Mysterious-new-virus-unknown-origin-emerges-lake-Brazil.
Scientists have discovered a mysterious never-before-seen virus in a lake in Brazil and have named it after a mermaid who lured soldiers underwater to their death.
Yaravirus, from the mythological mermaid Yara, has left scientists ‘puzzled’ because it doesn’t appear to be related to any other viruses in the world.
Researchers found over 90 per cent of Yaravirus genes have never been seen before, making it wholly unique.
IMAGE: Novosteo, a Purdue University-affiliated startup, is advancing a technology shown to repair bone fractures faster and at greater benefit to a patient. The image above shows fractured femurs at four… view more
Credit: Novosteo/Philip S. Low
Critics say the government is making a coronavirus episode worse by not being more forthcoming.
Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US have uncovered the ‘Achilles’ heel’ of most viruses which plague mankind, and could soon develop a universal vaccine.
Vaccine research, development and testing takes a long time, as the ongoing coronavirus outbreak has shown, but that is because researchers devote their time, attention and resources to targeting specific viruses one-by-one. But now scientists at MGH have located what may prove to be a game-changing breakthrough for humanity which could strengthen our bodies and make them impervious to most viruses.
Apparently scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital are making some progress on identifying what they are calling a “universal vaccine” or the “Achilles heel” for viruses…
BOSTON — As the coronavirus outbreak shows, viruses are a constant threat to humanity. Vaccines are regularly developed and deployed against specific viruses, but that process takes a lot of time, doesn’t help everyone who needs protection, and still leaves people exposed to new outbreaks and new viruses.
Now, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have uncovered a novel potential antiviral drug target that could lead to treatments protecting against a host of infectious diseases — creating a pan, or universal, treatment. Their work suggests that the protein Argonaute 4 (AGO4) is an “Achilles heel” for viruses.
AGO4 is one of a family of AGO proteins. Until now, there has been little evidence of whether they have individual roles. The researchers, led by Kate L. Jeffrey, PhD, and her collaborators found that AGO4 plays a key role protecting cells against viral infections.
A new review from the FDA says it finds no evidence linking the two, but that research should continue.
The findings: The report reviewed 125 experiments carried out on animals and 75 on humans between 2008 and August 2019. In summary, the FDA said that there’s “no consistent pattern” to link radiofrequency radiation, or RFR, to tumors or cancer.
Rats don’t use cell phones the way humans do. An overarching problem with the animal studies in the review is that they don’t mimic how humans actually use their phones. Animal studies often douse a rat’s entire body in radiation at levels that are far higher than what humans are normally exposed to when we use cell phones. The human studies were also flawed, relying only on questionnaires from family members or observational data.
Scientific studies continue to show us how exercise can bring a range of cognitive benefits, from limiting the risk of Alzheimer’s to giving an immediate boost to our learning capabilities. Researchers working in this area at the University of South Australia have turned their attention to neuroplasticity, finding two styles of workout in particular that give this key brain function the biggest boost.
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to rewire the neural connections as we go through life, whether that be in response to certain experiences, building memories, learning new skills or adapting to new environments. In this way, it is seen as critical to the development of a healthy brain from infancy all the way through to adulthood, and the authors of this new study set out to dig into how exercise can influence these vital pathways.
“We already know that engaging in regular aerobic exercise is good for the brain, improving memory, attention and learning,” says co-author Dr Ashleigh Smith. “However, we need to understand why it is so beneficial and what the best exercise, intensity and duration is.”
Prime editing can change individual DNA letters, delete letters, or insert blocks of new letters into the genome, with minimal damage to the DNA strand.
Following the first U.S. test of CRISPR gene editing in patients with advanced cancer, researchers report findings in Science that represent an important step toward the ultimate goal of using gene editing to help a patient’s immune system attack cancer. Read the research: https://fcld.ly/y1nst2o
