Deadly virus reveals a potential weakness A new study of the JC polyomavirus, a devastating pathogen that attacks brain cells in patients with compromised immune systems, has revealed how it binds to its targets, providing a basis for developing drugs to interrupt that process. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The JC polyomavirus doesn’t strike very […]

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Research team identifies new mechanism with suspected role in cancer Researchers at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital have identified a process in which prolactin receptors can be drawn together and begin working in pairs called dimers. Overexpression of prolactin receptors in patients has been linked to cancer. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — If women […]

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Researchers report two advances against preeclampsia Preeclampsia, a sudden-onset and sometimes fatal prenatal disease, may strike up to 8 percent of pregnant women worldwide. Researchers have now developed a dependable pregnancy-specific animal model for laboratory testing and may have a predictive test that would allow early intervention. The studies are reported in The American Journal […]

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Researchers build ‘artificial ovary’ to develop oocytes into mature human eggs Researchers at Brown University and Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island have built an artificial human ovary that can grow oocytes into mature human eggs in the laboratory. That development, reported in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, could help preserve fertility […]

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Study: Diet and alcohol alter epigenetics of breast cancer, could predict severity of disease Researchers from Brown University and the University of California have shown that the epigenetic profiles of breast tumors are related to patient diet and alcohol use as well as tumor size. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Researchers from Brown University and […]

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Sleep – High Quality and Enough of It – Is Essential for Child Health Insufficient or poor-quality sleep produces more than grogginess. Inadequate sleep may be a significant factor in childhood obesity, poor decision-making, and lower performance at school. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The importance of sleep for children and teenagers is well-documented, but […]

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Study: Mining Is a Major Driver of Sub-Saharan Africa’s TB Epidemic A study by Mark Lurie of Brown University and an international team of researchers has developed the first statistical evidence linking mining to high rates of tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa. The exponential rise in TB in the region had been attributed to higher rates […]

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