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NUS researchers identify new protein to prevent chemotherapy-induced neuropathy

A team of researchers from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine has identified a novel protein that would prevent the development of neuropathy in cancer patients who receive chemotherapy.

18 Feb 2020

Research suggests new approach to block tau pathology in FTLD, Alzheimer's

The protein β-arrestin-2 increases the accumulation of neurotoxic tau tangles, a cause several forms of dementia, by interfering with removal of excess tau from the brain, a new study by the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine found.

17 Feb 2020

Fragile X syndrome-causing repeats help human neurons function, study finds

Over half of our genomes are made of repeating elements within DNA. In rare cases, these repeats can become unstable and grow in size. These repeat "expansions" cause neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and dementia as well as learning disorders and autism in Fragile X syndrome.

17 Feb 2020

Novel formulation allows use of toxin from rattlesnake venom to control neuropathic pain

Crotoxin, extracted from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, has been studied for almost a century for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities and as an even more powerful muscle paralyzer than botulinum toxin.

16 Feb 2020

New method for real-time detection of neural oscillation bursts

Neural oscillations - also known as brainwaves - are important carriers of information in the brain. Researchers are increasingly coming to view them less as sustained oscillations and more as transient bursts.

14 Feb 2020

Conspicuously large nerve cells have unique functions essential for survival

The brains of most fish and amphibian species contain a pair of conspicuously large nerve cells. These are the largest cells found in any animal brain.

14 Feb 2020

Light touch on the skin loses its pleasure in people with migraine

A recent study published in the journal Cephalalgia, the official journal of the International Headache Society, builds on the sensorial characteristics of migraine patients.

14 Feb 2020

New study describes inflammatory reaction in lab-developed human astrocytes

Astrocytes are neural cells with many important functions in the nervous system. The inflammation of these cells occurs in brain infections and neurodegenerative disorders, a process called astrogliosis.

14 Feb 2020

Inflammation detected in the brains of veterans with Gulf War Illness

In a new discovery, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have detected widespread inflammation in the brains of veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Illness.

13 Feb 2020

Understanding stress-induced bladder dysfunction in children

We know that stress can have a profound impact on health. But it's rare to discover a health issue that is caused directly by stress.

13 Feb 2020

UK cancer patients use Brainlab Mixed Reality Viewer to visualize, understand their treatment

For the first time, patients in the UK will have access to Brainlab Mixed Reality Viewer as part of their cancer treatment; a new way for physicians to provide visualization of treatment to their patients, actively involving them in their own cancer care.

13 Feb 2020

Light-activated protein restores mitochondrion function in fruit fly model of Parkinson’s disease

A light-sensitive protein can restore mitochondria function in fruit flies bearing a gene mutation associated with Parkinson’s disease and relieve its symptoms, report researchers at Juntendo University in the journal Communications Biology.

13 Feb 2020

P53-deficient oral cancers recruit and reprogram nerves to fuel tumor growth

Loss of an important tumor-suppressing gene allows head and neck cancer to spin off signals to nearby nerves, changing their function and recruiting them to the tumor, where they fuel growth and cancer progression, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the journal Nature today.

13 Feb 2020

EPA fails to follow landmark law to protect kids from toxic pesticides

The landmark Food Quality Protection Act requires the Environmental Protection Agency to protect children's health by applying an extra margin of safety to legal limits for pesticides in food.

12 Feb 2020

Minigenes produced by CRISPR combat liver disease in mice

A new gene-editing technique based on CRISPR was used to successfully avoid the development of a liver disease that can be caused by hundreds of mutations, as well as to ease the symptoms in mice. This proof-of-concept study was published online in the journal Science Advances in February 2020.

12 Feb 2020

Exploring common tech-related injuries

Nearly half of all U.S. adults say they can't live without their smartphones, according to the Pew Research Center. But what happens when our fondness for the latest electronic gadgets creates more pain than gain?

12 Feb 2020

Vitamin D deficiency in postmenopausal women linked to disc degeneration and lower back pain

Lumbar disc degeneration and resulting lower back pain become greater concerns with age and disproportionately affect women more than men, likely as a result of decreasing estrogen levels during menopause.

12 Feb 2020

Accumulated brain protein affects genes in Alzheimer's disease

A new study published in February 2020 in the journal Cell Reports shows how the build-up of specific brain cell proteins are linked to altered gene expression that causes the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

11 Feb 2020

Heroin use increasing among American adults

Earlier studies have shown a startling sevenfold increase in illnesses and deaths directly traceable to heroin use in the USA over less than 20 years. Along with this epidemic, HIV and hepatitis infections acquired by injections of drugs have also broken out in large clusters in many places. Yet, the extent of heroin use itself has been neglected. The current study looked at this overlooked area of research.

11 Feb 2020

Nerve insulation renewed to create long-term learning

A new study published in February 2020, in the journal Nature Neuroscience, shows that short-term learning occurs rapidly, but for it to become a long-term memory, brain cells must form more myelin, an insulating fatty material.

10 Feb 2020