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Lund researchers develop porous ‘spaghetti’ to grow cells more naturally

The usual way of cultivating cells is to use a flat laboratory dish of glass. However, inside a human body, the cells do not grow on a flat surface, but rather in three dimensions. This has lead researchers at Lund University in Sweden to develop a porous "spaghetti" of tissue-friendly polymers with cavities in which the cells can develop in a more natural way.

27 Mar 2017

Researchers use animal model to study brain abnormality in human TD patients

Thanatophoric dysplasia (TD) is an intractable disease designated by Ministry of Welfare, Health and Labor of Japan, causing severe abnormalities of bones and the brain.

17 Mar 2017

Duke researchers discover potential cause for ALS syndromes using mouse models

A team of researchers at Duke University Medical Center led by Dr. Paulo Ferreira and whose work was supported by the National Institutes of Health has found that derailing the transport of certain receptors that carry cargoes from and to the nucleus of motor neurons causes motor neuron disease in mice.

1 Mar 2017

Johns Hopkins researchers find no evidence of CMV in aggressive brain cancer tissues

In a rigorous study of tumor tissue collected from 125 patients with aggressive brain cancers, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have found no evidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and conclude that a link between the two diseases, as claimed by earlier reports, likely does not exist.

1 Mar 2017

UTMB researchers unravel mystery of how Zika virus causes birth defects

A multidisciplinary team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has uncovered the mechanisms that the Zika virus uses to alter brain development. These findings are detailed in Stem Cell Reports.

17 Feb 2017

Neurotrophic factor GDNF regulates dopamine neurons in the brain, research shows

New research results are expanding our understanding of the physiological role of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor GDNF in the function of the brain's dopamine systems.

15 Feb 2017

Could pathogen infection really lead to Alzheimer’s?

New concepts of infectious disease are evolving with the realization that pathogens are key players in the development of progressive chronic diseases that originally were not thought to be infectious. Infection is well-known to be associated with numerous neurological diseases for which...

12 Jan 2017

Sirt1 plays key role in regenerating glial progenitor cells after hypoxia-induced brain injury in preemies

Developing brains in newborns have a sizable pool of a certain type of immature progenitor cell that can be expanded and induced to replace cells lost to brain injury.

19 Dec 2016

Researchers pinpoint mechanism underlying astrocyte-mediated recovery of brain tissue after injury

A Kobe University research team has pinpointed the mechanism underlying astrocyte-mediated restoration of brain tissue after an injury. This could lead to new treatments that encourage regeneration by limiting damage to neurons incurred by reduced blood supply or trauma.

15 Dec 2016

Tumour cell of origin in childhood malignant glioma impacts susceptibility to cancer therapy

Children that are diagnosed with the severe the brain tumour malignant glioma often have a very poor prognosis. Knowledge about how pediatric malignant glioma arises and develops is still limited.

17 Nov 2016

New review highlights promises and challenges of nanotechnology in neuroscience

Despite the numerous challenges associated with the application of nanotechnology in neuroscience, it promises to have a significant impact on our understanding of how the nervous system works, how it fails in disease, and the development of earlier and less-invasive diagnostic procedures so we can intervene in the pre-clinical stage of neurological disease before extensive neurological damage has taken place.

2 Nov 2016

Researchers find differences in the brain regions of children with Tourette's syndrome

Using MRIs, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified areas in the brains of children with Tourette's syndrome that appear markedly different from the same areas in the brains of children who don't have the neuropsychiatric disorder.

27 Oct 2016

Oligodendrocytes selectively myelinate specific set of neuronal axons, research shows

There are three kinds of glial cells in the brain, oligodendrocyte, astrocyte and microglia. Oligodendrocytes myelinate neuronal axons to increase conduction velocity of neuronal impulses.

21 Oct 2016

Cedars-Sinai receives FDA approval to examine safety of combination stem cell-gene therapy in ALS patients

Cedars-Sinai regenerative medicine investigators have received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to test a combination stem cell-gene therapy they developed to stall the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurological disease that causes progressive paralysis and ultimately death.

21 Oct 2016

Domain Therapeutics and Medicxi partner to launch Mavalon Therapeutics

Domain Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the discovery and development of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drugs, today announces the creation of Mavalon Therapeutics, a company focused on stopping the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

19 Oct 2016

MIT neuroscientists identify brain cells that play vital role in controlling appetite

MIT neuroscientists have discovered that brain cells called glial cells play a critical role in controlling appetite and feeding behavior.

18 Oct 2016

URMC scientists receive award to explore new treatments for Huntington's disease

A new award from the CHDI Foundation will advance promising research that aims to slow the progression of Huntington's disease.

13 Oct 2016

Lund University stem cell researcher awarded Fernström prize for study on repairing damaged brain

Is it possible to convert a patient’s own skin cells into functioning nerve cells? Or insert healthy genes to reprogram the cells of a damaged brain? Stem cell researcher Malin Parmar at Lund University in Sweden is studying these types of issues, in close collaboration with clinical researchers.

21 Sep 2016

Overcoming gene silencing barriers to target neurological conditions: an interview with Dr Errol de Souza

Many gene mutations that cause neurological disorders have been identified. For example, in a rare neurological disorder such as Huntington’s disease, an autosomal dominant mutation through expansion of CAG (cytosine-adenine-guanine) triplet repeats in the gene coding for the Huntingtin protein results in abnormal protein production.

1 Aug 2016

Researchers identify reason why antidepressants take so long to work

An episode of major depression can be crippling, impairing the ability to sleep, work, or eat. In severe cases, the mood disorder can lead to suicide. But the drugs available to treat depression, which can affect one in six Americans in their lifetime, can take weeks or even months to start working.

29 Jul 2016