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Researcher finds possible way to unravel misfolded proteins by reprogramming yeast protein

At the heart of brain diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease is protein misfolding, in which distorted proteins are unable to perform their normal functions. At present, there is no known way to reverse protein misfolding.

17 Jan 2014

Research opens door to new direction of PAH treatment

The development of new, more effective vasodilators to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension has been hampered because of their systemic toxicity and adverse side effects. An international team of investigators seeking to surmount these problems and increase drug efficacy have determined that a vascular homing peptide can selectively target hypertensive pulmonary arteries to boost the pulmonary but not systemic effects of vasodilators. Importantly for potential clinical use, this peptide retains its activity when given sublingually. The results using a rat model of PAH are published in the American Journal of Pathology.

8 Jan 2014

Increased activities of ClC-3 chloride channel may be involved in hippocampal neuronal apoptosis

Over-production of nitric oxide and ion disturbance are involved in neuronal apoptosis around the ischemic area following ischemic brain injury. Prof. Quanzhong Chang and team from Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical College in China established a rat model of hippocampal neuronal apoptosis by using 3-morpholinosyndnomine (SIN-1), a nitric oxide donor.

6 Jan 2014

Combination of preventive and therapeutic moxibustion has beneficial effect for Alzheimer's disease

An increasing number of clinical and animal studies have confirmed that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Moxibustion is reported to be more effective than electro-acupuncture for improving space-recognizing memory ability in aged mice, suggesting that moxibustion is another alternative or complementary therapy used to treat Alzheimer's disease.

6 Dec 2013

Protein shed by HIV-infected brain cells alters synaptic connections between networks of nerve cells

A protein shed by HIV-infected brain cells alters synaptic connections between networks of nerve cells, according to new research out of the University of Minnesota. The findings could explain why nearly half of all patients infected with the AIDS virus experience some level of neurocognitive impairment.

16 Nov 2013

Wild blueberries: 2 cups a day may keep the doctor away

Wild blueberries are a rich source of phytochemicals called polyphenols, which have been reported by a growing number of studies to exert a wide array of protective health benefits. A new study by researchers at the University of Maine adds to this growing body of evidence.

6 Nov 2013

Treadmill training improves functional recovery, neural plasticity after incomplete spinal cord injury

A large body of evidence shows that spinal circuits are significantly affected by training, and that intrinsic circuits that drive locomotor tasks are located in lumbosacral spinal segments in rats with complete spinal cord transection.

6 Nov 2013

3Sbio acquires patents for DJ5 to delay hereditary renal disease in ADPKD patients

3SBio Inc., a leading China-based biotechnology company focused on researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing biopharmaceutical products, announced the acquisition of patents for DJ5, a novel non-TZD PPARgamma agonist with potential to retard progressive renal failure in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease ("ADPKD').

29 Oct 2013

Alnylam advances Development Candidate for ALN-AS1 for treatment of hepatic porphyrias

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it is advancing its Development Candidate for ALN-AS1, an RNAi therapeutic targeting aminolevulinate synthase-1 (ALAS-1) for the treatment of hepatic porphyrias including acute intermittent porphyria (AIP).

9 Oct 2013

New antibody could prevent Candida infections in patients who receive central lines

A team of researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has developed an antibody that could prevent Candida infections that often afflict hospitalized patients who receive central lines.

12 Sep 2013

New technique provides better understanding of factors causing Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome

The first proteomic analysis of an animal model of a rare, sometimes deadly birth defect, Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), has revealed that the molecular mechanisms that cause it are more complex than previously understood.

12 Sep 2013

Basic fibroblast growth factor can protect endplate in motor neurons of injured spinal cord

In current studies, the degeneration and protection measures in the distal end of the injured spinal cord and target organ muscle effector have scarcely been investigated. The distal end of the spinal cord and neuromuscular junction may develop secondary degenera-tion and damage following spinal cord injury because of the loss of neural connections.

7 Sep 2013

Nanofibrous nerve conduits for repair of long sciatic nerve defects

Autografts or allografts are commonly used in the repair of damaged peripheral nerves. However, similar problems have been encountered in allografting or xenografting. Previous studies concerning artificial neural tubes to repair nerve defects mainly focus on peripheral nerve defects less than 30 mm.

5 Sep 2013

Intracerebral injection of BSC may reduce post-stroke cognitive dysfunction

27 Aug 2013

BSCs may offer new approach for reducing post-stroke cognitive dysfunction

Cognitive deficits following ischemic stroke are common and debilitating, even in the relatively few patients who are treated expeditiously so that clots are removed or dissolved rapidly and cerebral blood flow restored. A new study in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience demonstrates that intracerebral injection of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells reduces cognitive deficits produced by temporary occlusion of cerebral blood vessels in a rat model of stroke, suggesting that BSCs may offer a new approach for reducing post-stroke cognitive dysfunction.

26 Aug 2013

Study: H3 receptor antagonist can improve brain edema in adult hypoxic rats

Thioperamide, a selective histamine H3 receptor antagonist, can increase histamine content in the brain and improve brain edema in adult hypoxic rats. Brain edema is precisely considered as the important pathological change of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

13 Aug 2013

Emory’s Yerkes Research Center receives $9.5M grant to establish research center to study oxytocin

The Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, has received a five-year, $9.5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to establish a Silvio O. Conte Center in Neuroscience Research to study oxytocin, a brain chemical known for forming bonds between mother and baby.

13 Aug 2013

Study finds that higher-frequency electric current stimulation of the spinal cord reduces pain faster

An animal study in the August issue of Anesthesiology suggests that higher-frequency electric current stimulation of the spinal cord reduced pain quicker and better reached nerves not affected by traditionally used frequencies. A higher frequency and intensity controlled pain faster and more effectively, the study found.

25 Jul 2013

Researchers hope voice therapy in aging humans may help improve quality of life

A new study shows that the vocal training of older rats reduces some of the voice problems related to their aging, such as the loss of vocal intensity that accompanies changes in the muscles of the larynx. This is an animal model of a vocal pathology that many humans face as they age.

25 Jun 2013

Diachisis can occur during subacute phase of ischemic stroke, find USF researchers

While the effects of acute stroke have been widely studied, brain damage during the subacute phase of stroke has been a neglected area of research. Now, a new study by the University of South Florida reports that within a week of a stroke caused by a blood clot in one side of the brain, the opposite side of the brain shows signs of microvascular injury.

21 May 2013