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Study findings reveal drug development possibilities for brain diseases

Nearly two dozen experimental therapies targeting the immune system are in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease, a reflection of the growing recognition that immune processes play a key role in driving the brain damage that leads to confusion, memory loss and other debilitating symptoms.

9 Mar 2023

RNA modification plays a vital role in TDP-43-related neurodegeneration in ALS

Nearly 100% of cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-the progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease known as ALS or Lou Gherig's disease-involve the buildup of a protein called TDP-43.

28 Feb 2023

Study elucidates the cellular changes caused by exposure to adversity during childhood

A new brain connection discovered by University of California, Irvine researchers can explain how early-life stress and adversity trigger disrupted operation of the brain's reward circuit, offering a new therapeutic target for treating mental illness. Impaired function of this circuit is thought to underlie several major disorders, such as depression, substance abuse and excessive risk-taking.

28 Feb 2023

Scientists discover two ways to preserve diseased upper motor neurons in ALS

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered two ways to preserve diseased upper motor neurons that would normally be destroyed in ALS, based on a study in mice. Upper motor neurons initiate movement, and they degenerate in ALS.

24 Feb 2023

ApoE4 from neurons plays a critical role in Alzheimer's disease

Of all the known genetic risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the strongest is a gene for the protein called ApoE4.

22 Feb 2023

New ways to diagnose learning and memory disorders

By showing Welles's movie "Touch of Evil" to mice, Chinmay Purandare, PhD, and Prof. Mayank Mehta of UCLA have uncovered surprising and important new insights about how neurons form memories. The discovery points to new ways to diagnose Alzheimer's and other learning and memory impairments, while also improving artificial intelligence.

15 Feb 2023

Oral difelikefalin could reduce the intensity of itch in patients with notalgia paresthetica

Notalgia paresthetica-;a nerve disorder characterized by a persistent itch in the upper back-;is a common and underdiagnosed condition worldwide.

9 Feb 2023

Simple inexpensive test determines the genetic susceptibility to PML

Four genetic mutations have been linked to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare but sometimes fatal brain infection that can be provoked by dozens of FDA-approved drugs.

16 Dec 2022

Scientist honored for his contribution on ALS research

The Drs Ayeez and Shelena Lalji & Family ALS Endowed Award for Innovative Healing was given to Clive Svendsen, PhD, a pioneer in regenerative medicine, for his significant contributions to the field of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (AL) at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS.

12 Dec 2022

Specific genetic variant resulting in the early onset of epilepsy identified

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) researchers have identified a particular genetic variant in SCN1A, the most common genetic epilepsy, that contributes to an earlier start of epilepsy with clinical features different from other epilepsies.

1 Dec 2022

Microglial cells trigger inflammatory protective mechanisms in the immune system

Microglia, the brain’s own immune cells, are present in the central nervous system.

1 Dec 2022

Regeneration of the immune system in MS patients

Transplanting blood stem cells is a new but incredibly successful treatment for multiple sclerosis. Now, a study directed by the University of Zurich has looked closely at how the autoimmune disease is controlled by the treatment and how the immune system recovers afterward.

14 Nov 2022

Multidisciplinary analysis of WGS improves diagnostic rates

The NHS Genomic Medicine Service, launched by the Department of Health in the United Kingdom in 2018, enables patients with unusual conditions to have their complete genetic code evaluated in the hopes of gaining a critical diagnosis.

From University College London 8 Nov 2022

Gene governing cell division could shield against Alzheimer’s

According to a recent study by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, the overexpression of a gene linked to cell division and the structure and function of neurons could prevent and protect against cognitive deterioration in both mice and people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

28 Oct 2022

A more efficient way to deliver gene therapies to the CNS

For gene therapy, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) poses a formidable obstacle. The BBB, which is made up of cells that are closely packed together, prevents poisons and pathogens from accessing brain tissue while also blocking potential treatments for diseases that impact the CNS.

12 Oct 2022

Simple blood test helps identify patients developing neurotoxic side effects

The treatment of various tumors has been transformed by cell-based immunotherapy, often known as CAR-T cell therapy. To target and combat specific forms of leukemia and lymphoma, the treatment employs genetically engineered T cells.

8 Sep 2022

Mount Sinai and Regeneron Genetics Center launch a large-scale genome sequencing project

Mount Sinai Health System and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have launched a new human genome sequencing research project called the Mount Sinai Million Health Discoveries Program with the Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC), part of the industry-leading, New York-based biotechnology company Regeneron.

12 Aug 2022

Cedars-Sinai builds bio-realistic and intricate computer models of brain cells

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai have produced an unprecedented number of bio-realistic and intricate computer models of individual brain cells.

11 Aug 2022

UCLA researchers receive NIH award to develop next-generation versions of miniature microscope

The UCLA creators of a miniature microscope that can be mounted on the heads of lab animals to provide an invaluable view into the brain's inner workings have received a $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop next-generation versions of their "miniscope."

9 Aug 2022

Active immune cells provide great protection against ischemic stroke

According to research published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation by neurologists and immunologists at the University of Pittsburgh, a special subgroup of white blood cells provides mice with quick-acting and long-lasting protection against ischemic stroke.

From University of Pittsburgh 3 Aug 2022