The hormone oxytocin is important for social interaction and to control emotions. A deficiency of this hormone has previously been assumed, for example, in people with autism, but has never been proven. Now, for the first time, researchers from the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel have succeeded in demonstrating a deficiency of oxytocin in patients with a deficiency of vasopressin caused by a disease of the pituitary gland. This finding could be key to developing new therapeutic approaches.
With cardiac arrest, the chance of surviving decreases with every minute that passes without blood circulation. What a lot of people don’t know: The brain is irreversibly damaged after just a few seconds. Researchers at the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel are making the case for more information – and for clear communication regarding whether someone actually wants to be resuscitated.
Researchers from Basel and Zurich are creating a high-resolution atlas that depicts the development of the human retina. One technique they use is a new method that allows them to visualise more than 50 proteins simultaneously. The atlas helps scientists to better understand diseases.
In Sweden, immigrants are allowed to participate in regional elections even if they don’t have a Swedish passport. Researchers at the University of Basel recently investigated whether this affects naturalization numbers. Their findings could also be of interest for Switzerland.
Researchers have identified a new brain circuit in mouse embryos that develops at an unexpectedly early stage. Their findings may provide new insights into circuit abnormalities in autism.
Digital technologies offer museums new opportunities for collecting and conveying information. Researchers at the University of Basel are initiating these types of projects and giving historical objects and museum holdings a second home online.
Twisted molecules play an important role in the development of organic light-emitting diodes. A team of chemists has managed to create these compounds with exactly the three-dimensional structure that they wanted. In so doing, they are smoothing the path for new and better light sources.
In advanced breast cancer, treatment often fails when the cancer cells become resistant to it. Researchers in Basel have now uncovered one mechanism behind this and found a possible solution to the problem: treatment in combination with a known antioxidant that is often used as an expectorant.
A research team at the University of Basel has discovered that a high-fat diet alters the function of adipose tissue, thus impairing its ability to regulate blood sugar. This explains why a high-fat diet poses a significant health risk, particularly for diabetes.
