- 2023
- Press releases - 25.01.2023
Dengue and Zika Viruses: Towards a Better Understanding of the Mechanisms of Transmission
Aedes mosquitoes are the principal vectors of dengue and other arboviruses, including Zika, for which no vaccines or antiviral treatments currently exist. Understanding the factors that influence the transmission of arboviruses from mosquitoes to humans is therefore a priority because it could guide the implementation of public health measures that could limit or even prevent epidemics. In a new study, a team of researchers from Inserm, CNRS and Université de Strasbourg at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, in collaboration with the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, described the virome (the totality of the viruses) present in 800 mosquitoes collected in six countries across four continents. The scientists show that out of the 12 viruses identified, two of them do not infect humans but increase the potential for transmission of dengue and Zika. The mechanism involved reveals the existence of a new cellular factor hijacked by arboviruses in mosquitoes.
- Press releases - 23.01.2023
Reproductive Life Factors and Hormone Therapy May Affect Women’s Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
Exposure to the hormones involved in female reproductive life is one of the avenues explored at the Epidemiology and Population Health Research Center (CESP) by a research team from Inserm, Université Paris-Saclay, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines with Institut Gustave Roussy, which compared the reproductive characteristics of nearly 1,200 women with Parkinson’s disease with those of other women from the E3N cohort . Their findings show that age at first menstrual period, number of pregnancies, type of menopause and a molecule used to improve fertility are associated with a higher risk of developing the disease.
- Press releases - 17.01.2023
Dietary Exposure to Nitrites Associated with Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Université Paris Cité and Cnam, as part of the Nutritional epidemiology research team (EREN-CRESS), studied the role of dietary nitrites and nitrates in the development of type 2 diabetes. The scientists analyzed data on the health and exposure to nitrites/nitrates of 104,168 French adults participating in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study. While their statistical analyses suggest an association between the consumption of nitrites and increased type 2 diabetes risk, no such link has been found with nitrates.
- Press releases - 16.01.2023
A Bacterium to Protect the Microbiota from the Harmful Effect of Food Additives
Emulsifiers are food additives that are used to improve texture and extend shelf life. They are found in many processed products (ice cream, packaged cakes, sauces, etc.) despite having demonstrated harmful effects on intestinal balance. In a new study, scientists from Inserm, CNRS and Université Paris Cité at Institut Cochin in Paris sought to counteract these effects by using Akkermansia muciniphila, a bacterium naturally present in the intestine, to repopulate and thus strengthen the intestinal epithelium. The addition of this bacterium to the gut microbiota is thought to prevent the damage caused by the consumption of emulsifiers.
- Press releases - 09.01.2023
Predicting the Onset of Anxiety Disorders in Adolescence Thanks to Artificial Intelligence
For the first time, a team led by Inserm researchers Jean-Luc Martinot and Éric Artiges at the Developmental Trajectories and Psychiatry laboratory (Inserm/ENS Paris-Saclay) and the Borelli Center (CNRS/Université Paris-Saclay) looked for factors that would predict the onset of anxiety disorders in adolescence. They monitored the mental health of a group of adolescents aged 14 to 23. Thanks to artificial intelligence, they have identified the warning signs most predictive in adolescence of the onset of anxiety disorders in these young adults.
- Press releases - 04.01.2023
Fathers Who Take 2 Weeks Paternity Leave Are Considered Less Likely to Develop Postpartum Depression
In the weeks that follow the birth of a child, both parents are likely to develop depression. Paternity leave, recognized for its benefits on family balance, child development and male-female equality, could be one of the keys to preventing this condition that affects one in ten fathers and almost two in ten mothers.
- 2022
- Press releases - 14.12.2022
Trial on safety and immunogenicity of Ebola vaccines yields promising results
Ebola epidemics occur periodically in various sub-Saharan African countries. While vaccines exist and have already received WHO Prequalification against the Zaire ebolavirus species, it is essential to pursue and intensify efforts to supplement the available data to develop a safe and effective Ebola vaccine strategies in adults and children alike. The PREVAC international consortium, which includes scientists from Inserm and from institutions in Africa, USA and UK, has published the results of a large-scale randomized clinical trial in West Africa in the New England Journal of Medicine.
- Press releases - 06.12.2022
2022 Inserm Prizes: Forming a Common Front for Our Health
This year, the Inserm Prizes are awarded to five individuals whose results and commitment to high-quality research demonstrate scientific excellence and the Institute’s central place in society. The Inserm 2022 Grand Prize goes to Olivier Delattre, an oncopediatrician whose work has led to major discoveries in childhood cancers.
- Press releases - 01.12.2022
ASD: Towards a Better Understanding of the Molecular Mechanisms of Autism
While great progress has been made in recent years in the understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), its underlying molecular mechanisms remain fairly poorly documented. Several hypotheses have been put forward regarding the possible dysfunction of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, but rigorous scientific studies are still lacking in order to validate them. In […]
- Press releases - 24.11.2022
Tuberculosis: children hospitalized with severe pneumonia in high-incidence countries should be screened for TB
La tuberculose touche 1 million d’enfants chaque année dont moins de la moitié sont diagnostiqués et traités, ce qui entraîne plus de 200 000 décès par an. Dans une nouvelle étude, des chercheurs et cliniciens de l’Université de Bordeaux, de l’Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) de l’Inserm et MU-JHU (collaboration de recherche entre l’Université de Makerere et l’Université de John Hopkins en Ouganda) regroupés au sein du consortium TB-Speed, ont montré que le dépistage de la tuberculose à l’admission des enfants souffrant de pneumonie sévère était faisable. Par ailleurs, un tel dépistage avec un test appelé l’Xpert Ultra permettrait d’améliorer le diagnostic de la tuberculose chez les enfants des pays à forte incidence de la maladie. Les résultats de l’étude plaident en faveur d’une utilisation plus systématique de l’Xpert Ultra, chez ces enfants, notamment chez ceux souffrant de malnutrition aiguë sévère.