Childhood stress impacts epigenetic profile of sperm and brain development

Childhood stress can impact the epigenetic profile of sperm. These results may also have practical implications for future generations through epigenetic inheritance, as many of the observed epigenetic associations are related to brain development. This ground-breaking discovery has been made in the FinnBrain study at the University of Turku, Finland, in collaboration with researchers from … Read more

Yale study identifies molecular mechanism behind some lissencephaly disorders.

A Promising New Target for Treating Lissencephaly: A Molecular Breakthrough Lissencephaly, a rare and devastating group of genetic disorders, affects brain development, causing a lack of normal folds and leading to seizures and intellectual disability. Sadly, there are currently no effective treatments available. However, a groundbreaking new study from Yale University offers a glimmer of … Read more

Fruit flies steal bacterial defense to survive parasitic wasps

In the continual arms race between parasites and their hosts, innovation was thought to be the key to a successful attack or defense that one-ups the competition. But sometimes, as in the corporate world, outright theft can be a quicker way to achieve dominance. University of California, Berkeley biologists have shown that several species of … Read more

Study uncovers a previously unknown genetic link to autism spectrum disorder

New research published in The American Journal of Human Genetics has identified a previously unknown genetic link to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study found that variants in the DDX53 gene contribute to ASD, providing new insights into the genetic underpinnings of the condition.  ASD, which affects more males than females, encompasses a group of … Read more

New molecular insights into the early stages of Rett syndrome

Scientists investigating the severe developmental disorder known as Rett syndrome have discovered a series of crucial molecular changes that occur long before symptoms appear. The findings could be used to develop better treatments for the devastating, life-shortening condition, the researchers say. Rett syndrome strikes girls almost exclusively. Children with Rett initially appear healthy and appear … Read more

Can probiotics restore antibiotic-perturbed microbiota?

Antibiotics play a major role in bacterial infection treatment; however, their overuse disrupts commensal microbiota. Although probiotics can effectively alleviate antibiotic-associated diarrhea, they do not restore the gut microbiota to its pre-antibiotic state. In the future, more studies are required to understand whether any specific probiotic preparation could effectively restore gut microbiome diversity and composition … Read more