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Dendritic Spine Clusters Physically Link Memories Formed Close in Time

According to a recent study, the reason why memories from the same day seem connected while events from weeks apart feel separate is as follows: Human brains use dendrites, which are spiny extensions of neurons, rather than the cell bodies to physically connect memories that happen in close succession.

24 Mar 2025

Targeting NMDA Receptor Subunit Shows Promise for Fragile X Syndrome

Building on more than two decades of research, a study by MIT neuroscientists at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory reports a new way to treat pathology and symptoms of fragile X syndrome, the most common genetically-caused autism spectrum disorder.

21 Feb 2025

Unveiling Human Stem Cell Model with Functional Notochord

For the first time, the notochord a tissue in the developing embryo that serves as a navigation system, telling cells where to build the spine and nervous system (the trunk) has been included in human stem cell models created by researchers at the Francis Crick Institute.

19 Dec 2024

Unraveling the Mystery of Anglerfish’s Deadly Fishing Trick

Frogfish exhibit motor neuron migration in the CNS, revealing evolutionary adaptations in dorsal fins that enhance hunting efficiency and vertebrate evolution.

13 Dec 2024

Integrating Multiple Scales to Understand Brain Function

A long-standing goal of neuroscience is to understand how molecules and cellular structures on a microscale give rise to communication between brain regions at the macroscale. A study published in Nature Neuroscience now identifies, for the first time, hundreds of brain proteins that explain inter-individual differences in functional connectivity and structural covariation in the human brain.

1 Nov 2024

Why prehistoric sharks discovered in Ohio were renamed

Until recently, Orthacanthus gracilis might have been likened to the "John Smith" of prehistoric shark names, owing to its widespread occurrence.

20 Feb 2024

Mathematical Models and Biological Dynamics in Embryo Development

One of life’s enduring fundamental questions revolves around the process of development. Consider human growth—how do cells autonomously arrange themselves into structures like skin, muscles, or bones? How do they coalesce to form intricate organs such as the brain, fingers, or spine?

7 Dec 2023

Rab32 and Rab38 Crucial for Bone Resorption and Pigmentation of Skin, Hair

Bone is maintained via delicate balance between formation and resorption, and its imbalance leads to bone related diseases like osteoporosis rheumatism and periodontitis.

26 Oct 2023

The Role of Peristome Geometry in Carnivorous Pitcher Plant Prey Capture

The form, size, and geometry of carnivorous pitcher plants dictate the type of prey they capture, according to researchers from the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden and the Mathematical Institute. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on September 8th, 2023.

11 Sep 2023

The Method by Which Plants Prevent Cracking Under Growth Stress

An obscure aquatic plant has helped to explain how plants avoid cracking up under the stresses and strains of growth.

23 Jun 2023

Stem Cell Zoo Uncovers Scaling Laws Governing Species-Specific Development

Pregnancy last around nine months in humans, only 20 days in mice, and up to 17 months in rhinoceroses. Even though many mammalian species go through the same phases of embryo development, the rate of development varies greatly between animals.

21 Jun 2023

A Study on Neural Crest Cell

As per a new study from the University of Bath, a neural crest cell (a kind of stem cell) starts with the capacity to differentiate into numerous specialist cell kinds, but it also seems to retain the ability to “change its mind” and differentiate again when the situations are appropriate.

26 Apr 2023

Study Uncovers a Protein-Protein Interaction Related to Parkinson's Disease

In a study published in Nature Communications, a team led by Krembil Brain Institute Senior Scientists, Drs. Lorraine Kalia and Suneil Kalia, and University of Toronto (U of T) Professor, Dr. Philip M. Kim, identified a protein-protein interaction that contributes to Parkinson's disease.

24 Apr 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

Study explains why cancers stop responding to kinase inhibitors and come back stronger

More than 70 FDA-approved cancer drugs are kinase inhibitors, which work by blocking kinases-;enzymes that add phosphate groups to molecules in the cell-;and preventing the chemical activity necessary for signaling and growth in cancer cells.

14 Feb 2023

Special blood vessels may protect whales from brain damage while swimming

Special blood vessels in whale brains may protect them from pulses, caused by swimming, in their blood that would damage the brain, new UBC research has suggested.

23 Sep 2022

Virtual reality simulation could help spur people to environmental action

A virtual reality simulation designed by a University of Oregon professor could help spur people to environmental action.

23 Jun 2022

IL-6 regulates cartilage regeneration in joints and growth plates, says study

The IL-6 protein family has a poor reputation for promoting inflammation, arthritis, autoimmune disease, and even cancer.

20 Jan 2022

Genetic makeup of neuroblastoma shows marked spatial and temporal variability

Tumors are heterogeneous, which means that different parts of the same tumor can be genetically distinct. This phenomenon, known as intratumor heterogeneity, is steadily gaining in significance within the field of cancer research.

13 Dec 2021

Genetic analysis reveals the deep homology between fins and limbs

All vertebrates have the same basic body plan: head, spine, four appendages. Those appendages vary greatly in size, shape, and function, of course -; from fins to wings, arms, and legs -; but a new genetic analysis shows that genes that control development at the ends of the appendages share a deep evolutionary history.

9 Nov 2021