Central Nervous System News and Research

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SARS-Cov-2 spike proteins can directly impact the function of blood-brain barrier

Like a key, SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - attaches to specific molecules on the host cell surface, opening gateways into the cell interior.

30 Oct 2020

Researchers demonstrate the impact of epithelial cells, mammary microenvironment on breast cancer cells

The cover for issue 30 of Oncotarget features Figure 4, "RNAseq results demonstrating differences between normal, cancer, and redirected cells," by Frank-Kamenetskii, et al. which reported that the influence of breast cancer cells on normal cells of the microenvironment, such as fibroblasts and macrophages, has been heavily studied but the influence of normal epithelial cells on breast cancer cells has not.

19 Oct 2020

Researchers gain insight into potentiating effect of selective drugs

Some highly selective drugs cause unexpected effects in nerve cells: they not only reduce the activation of certain receptors, but also their inactivation.

5 Oct 2020

Cocaine addiction: Impact of genetic mutations elucidated

Cocaine addiction is a chronic disorder with a high rate of relapse for which no effective treatment is currently available.

28 Sep 2020

Smart drug delivery system may help treat spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders

A Rutgers-led team has created a smart drug delivery system that reduces inflammation in damaged nervous tissues and may help treat spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders.

From Rutgers University 18 Sep 2020

Researchers develop cellular roadmaps to predict the body’s susceptibility to coronavirus

A new study has created promising roadmaps to predict how the novel coronavirus infects organs and detects the factors that could limit the infection.

7 Sep 2020

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause severe abnormalities in the fetus

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause severe abnormalities in the fetus, including malformations such as microcephaly. In a small proportion of cases, the disease may lead to miscarriage and perinatal death.

4 Sep 2020

Researchers investigate cellular factors that could be significant for COVID-19 infection

An infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can affect multiple organs. With this in mind, researchers of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Cornell University in the US have investigated cellular factors that could be significant for an infection.

4 Sep 2020

Study reveals a successful strategy to fight influenza

For a long time, influenza scientists have largely focused their studies on the epithelial cells that line the lungs.

2 Sep 2020

Researchers identify brain protein that leads to seizures, abnormal social behaviors

Scientists have identified a novel mechanism that is responsible for causing the abnormal development of neuronal connections in the mice brain.

1 Sep 2020

Study shows how DUSP8 protein regulates glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity

The brain plays a major role in controlling our blood glucose levels. In type 2 diabetics this glucose metabolism brain control is often dysfunctional. Genetic components for this phenomenon have so far remained elusive.

24 Aug 2020

Cashew shell compound shows therapeutic potential for demyelinating diseases

In laboratory experiments, a chemical compound found in the shell of the cashew nut promotes the repair of myelin, a team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center reports today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

From Vanderbilt University 19 Aug 2020

Protective anti-prion antibodies found in humans

Antibodies targeting the normal PrP version of the prion protein have been found in humans selected at random with no history of any associated transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

18 Aug 2020

Researchers identify a new gene to treat multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease that affects the central nervous system and can eventually lead to muscle tremors and thus loss of balance.

17 Aug 2020

Hydrogels based on modified pectins could be used for neural tissue restoration

Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) scientists have developed implantable hydrogels based on plant polysaccharides (pectins). They can play the role of an artificial extracellular matrix, a special network of molecules that fills the space between body cells.

14 Aug 2020

Researchers identify phosphoprotein biomarkers to guide cancer therapy

Precision medicine in cancer treatment uses genetic changes in the cancer cells to select the best therapies for individual patients.

29 Jul 2020

Disseminated cancer cells hijack crucial iron micronutrients to survive

In order to survive within the remote and harsh anatomical microenvironments of the central nervous system, the disseminated cancer cells that cause rare yet deadly leptomeningeal metastases (LM) hijack crucial iron micronutrients from native macrophages, researchers report.

17 Jul 2020