Heart Disease Faced Higher Risk of Abnormal Heart Rhythms

Apr. 17, 2024 — Adults with congenital heart defects were more likely to experience an abnormal, irregular heartbeat, finds a new ...

Mitochondrial Roles in Antiviral Immunity Modify Manifestations of Neurological Diseases

Apr. 4, 2024 — Scientists report that a progressive neurodegenerative disease can be triggered by a viral infection. The mechanism relates to mitochondrial roles in ...

YKT6 Gene Variants Cause a New Genetic Disorder Finds a New Study

Apr. 2, 2024 — A recent collaborative study has discovered rare variants in the YKT6 gene as the cause of a new neurological disorder characterized by developmental delays along with severe progressive liver ...

Even Moderate Alcohol Usage During Pregnancy Linked to Birth Abnormalities

Apr. 2, 2024 — Researchers have found that even low to moderate alcohol use by pregnant patients may contribute to subtle changes in their babies' prenatal development, including lower birth length and a shorter ...

Synaptic Protein Change During Development Offers Clues on Evolution and Disease

Mar. 28, 2024 — An analysis of how synaptic proteins change during early development reveals differences between mice and marmosets but also what's different in ...

Study of Different Autism Types Finds Shared Mechanism That May Respond to Drugs

Mar. 27, 2024 — An analysis of how brains with different forms of autism develop has revealed common underlying mechanisms that may respond to existing ...

Study Eases Concern at Antipsychotics Use in Pregnancy

Mar. 18, 2024 — The use of antipsychotics during pregnancy isn't linked to childhood neurodevelopmental disorders or learning difficulties, study suggests -- giving assurance to those concerned about continuing ...

Abnormal Brain Structure Identified in Children With Developmental Language Problems

Mar. 15, 2024 — A rigorous analysis of numerous studies concludes that a part of the brain traditionally associated with movement is abnormal in children with developmental language impairments. The discovery has ...

FRYL Gene Variants Linked to a New Neurological Disorder

Mar. 14, 2024 — A recent study links the FRYL gene to a new neurodevelopmental disorder in humans. They used fruit flies to establish that the loss of a functional copy of the FRY-like transcription coactivator ...

Integrity of Blood-Brain Barrier Depends on Protein That Is Altered in Some Neurodegenerative Diseases

Mar. 13, 2024 — Defects in the blood vessel network of the central nervous system have been linked to early symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ...

Adding Folic Acid to Table Salt Could Prevent Life-Threatening Birth Defects

Mar. 11, 2024 — A team of international researchers has demonstrated, for the first time in a field study, that using folic acid-fortified iodized table salt can prevent multiple severe birth ...

Psychosocial Stressors Linked to Higher Inflammation in Black Pregnant Women

Mar. 6, 2024 — Living in neighborhoods with more white residents and greater lifetime experiences of racial discrimination are linked to increased systemic inflammation during pregnancy among Black women, according ...

This Injectable Hydrogel Mitigates Damage to the Right Ventricle of the Heart

Mar. 6, 2024 — An injectable hydrogel can mitigate damage to the right ventricle of the heart with chronic pressure overload, according to a new study. In 2019, this same hydrogel was shown to be safe in humans ...

Zika Vaccine Safe, Effective When Administered During Pregnancy

Mar. 4, 2024 — A vaccine against Zika virus is safe and effective when administered both before and during pregnancy, according to new ...

A Better Way to Deliver Fetal Therapy for Serious Genetic Disorders

Mar. 4, 2024 — In a discovery that opens the door to a less invasive way of treating some serious disorders before birth, UC San Francisco scientists have found that delivering medicine through amniotic fluid is as ...

New Study Links Placental Oxygen Levels to Fetal Brain Development

Feb. 27, 2024 — A new study shows oxygenation levels in the placenta, formed during the last three months of fetal development, are an important predictor of cortical growth (development of the outermost layer of ...

Learning and Memory Problems in Down Syndrome Linked to Alterations in Genome's 'Dark Matter'

Feb. 27, 2024 — The activity of Snhg11, a gene found in the 'dark matter' of the genome, is critical for the function and formation of neurons in the hippocampus, specifically in an area critical for ...

Blindness from Some Inherited Eye Diseases May Be Caused by Gut Bacteria

Feb. 26, 2024 — Sight loss in certain inherited eye diseases may be caused by gut bacteria, and is potentially treatable by antimicrobials, finds a new study in ...

New Insight Into Gene Uncovers Its Link to Incurable Birth Defect

Feb. 22, 2024 — Researchers have unraveled how mutations in a gene can lead to an incurable neurodevelopmental disorder that causes abnormal brain development in newborns and ...

Stress During Pregnancy Can Lead to Early Maturation of First-Born Daughters

Feb. 20, 2024 — Researchers have found a correlation between early signs of adrenal puberty in first-born daughters and their mothers' having experienced high levels of prenatal stress. They did not find the ...

Why Ventilators Can Be Tough on Preemie Lungs

Feb. 12, 2024 — New research finds that premature lungs become stiffer than adult lungs under stress. This disrupts the function of transporters that are important for removing water from the lungs after ...

Patterns of Brain Connectivity Differ Between Pre-Term and Term Babies

Feb. 8, 2024 — A new scanning study of 390 babies has shown distinct patterns between term and pre-term babies in the moment-to-moment activity and connectivity of brain ...

Pregnant Women Should Avoid Ultraprocessed, Fast Foods, Experts Urge

Feb. 7, 2024 — Research shows that phthalates, a class of chemicals associated with plastics, can shed from the wrapping, packaging and even from plastic gloves worn by food handlers into food. Once consumed during ...

Researchers Make Progress Toward Developing Blood Tests for Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders

Feb. 7, 2024 — Researchers used genetic material from human blood and lab-grown brain cells say they have made progress in developing a blood test to identify disease-associated changes in the brain specifically ...

Males Born to Obese Mothers More Likely to Suffer Health Issues as Adults

Feb. 6, 2024 — Males born to obese women are more likely to be overweight at birth and develop metabolic complications in later life, including liver disease and ...

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Tied to Memory, Thinking Problems

Jan. 31, 2024 — People with polycystic ovary syndrome may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems in middle age, according to new research. The study does not prove that polycystic ovary syndrome causes ...

Brain Protein's Virus-Like Structure May Help Explain Cancer-Induced Memory Loss

Jan. 31, 2024 — In a rare but serious complication of cancer, the body's own immune system can start attacking the brain, causing rapid-onset memory loss and cognitive deficits. What triggers this sudden ...