Inserm Newsroom - Press room of the French national institute of health and medical research

Harmful effects of bisphenol A proved experimentally

Weak concentrations of bisphenol A are sufficient to produce a negative reaction on the human testicle. This has just been shown experimentally for the first time by René Habert and his colleagues (UMR Cellules souches et Radiations [UMR Stem Cells and Radiation], Inserm U 967 – CEA – Paris Diderot University) in an article that appeared in the journal entitled Plos One.

Comment des souris subissant des agressions répétées développent une aversion sociale

In women, certain types of migraine appear to increase the risk of cardiovascular problems

According to a study due to be presented in detail to the next congress of the American Academy of Neurology, women who suffer from a certain type of migraine with visual troubles seems to be three times more likely than other women to develop a cardiovascular disease. The other main author of this study, Tobias […]

Food insecurity attributed to future behavioural disorders in children

When a household experiences financial difficulties, the portion of the budget allocated to food is often restricted. In some cases, these difficulties may lead to food insecurity, i.e. limited and irregular access to a healthy and balanced diet. Based on a case study of 2,120 children, a team of Inserm researchers coordinated by Maria Mechior (Inserm Unit 1017 “Research Centre into epidemiology and population health”) has shown that children in food-insecure families have a high risk of developing long-term behavioural disorders, such as hyperactivity and attention deficiency.

Regenerative medicine: clinical trials launched for the treatment of delayed union fractures

The REBORNE project, funded by the European Commission and coordinated by Inserm, has just received the green light from the French Medicinal Agency ANSM to begin orthopaedic surgery clinical trials.

La protéine à l’origine de la maladie de Huntington impliquée dans les tumeurs mammaires

Connue pour être responsable de la maladie de Huntington, une maladie neurodégénérative, la protéine huntingtine mutée est également impliquée dans la progression et l’agressivité des tumeurs mammaires. C’est le résultat des études menées par l’équipe de Sandrine Humbert[1], directrice de recherche Inserm à l’Institut Curie, et publiées le 9 janvier 2013 dans le journal EMBO Molecular Medicine. Au niveau cellulaire, la protéine huntingtine mutée empêche le bon fonctionnement du récepteur de type HER2[2] dont la surexpression conduit à une multiplication des cellules tumorales et à une survenue plus fréquente des métastases.

Les troubles de la fertilité- Etat des connaissances et pistes pour la recherche

Infertility affects more and more couples. The data on infertility inFranceis only partial or uncertain. So we must create a fertility monitoring system, based principally on repeated, specific surveys and we must systematically include suitable questions on demographic or epidemiologic surveys used to study reproduction or contraception. It is estimated that around 15% to 20% […]

Detrimental effect of obesity on lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers from Inserm and the Université Lille/Université Lille Nord de France have recently used a neurodegeneration model of Alzheimer’s disease to provide experimental evidence of the relationship between obesity and disorders linked to the tau protein.

Why good resolutions about taking up a physical activity can be hard to keep

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem that has both social and neurobiological causes. According to the results of an Ipsos survey published on Monday 31 December, the French have put “taking up a sport” at the top of their list of good resolutions for 2013. However, Francis Chaouloff, research director at Inserm’s NeuroCentre Magendie (Inserm Joint Research Unit 862, Université Bordeaux Ségalen), Sarah Dubreucq, a PhD student and François Georges, a CNRS research leader at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience (CNRS/Université Bordeaux Ségalen) have just discovered the key role played by a protein, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, during physical exercise.

Development of a therapeutic vaccine against HIV: an alternative to tri-therapy?

Tri-therapy greatly improves survival and the quality of life of patents infected by HIV. However, this treatment must be continued indefinitely in order to prevent the progression of the disease. Researchers the world over are trying to find solutions to develop a vaccine capable of fighting the virus responsible for AIDS. In the meantime, in […]