PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

NUS researchers discover protein that causes neurological complications in HFMD

The finding could aid in prevention of the severe consequences through drug development

2021-04-20
(Press-News.org) Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a generally mild, contagious viral infection common in young children. In Singapore, HFMD is endemic and is most commonly caused by intestinal viruses known as coxsackieviruses and enteroviruses.

While most HFMD patients experience common symptoms such as sore throat, fever, ulcers inside the mouth and blisters and lesions on the palms and soles, infection with Enterovirus-A71 (EV-A71) may lead to serious neurological complications that can be potentially fatal or lead to long-term neurological deficits (cognitive and motor deficits). These complicated HFMD cases are mainly seen in young children.

Researchers from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine's Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme have identified two new proteins that play a critical role in the ability of EV-A71 to invade the central nervous system. One of these proteins is a druggable target, which means that there are drugs available that target this protein and which could potentially be used to limit the neurological complications associated with this illness.

Since there are currently no antiviral treatments available for HFMD, only symptomatic relief is available to patients. This new discovery could allow for the development of more effective treatment of the disease, particularly for such severe cases. A number of compounds that have been developed to target this discovered protein have mainly been studied in the context of cancer. However, this finding is likely to change the course of the advancement of some of these compounds.

"This exciting finding will bring us one step closer to preventing EV-A71-infected HFMD patients from experiencing potential neurological complications. As this virus is considered to be endemic in Singapore, with cyclical epidemics every two to three years, our discovery is likely to have a significant impact on the country's public health," said Associate Professor Sylvie Alonso, Principal Investigator of the study and Co-Director of the Infectious Diseases TRP at NUS Medicine.

"The new data reported contributes to better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of EV-71 neuroinvasion that may lead to neurological complications of HFMD caused by EV-A71. This is a step towards identifying possible targets for interventions to reduce/prevent EV-A71 complications," shared Dr Chan Si Min, the Head and Senior Consultant of the Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at National University Hospital.

The Infectious Diseases TRP aims to provide a holistic, patient-centric approach to infectious diseases that are relevant to Singapore and the region. The Programme focuses on programmatic research areas including pathogen evolution and transmission, host-microbe interactions and vaccine and therapeutics development.

INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Surpassing the lower limit on computing energy consumption

Surpassing the lower limit on computing energy consumption
2021-04-20
New FLEET research confirms the potential for topological materials to substantially reduce the energy consumed by computing. The collaboration of FLEET researchers from University of Wollongong, Monash University and UNSW have shown in a theoretical study that using topological insulators rather than conventional semiconductors to make transistors could reduce the gate voltage by half, and the energy used by each transistor by a factor of four. To accomplish this, they had to find a way to overcome the famous 'Boltzmann's tyranny' that puts a lower limit on transistor switching energy. They found a surprising result: gate voltage applied to a topological insulator could create a barrier to electron flow larger than the voltage itself times the electron charge, ...

One in five american adults experience chronic pain

2021-04-20
Chronic pain is among the most common chronic conditions in the United States, but estimates of its prevalence and impact vary widely. In 2019, the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added a new set of questions relating to pain to its National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a large household-based annual survey that offers valuable insights into the health statuses of U.S. adults nationwide. In an article published in Pain, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Mass Eye and Ear report that 50.2 million (20.5 percent) ...

Clinical trial assesses stem cells' ability to prevent major cause of preemie deaths

Clinical trial assesses stem cells ability to prevent major cause of preemie deaths
2021-04-20
Durham, NC - A phase 2 clinical trial whose results were released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine might point to a way to overcome bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a major cause of death in preterm infants. The study, conducted by researchers at Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University and Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital in Seoul, evaluates the effectiveness of treating these infants by transplanting umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) directly into their tracheas. Early results showed signs of improvement for the most immature infants included in the trial. BPD is a serious breathing disorder in which the lungs do not develop normally. Most infants who develop BPD are born more than ...

Experimental Biology 2021 press materials available now

2021-04-20
Embargoed press materials are now available for the virtual Experimental Biology (EB) 2021 meeting, featuring cutting-edge multidisciplinary research from across the life sciences. EB 2021, to be held April 27-30, is the annual meeting of five scientific societies bringing together thousands of scientists and 25 guest societies in one interdisciplinary community. Complete a Press Registration Form for complimentary meeting registration and full access to our virtual newsroom. We encourage advance registration as it may take up to a day to receive access. Join Our Virtual Press Conference Reporters are invited to join a live Q&A discussion of selected research announcements during a virtual EB press conference held ...

Our attention is captured by eye-glance

2021-04-20
Eyes play an important role in social communication by expressing the intentions of our interlocutors, and even more so in times of pandemic when half of the face is hidden. But is this eye contact automatic and rapid? Is it based on a priority attentional reaction or, on the contrary, on a particular emotional reaction? To answer these questions, researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, looked at the way we process human gaze, focusing on the estimation of the temporal duration of social interactions. They discovered that when we make eye contact with another person, our attention is directly solicited, causing a distortion in our temporal perception. As a result, time seems shorter than it really is. ...

Brain-on-a-chip would need little training

Brain-on-a-chip would need little training
2021-04-20
A biomimicking "spiking" neural network on a microchip has enabled KAUST researchers to lay the foundation for developing more efficient hardware-based artificial intelligence computing systems. Artificial intelligence technology is developing rapidly, with an explosion of new applications across advanced automation, data mining and interpretation, healthcare and marketing, to name a few. Such systems are based on a mathematical artificial neural network (ANN) composed of layers of decision-making nodes. Labeled data is first fed into the system to "train" the model to respond a certain way, then ...

Atomic-level insights gained for a key lipid-binding protein implicated in cancer

Atomic-level insights gained for a key lipid-binding protein implicated in cancer
2021-04-20
LA JOLLA, CALIF. - April 20, 2021 Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have identified, at an atomic level, how a part of a protein called PLEKHA7 interacts with a cell's membrane to regulate important intercellular communications. The research, published in the journal Structure, points to hotspots within PLEKHA7 as targets for drugs. These targets could be key in designing treatments for advanced colon, breast and ovarian cancers. The region, or domain, in PLEKHA7 that the researchers examined, pleckstrin homology (PH), is commonly found in proteins ...

Little Foot fossil shows early human ancestor clung closely to trees

2021-04-20
A long-awaited, high-tech analysis of the upper body of famed fossil "Little Foot" opens a window to a pivotal period when human ancestors diverged from apes, new USC research shows. Little Foot's shoulder assembly proved key to interpreting an early branch of the human evolutionary tree. Scientists at the END ...

Growth in home health care failing to keep up with surging demand, study finds

Growth in home health care failing to keep up with surging demand, study finds
2021-04-20
Recent growth in the number of healthcare workers providing home care for Medicare patients is "small and inadequate" compared with the increasing demand in an aging America, a new study suggests. To have hope of keeping up, Medicare likely will need to reconsider how it compensates providers for home care, the researchers say. "Only 0.7 percent of physicians in Medicare provided home care regularly," said Nengliang "Aaron" Yao, PhD, a researcher with the University of Virginia School of Medicine's Section of Geriatric Medicine. "Targeted policies are needed to support home-based medical care." Trends in Home Care Growth in the field of home care was "modest but steady" between 2012 and 2016, with most of the growth coming from increasing numbers of nurse practitioners providing home ...

Cool and COVID-safe: How radiant cooling could keep our cities comfortable and healthy

Cool and COVID-safe: How radiant cooling could keep our cities comfortable and healthy
2021-04-20
A novel system of chilled panels that can replace air conditioning can also help reduce the risk of indoor disease transmission, suggests new analysis from the University of British Columbia, University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. The researchers computed air conditioning requirements in 60 of the world's most populous cities--with the additional ventilation required due to COVID-19. Then, they compared the energy costs with their cooling method, using the chilled panels and natural ventilation. The results, published in the COVID-19 edition of Applied Energy, showed that the alternative solution can save up to 45 per cent of the required energy, while ensuring building occupants are comfortable ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

[Press-News.org] NUS researchers discover protein that causes neurological complications in HFMD
The finding could aid in prevention of the severe consequences through drug development