Neurons News and Research

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Cellular Recycling Function in the Brain Slows Dramatically After Traumatic Brain Injury

Each year about 1.5 million people in the U.S. survive a traumatic brain injury due to a fall, car accident, or a sports injury, which can cause immediate and long-term disability.

5 Apr 2023

Astrocytes Pull the Handbrake to Drive the Brain to a More Relaxed State

A brimming inbox on Monday morning sets your head spinning. You take a moment to breathe and your mind clears enough to survey the emails one by one.

5 Apr 2023

Researchers Explain How a Single Mutation Causes Ataxia

Worldwide, only a handful of patients are known to suffer from episodic ataxia type 6, a neurological disease that causes transient loss of muscle control.

4 Apr 2023

Astrocytes in the Brain may Play a Key Role in Regulating Information

Long thought of as "brain glue," the star-shaped cells called astrocytes-;members of a family of cells found in the central nervous system called glial that help regulate blood flow, synaptic activity, keep neurons healthy, and play an important role in breathing.

3 Apr 2023

The proper implementation of stem cell-based disease models

Scientists have learned how to manufacture induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from regular cells through genetic reprogramming during the last ten years.

29 Mar 2023

Learning how the brain makes choices could help better understand neurological disorders

New research published by investigators at Cedars-Sinai advances scientific understanding of how the brain weighs decisions involving what people like or value, such as choosing which book to read, which restaurant to pick for lunch-;or even, which slot machine to play in a casino.

24 Mar 2023

Chloride ions evoke taste sensation by binding to sweet taste receptors

Humans perceive five basic taste sensations: sweet, umami, bitter, salty, and sour. Specific foods trigger taste recognition of these sensations through the activation of different receptors in our taste buds.

24 Mar 2023

New type of neural implant could restore limb function to amputees

Researchers have developed a new type of neural implant that could restore limb function to amputees and others who have lost the use of their arms or legs.

23 Mar 2023

Variations in methylation linked to age in the human sperm epigenome

A higher risk of reproductive and child health issues is linked to advanced paternal age. Increasing evidence points to age-related alterations in the sperm epigenome as one underlying cause.

23 Mar 2023

Study identifies 238 amyloid toxicity protective or activator genes

An international study led by the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at the UPF Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) identifies new genes that modulate the toxicity of the protein β-amyloid, responsible for causing Alzheimer's disease.

22 Mar 2023

Stem cells must take out the trash to protect against age-related diseases

In humanity's ongoing quest for the elixir of life, the science keeps pointing to stem cells. Research increasingly shows that maintaining stem cell fitness promotes a long healthspan, and new findings show keeping stem cells clean and tidy is an integral step.

22 Mar 2023

DNA drugs help restore the normal processing of protein-encoding RNA

A protein named TDP-43 has been lost from its normal location in the nucleus of the cell in virtually all persons having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in up to half of all cases of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

From UC San Diego 20 Mar 2023

Delaying paralysis in ALS by using designer DNA drug

In virtually all persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in up to half of all cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia, a protein called TDP-43 is lost from its normal location in the nucleus of the cell.

20 Mar 2023

Using a programmable control switch to deliver therapeutic RNA molecules to target cells

Using an RNA sensor, MIT engineers have designed a new way to trigger cells to turn on a synthetic gene.

17 Mar 2023

Spatial Computing theory could explain the brain's flexible working memory

Brain applies rhythms to physical patches of the cortex to selectively control just the right neurons at the right times to do the right things.

16 Mar 2023

Study reveals the cellular composition and circuit organization of the locus coeruleus

A small nucleus in the brainstem called locus coeruleus (literally the "blue spot,") is the primary source of a major neuromodulator, norepinephrine (NE), an important mediator of the 'fight or flight' response in animals. However, very little is known about the local connections of this small albeit critically important group of neurons.

16 Mar 2023

Understanding the factors that impact CRISPRa efficiency

Investigators, from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and partners, utilized human stem cells and neurons to explore what attributes impact how well CRISPR activation works for different sets of genes.

14 Mar 2023

Significance of astrocyte–neuron interactions in fine-tuning brain function

Humans learn to handle a variety of skilled movements throughout their lives, from driving a car to swinging a tennis racket. Neurons are not the only ones who implement this learning, but a new study from The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT shows that astrocytes play an important role as well.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 14 Mar 2023

Novel model tracks hippocampal synaptic plasticity to reveal molecular mechanisms

The accumulation of amyloid beta proteins, which encourage synaptic malfunction, causes cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to scientific evidence.

10 Mar 2023

Small group of airway neurons plays a key role in alerting the brain about infection

A new study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School illuminates how the brain becomes aware that there is an infection in the body.

9 Mar 2023