Body of knowledge

Asthma is associated with memory difficulties in children, and early onset of asthma may exacerbate memory deficits, according to a UC Davis study published in JAMA Network Open. Study authors said this is the first time that the inflammatory disease has been linked with cognitive changes in children. The analysis of data from 2,000 children found kids with asthma had lower episodic memory task scores than children without. The study used NIH data and was supported by the UC Davis Memory and Plasticity Program and by NIH fellowship.

Research from UC Davis Health found that 22% of adults and 10% of children who took part in an air-quality study in California’s San Joaquin Valley were breathing detectable levels of pesticides, including one no longer permitted in California because of its numerous adverse health effects. The findings are published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. The project was funded through the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Community Air Grant and by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Black women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive form of breast cancer with few treatment options. UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have worked to uncover the genetic determinants of this disparity. Their analysis confirmed the association of a specific cancer-causing gene with racial identity, and assessed to what extent this gene could explain the disparity in the overall survival of TNBC patients. Results from their research were published in EMBO Reports.

A study published in mBio shows that the mosquito-borne Zika virus hijacks a protein important for brain development to assist its own reproduction. The work shows that related viruses, including dengue virus and yellow fever virus, also use this protein for the same purpose. The discovery could open the way to new strategies to develop vaccines or therapeutics against these viruses. The research was supported by grants from the NIH and the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Recent data from an ongoing study on local roadway injuries highlights the risk of driving under the influence. Of 490 drivers injured in motor vehicle crashes in the past year, 40% had a potentially impairing substance detected including ethanol, cannabis and sedating medications. The study is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data will aid the Office of Traffic Safety in trying to reduce roadway injuries and deaths in California.