Astrocyte News and Research

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Atlas of the nervous system provides new clues about origin of neurological diseases

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have created a systematic and detailed map of the cell types of the mouse nervous system.

9 Aug 2018

Simple pH imbalance could be a root of Alzheimer’s disease, mouse study shows

Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have found new evidence in lab-grown mouse brain cells, called astrocytes, that one root of Alzheimer's disease may be a simple imbalance in acid-alkaline - or pH - chemistry inside endosomes, the nutrient and chemical cargo shuttles in cells.

2 Aug 2018

Alzheimer’s-in-a-dish model made better with microfluidic system

Researchers from Massachusetts have used a microfluidic device to incorporate neuroinflammation into the Alzheimer's-in-a-dish model for drug discovery.

31 Jul 2018

Cutting-edge laboratory technique recapitulates brain development more accurately than ever

A cutting-edge laboratory technique that turns human stem cells into brain-like tissue now recapitulates human brain development more accurately than ever, according to a new study from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

26 Jul 2018

WFN to highlight clean air for brain health on World Brain Day 2018

Global air pollution is not a problem that only affects lung health. Recent data show that airborne pollutants account for 30 percent of acute stroke cases worldwide.

19 Jul 2018

Researchers explore how hypertension impairs cognitive function

The squeeze high blood pressure puts on fragile blood vessels in the brain appears to disrupt a normal, protective process that balances the blood flowing to our brains with the activity of our resting neurons.

26 Jun 2018

CRISPR technique reduces repetitive behavior in fragile X syndrome mouse models

Scientists have used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to lessen some autism symptoms in mice with a form of fragile X syndrome, the most common known single-gene cause of autism spectrum disorder.

25 Jun 2018

UC Riverside researcher receives grants to advance cancer, ALS research

Maurizio Pellecchia, who holds the Daniel Hays Chair in Cancer Research at the University of California, Riverside, has received two grants to continue his research aimed at finding therapeutics for cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative diseases.

21 Jun 2018

Study unravels new piece of information in the Huntington’s disease puzzle

In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered a hitherto unknown error in the transport of glutamine between astrocytes and neurons in the brain of mice with Huntington's disease.

21 Jun 2018

Targeting cells involved in blood vessel formation could hinder brain tumor growth

A type of highly malignant brain tumor contains a large number of cells involved in the formation of new blood vessels, helping it proliferate and spread.

20 Jun 2018

Mice study shows beneficial effect of MANF treatment on reversal of stroke-induced behavioral deficits

Stroke is the most common cause of adult disability. This is due not only to the high incidence of stroke, but also because spontaneous recovery is often incomplete and no drugs are available that hasten recovery.

11 Jun 2018

Rockefeller scientists shed new light on the neuroscience of sleep

A good night of sleep entails about eight hours of blissful immobility--a state of near paralysis that, though welcome at night, would be inconvenient during the day. In a recent paper published in Cell Reports, Rockefeller scientists shed new light on the transitions between a wakeful, active state and the stillness of sleep.

1 Jun 2018

Researchers seek new approaches to better protect the eye from glaucoma

Under the increased pressure of glaucoma, scientists want to help the neurons in our eyes better protect themselves and get better help from their friends.

29 May 2018

Study uncovers mechanism underlying brain malformation linked to severe epilepsy

One of the most frequent causes of drug-resistant epilepsy, considered a difficult disease to control, is a brain malformation known as focal cortical dysplasia.

16 May 2018

Researchers shed new light on identity of brain stem cells

The human nervous system is a complex structure that sends electrical signals from the brain to the rest of the body, enabling us to move and think. Unfortunately, when brain cells are damaged by trauma or disease they don't automatically regenerate. This can lead to permanent disability.

4 May 2018

Astrocyte-targeted treatment may help alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

A study by scientists of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases points to a novel potential approach against Alzheimer's disease.

4 May 2018

Deficiency of innate immune adaptor TRIF shortens survival time of ALS mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease damaging motor neurons in brain and spinal cords. ALS patients show progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, leading to a fatal respiratory muscle paralysis. There are no effective therapies for ALS.

16 Apr 2018

Biomarker panel can guide future therapeutic decisions for glioma patients

In an article published April 10th in the journal Cell Reports, researchers at the University of São Paulo describe a biomarker panel that could tell physicians which patients diagnosed with glioma, a type of brain cancer, will tend to progress to a more aggressive form of the disease in the event of relapse.

10 Apr 2018

Novel method enables researchers to see interaction of star-shaped brain cells in real time

An advance by UCLA neuroscientists could lead to a better understanding of astrocytes, a star-shaped brain cell believed to play a key role in neurological disorders like Lou Gehrig's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease.

4 Apr 2018

Adult-onset degenerative disease mechanism begins much earlier than previously thought

The disease mechanism for adult-onset progressive degenerative diseases begins much earlier than previously thought, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

30 Mar 2018