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Neuropeptides Revealed as Key Messengers in Fear Response

Researchers at Salk developed techniques to examine neuropeptides, which are messenger proteins in the brain that regulate the fear response in mice.

23 Jul 2024

UCL Study Uncovers Astrocytes' Role in Brain Energy Boosting Mechanism

A key mechanism which detects when the brain needs an additional energy boost to support its activity has been identified in a study in mice and cells led by UCL scientists.

4 Jul 2024

Fruit Fly Motor Circuitry Revealed Through Advanced Mapping Techniques

Work is underway on a wiring diagram of the motor circuits in the central nervous system that control muscles in fruit flies.

27 Jun 2024

3D Cell Cultures Improve Drug Screening Accuracy but Show Lower Efficacy for Anti-Cancer Drugs

The existing knowledge on monolayers and spheroid-based cell cultures, including the constituent compounds, and the difference in efficacy during drug screening, especially for anti-cancer drugs targeting cytoskeletal dynamics and cell cycles.

21 Jun 2024

Genetic Clues Unveil New Insights into Restless Leg Syndrome

Scientists have discovered genetic clues to the cause of restless leg syndrome, a condition common among older adults.

6 Jun 2024

Neurons in the Visual System of Flies Exhibit Surprisingly Heterogeneous Wiring

Analysis of the connectome of Drosophila melanogaster provides new insights into how its visual system is organized / Research contribution by the FlyWire Consortium

4 Jun 2024

New Light-Sensitive Proteins Unlock Brain Cell Control for Neurological Research

Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School have found that a new class of light-sensitive proteins are capable of turning off brain cells with light, offering scientists an unprecedentedly effective tool to investigate brain function.

27 May 2024

Herpes Gene Therapy Achieves 90% Viral Reduction in Pre-Clinical Studies

Researchers at Fred Hutch Cancer Center have found in pre-clinical studies that an experimental gene therapy for genital and oral herpes removed 90% or more of the infection and suppressed how much virus can be released from an infected individual, which suggests that the therapy would also reduce the spread of the virus.

16 May 2024

Understanding Genome Scrambling in Oikopleura Dioica

When two animals look the same, eat the same, behave the same way, and live in similar environments, one might expect that they belong to the same species.

10 May 2024

Targeting RNA Modifications: A Novel Approach for Neuroblastoma Treatment

Neuroblastoma is a common pediatric cancer that originates in developing nerve cells outside the brain.

6 May 2024

Investigating Enhancer Function in Pluripotent Stem Cells

As embryos, all complex organisms are partially made up of pluripotent stem cells, a term for cells that have the capacity to differentiate into any kind of cell: nerve cells, muscle cells, blood cells, skin cells, and the like.

30 Apr 2024

New Study Discovers Gene Associated with Epilepsy and Autism

A genetic mutation or variation in the SCN2A gene is known to cause infantile seizures, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability, among other moderate-to-severe impairments in movement, communication, feeding, and vision.

29 Apr 2024

Blessed Thistle Compound Shows Promise in Nerve Repair

Cnicin, a compound found in Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus), significantly accelerates axon growth in human and animal models.

22 Apr 2024

Unveiling Cannabinoid’s Potential for Treating Age-Related Brain Degeneration

Scientists at the Salk Institute observed the neuroprotective effects of cannabinol in fruit flies and discovered cannabinoid analogs that may prove to be promising future treatments for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and traumatic brain injury.

18 Apr 2024

Unveiling the Evolutionary Origins of Bilaterian Species

700 million years ago, a remarkable creature emerged for the first time. Though it may not have been much to look at by today's standards, the animal had a front and a back, a top and a bottom.

16 Apr 2024

Cell's Garbage Disposal May Also Send Sensory Signals Beyond Recycling

The proteasome, the cell's garbage disposal mechanism, usually breaks down proteins into smaller pieces and recycles some of the pieces.

15 Apr 2024

Spinal Cord's Hidden Role in Learning Movement

A common misconception is that the spinal cord serves as a basic relay station that transmits signals from the brain to the body.

15 Apr 2024

Unraveling the Mysteries of Neuronal Communication Circuits

The basic building blocks of the central nervous system are neurons, or nerve cells, which play a crucial role in signal transduction pathways.

3 Apr 2024

Decoding the Dynamics of Multiple Sclerosis Lesions

Scientists in Sweden were able to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind the development of lesions in multiple sclerosis by employing sophisticated techniques. The latest findings are detailed in the journal Cell by a team of researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University.

21 Mar 2024