- 2016
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What's on? - 14.12.2016
Storage of umbilical cord blood
For the first time in France, a couple has just been given authorisation to entrust a private company with the storage of umbilical cord cells from their unborn child, in view of a potential therapeutic need. In its Order dated 21 November 2016, the Grasse court authorised the couple to “take and store haematopoietic cells […]
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Press releases - 13.12.2016
Neurons paralyze us during REM sleep
Researchers working in the Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon have identified a population of neurons that is responsible for this transient muscle paralysis.
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News in brief - 05.12.2016
Zika virus infects the human retina
Two Inserm teams involving Unit 1058, “Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections” (Inserm/University of Montpellier/French Blood Transfusion Service) and Unit 1051, “Montpellier Institute of Neurosciences,” have just shown that Zika virus can infect the pigment epithelium of the human retina, and may thus be able to cause retinal damage. This study is published in Journal […]
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Press releases - 02.12.2016
Minimum effort for maximum effect
Ten days after astronaut Thomas Pesquet take-off into space on the Proxima mission, many questions remain about human adaptation to gravity.
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Press releases - 01.12.2016
A molecule to regenerate insulin-producing cells in type 1 diabetic patients
Inserm researchers led by Patrick Collombat at Unit 1091,“Institute of Biology Valrose” (Inserm/CNRS/Nice Sophia Antipolis University), show that GABA, a neurotransmitter that is sometimes used as a dietary supplement, can induce the regeneration of insulin-producing cells. This discovery, confirmed in mice and partially validated in humans, gives new hope to patients with type 1 diabetes.
This research is published in the journal Cell. -
Press releases - 24.11.2016
MAAD Digital: A new website on addiction developed for and by young people
Together with the Arbre des Connaissances (Tree of Knowledge) association, MILDECA and Inserm are launching www.maad-digital.fr, a website for scientific information on addiction created by young people.
Through assistance from renowned scientists, this new website offers an array of dynamic and reliable content that is adapted to the needs of those aged 13 to 19. The articles decipher scientific information on alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug addictions using language and media that are tailored to multimedia tools used by young people. -
News in brief - 22.11.2016
Smell, those neurons with a nose
Thanks to the receptors in our nose, we can identify thousands of smells. But there are still many grey areas regarding the mechanisms at work in sending information to the brain. Research conducted by Alexander Fleischmann and his colleagues at Unit 1050, “Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology” (Collège de France/CNRS/Inserm) provides a better understanding […]
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Press releases - 22.11.2016
The cause of uncombable hair syndrome identified
In 1973, the rare syndrome of uncombable hair or ‘pili trianguli et canaliculi’ was described by a Toulouse dermatologist. More than 40 years later, Michel Simon, Inserm research director his colleagues at the ‘Epidermal Differentiation and Rheumatoid Autoimmunity’ Unit [UDEAR] (Inserm/CNRS/Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier University) have identified its genetic cause.
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Press releases - 21.11.2016
Functional human intestine grown from stem cells
American researchers at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and French researchers from Inserm (joint research Unit 913 “Neuropathies of Enteric Nervous System and Digestive Diseases”, Nantes) have succeeded in generating a functional human intestine using pluripotent human stem cells. This significant breakthrough was achieved by cultivating human intestinal tissue using nerve cells. Details of their work are published online on 21 November 2016 in Nature Medicine.
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Press releases - 21.11.2016
Mitochondria are essential to memory
Numerous studies have shown that using cannabis can lead to short- and long-term memory loss. These effects on memory may be related to the presence of specific receptors on several types of brain cells (glial cells as well as neurons). Inserm researchers led by Giovanni Marsicano (Neurocentre Magendie, U1215) have shown that these effects on memory are related to the presence of these same receptors on the mitochondria, the energy centre of the cell. This is the first time that the direct involvement of mitochondria in higher brain functions, such as learning and memory, has been shown. This work is published in the journal Nature.