UM ALS/MND Lab was represented by Lab Head Prof. Ruben J Cauchi at the 20th national Italian Drosophila Research Conference (IDRC) held at the IFOM (Istituto Fondazione di Oncologia Molecolare) in Milan.
The scientific programme featured talks on latest advances in various fields including cancer, neurodevelopment, neurodegeneration, mechanobiology and cell biology by experts in renowned Universities and institutes in Europe including the DKFZ German Cancer Research Centre (Germany), University of Rome La Sapienza (Italy), MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (UK), Institute Curie (France), University of Edinburgh (UK), University of Milan (Italy) and the iBV Institute of Biologie Valrose (France).
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Published in The Sunday Times of Malta: view PDF / view digital edition
University of Malta researchers have discovered a potential cause of the persistent and often debilitating symptoms experienced by long COVID-19 patients. The new study published in the scientific journal BBA Molecular Basis of Disease has implications on the development of medications to treat individuals that have not completely recovered from COVID-19 infection. Nearly one third of individuals that recover from COVID-19 are plagued by symptoms that are often life-derailing including lingering fatigue, breathlessness, difficulty with concentrating (often called ‘brain fog’) and muscle weakness. Although long COVID is increasingly becoming a significant global burden affecting everyday functioning, its cause has been elusive. SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, latches onto the ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor, which acts as the doorway through which the virus infects cells. In a pioneering study, researchers at the University of Malta exploited fruit flies to curb down the levels of the ACE2 receptor. In the absence of the virus, this was enough to induce fatigue and diminished mobility. Published in The Sunday Times of Malta: view PDF / view digital edition
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