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Stem cell therapy shows promise for treating advanced Parkinson's disease

A stem cell–based therapy initially developed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) may lead to a new treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease, according to results from a phase 1 clinical trial reported in Nature.

16 Apr 2025

AI-powered digital twin of mouse visual cortex

Much as a pilot might practice maneuvers in a flight simulator, scientists might soon be able to perform experiments on a realistic simulation of the mouse brain. In a new study, Stanford Medicine researchers and collaborators used an artificial intelligence model to build a "digital twin" of the part of the mouse brain that processes visual information.

10 Apr 2025

Protein linked to Parkinson's also found to drive melanoma growth

A small protein involved in neurodegeneration leading to Parkinson's disease also drives a type of skin cancer known as melanoma, new research led by Oregon Health & Science University finds.

9 Apr 2025

Experimental drug NU-9 shows promise for Alzheimer's and ALS treatment

Experimental drug NU-9 - a small molecule compound approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trials for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - improves neuron health in animal models of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new Northwestern University study.

8 Apr 2025

Human dental stem cells can be transformed into excitable neuronal cells, study shows

The cells with electrophysiological activity obtained at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) are opening up new avenues for the study of neurodegenerative diseases and the development of future autologous transplants.

7 Apr 2025

The thalamus could be a strategic target for treating cognitive dysfunction

Years ago, as a neurology resident, Chinfei Chen, MD, PhD, cared for a 20-year-old woman who had experienced a very small stroke, affecting only the thalamus.

7 Apr 2025

New neurons rebuild damaged circuits in Huntington’s disease

New research shows that the adult brain can generate new neurons that integrate into key motor circuits. The findings demonstrate that stimulating natural brain processes may help repair damaged neural networks in Huntington's and other diseases.

7 Apr 2025

Study reveals how female hormones trigger opioid production for pain suppression

Scientists have discovered a new mechanism that acts via an immune cell and points toward a different way of treating chronic pain.

3 Apr 2025

ALL ALS Consortium creates a central information hub to accelerate ALS research

The Access for All in ALS (ALL ALS) Consortium announced the launch of its official website, creating a central hub for information about its initiatives and clinical research studies. ALL-ALS.org is designed to inform and engage researchers, clinicians, and current and prospective study participants.

31 Mar 2025

Hedonic eating fades with obesity—but neurotensin helps bring it back

Chronic high-fat diets blunt the brain’s pleasure response to rich foods by impairing NAcLat→VTA signaling in mice. Neurotensin dysfunction underlies this effect, but restoring its signaling revives hedonic feeding and reduces obesity symptoms.

30 Mar 2025

Artificial neurons learn independently in self-organized networks

Novel artificial neurons learn independently and are more strongly modeled on their biological counterparts.

28 Mar 2025

New insights into how glutamate opens brain cell signaling channels

In an effort to understand how brain cells exchange chemical messages, scientists say they have successfully used a highly specialized microscope to capture more precise details of how one of the most common signaling molecules, glutamate, opens a channel and allows a flood of charged particles to enter.

28 Mar 2025

Scientists develop lab model to study TDP-43 accumulation in neurodegeneration

Accumulation of a protein called TDP-43 is a key feature of ALS and frontotemporal dementia. In a newly published study, researchers report 'seeding' this accumulation through fragments of the culprit protein created in the lab.

28 Mar 2025

Dopamine neurons play a central role in sustaining hedonic eating

A previously overlooked dopamine-producing brain circuit drives hedonic eating, or eating for pleasure, according to a new study in mice.

27 Mar 2025

New insights into how sleep reorganizes neuronal activity for better memory

Why is sleep so important for learning and memory? Neuroscientists from the Csicsvari group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) provided new insight into this essential function by monitoring neuronal activity in rat brains for up to 20 hours of sleep following spatial learning.

24 Mar 2025

Research reveals how dendrites connect memories in the brain

If you've ever noticed how memories from the same day seem connected while events from weeks apart feel separate, a new study reveals the reason: Our brains physically link memories that occur close in time not in the cell bodies of neurons, but rather in their spiny extensions called dendrites.

22 Mar 2025