NIH Researchers Identify Gene in Mice That Controls Food Cravings, Desire to Exercise
NIH researchers have discovered a gene in mice that controls the craving for fatty and sugary foods and the desire to exercise. The gene, Prkar2a, is highly expressed in the habenula, a tiny brain region involved in responses to pain, stress, anxiety, sleep and reward.
Treatments for People with Early Covid-19 Infection Is Urgent Research Focus
Covid-19 treatments for people with early infection are needed urgently, according to a JAMA Viewpoint article by NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci and colleagues. Treating people early in the course of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, would speed their recovery, reduce the likelihood that they develop severe outcomes and reduce demand on the health care system, they write.
NIH Scientists Discover Key Pathway in Lysosomes that Coronaviruses Use to Exit Cells
Researchers at NIH have discovered a biological pathway that the novel coronavirus appears to use to hijack and exit cells as it spreads through the body.
Scientists Use Clues in Human Genome to Discover New Inflammatory Syndrome
Researchers from NIH have discovered a new inflammatory disorder called vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory and somatic syndrome (VEXAS), which is caused by mutations in the UBA1 gene.
Postpartum Depression May Persist 3 Years After Giving Birth
An NIH study of 5,000 women has found that approximately 1 in 4 experienced high levels of depressive symptoms at some point in the 3 years after giving birth.
Adolescent Brain Differences Linked to Increased Waist Circumference
Differences in the microstructure of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a region in the brain that plays an important role in processing food and other reward stimuli, predict increases in indicators of obesity in children, according to a study funded by NIDA and nine other institutes.
Mouse Study Suggests Parental Response to Infant Distress Is Innate but Adapts to Change
An NIH study in mice suggests that parents have an innate capacity to respond to an infant’s cries for help; this capacity may serve as a foundation from which a parent learns to adjust to an infant’s changing needs.
Study Aims to Identify Promising Covid-19 Treatments for Larger Clinical Trials
NIAID recently launched a study designed to determine whether certain approved therapies or investigational drugs in late-stage clinical development show promise against Covid-19. The ACTIV-5 Big Effect Trial will soon enroll adult volunteers hospitalized with Covid-19 at as many as 40 U.S sites.
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Doesn’t Cut Infection Risk in Obese Women after Cesarean
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) does not appear to lower the risk of infection for obese women after cesarean delivery, suggests a study funded by NIH.
Investigational Covid-19 vaccine Well-Tolerated and Generates Immune Response in Older Adults
A phase 1 trial of an investigational mRNA vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection has shown that the vaccine is well-tolerated and generates a strong immune response in older adults. A report published Sept. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine describes the findings from the study, which was supported by NIAID.