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Scientists restore breathing, forelimb function in animal models of chronic spinal cord injury

Millions of people worldwide are living with chronic spinal cord injuries, with 250,000 to 500,000 new cases each year--most from vehicle crashes or falls.

28 Nov 2018

Electrical impulses to the olfactory bulb can provide sense of smell, research shows

Physicians at Massachusetts Eye and Ear have, for the first time, induced a sense of smell in humans by using electrodes in the nose to stimulate nerves in the olfactory bulb, a structure in the brain where smell information from the nose is processed and sent to deeper regions of brain.

27 Nov 2018

Study provides new way to treat multiple sclerosis

Nerve cells stripped of their insulation can no longer carry vital information, leading to the numbness, weakness and vision problems often associated with multiple sclerosis. A new study shows an overlooked source may be able to replace that lost insulation and provide a new way to treat diseases like MS.

27 Nov 2018

New study could provide a potential new drug to help fight obesity

Our bodies contain two types of fat: white fat and brown fat. While white fat stores calories, brown fat burns energy and could help us lose weight. Now, scientists at the University of Cambridge have found a way of making the white fat 'browner' and increasing the efficiency of brown fat.

27 Nov 2018

UVA researchers make unexpected discovery about irreplaceable nerve cells

Meticulous new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine has changed a well-accepted scientific belief about neurons, the vital nerve cells that allow us to experience the world and record those experiences as memories in our brains.

22 Nov 2018

Researchers characterize new animal model that mimics aspects of AMD

Age-related macular degeneration affects roughly 200,000 individuals in the United States each year. In most, it comes on slowly, gradually blurring the central field of vision used for activities like reading and driving. While treatments exist to slow its progression, there is no cure.

22 Nov 2018

New research project to combat obesity, type 2 diabetes receives NIH funding

A research project headed by a faculty member from the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, which will explore whether administering a protein that's produced in the body can help prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes, has received $464,145 in funding from the National Institutes of Health.

20 Nov 2018

Replacement of dysfunctional microglia has therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases

A new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet supports the theory that replacement of dysfunctional immune cells in the brain has therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and Alzheimer's disease.

19 Nov 2018

Surprising discovery about BH4 may rekindle interest in once-promising pathway

In 2013, renowned Boston Children's Hospital pain researcher Clifford Woolf, MB, BCh, PhD, and chemist Kai Johnsson, PhD, his fellow co-founder at Quartet Medicine, believed they held the key to non-narcotic pain relief.

19 Nov 2018

New first-line treatment for peripheral T-cell lymphoma approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today expanded the approved use of Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) injection in combination with chemotherapy for adult patients with certain types of peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

16 Nov 2018

Abnormalities in development of the brain could be involved in onset of autism, finds new study

Autism spectrum disorders are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by communication disorders, altered social interactions and sensory and behavioral abnormalities. Research in genetics and brain imaging suggests that abnormalities in the development of the brain concerning, in particular, the formation of neural networks and the functioning of synapses could be involved in the onset of ASD.

15 Nov 2018

Researchers develop innovative treatment to repair damaged brain tissues

Researchers from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid have has achieved the functional recovery from a stroke after implanting silk fibroin hydrogels-encapsulated stem cells in stroke mice.

14 Nov 2018

Breakthrough in the treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome

New research published in The Journal of Physiology presents a breakthrough in the treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome.

13 Nov 2018

Study provides new clues to origin and development of multiple sclerosis

Mapping of a certain group of cells, known as oligodendrocytes, in the central nervous system of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, shows that they might have a significant role in the development of the disease.

12 Nov 2018

Mild exposure to single blast can induce meaningful pathogenic effects, study shows

As many as 300,000 United States service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 have suffered traumatic brain injury due to explosions. The vast majority of these blast-induced traumatic brain injuries, or bTBIs, were classified as mild.

12 Nov 2018

Stem cells transplanted for treatment of Parkinson’s disease

Japanese researchers have last week transplanted stem cells into a patient’s brain as part of an experimental therapy for Parkinson’s disease. The team at Kyoto University used induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells for their procedure. These iPS cells have the capacity to turn into any cell in the body.

11 Nov 2018

Sussex scientists develop a piece of hardware to show how brains function

Scientists at the University of Sussex have developed a piece of hardware to demonstrate how our brains function, as part of a growing range of equipment which uses DIY and 3D printable models to open up access to science education.

9 Nov 2018

Cells retain memory of chemical signals to which they are exposed

We all start out as a clump of identical cells. As these cells divide and multiply, they gradually take on distinct identities, acquiring the traits necessary to form, for instance, muscle tissue, bone, or nerves. A recent study from Rockefeller scientists offers new insight into how these cellular identities are cultivated over the course of development.

9 Nov 2018

Common glaucoma tests can underestimate severity of the condition

The most common tests for glaucoma can underestimate the severity of the condition by not detecting the presence of central vision loss, according to a new Columbia University study.

8 Nov 2018

Researchers identify epigenetic changes that increase risk of type 2 diabetes

Small chemical changes in the DNA building blocks, which may be influenceable by lifestyle factors, can reduce the amount of IGFBP2. A DIfE / DZD research team has now reported in the journal Diabetes that these epigenetic changes increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

8 Nov 2018