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PET images of microglial activation levels could better predict Alzheimer's disease progression

Researchers have discovered a way to better predict progression of Alzheimer's disease. By imaging microglial activation levels with positron emission tomography, researchers were able to better predict progression of the disease than with beta-amyloid PET imaging, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

4 Apr 2019

Study provides new pathway for controlling inflammation

UT Southwestern researchers have identified two proteins that act as gatekeepers to dampen a potentially life-threatening immune response to chronic infection.

22 Mar 2019

Scientists identify brain circuit responsible for cocaine-seeking behavior during relapse

Approximately 1.5 million Americans use cocaine in a given year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Many are repeat users. Unfortunately, there are currently no FDA-approved medicinal treatments for cocaine addiction.

19 Mar 2019

Study suggests new approach to ameliorating obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities

The search by scientists to find ways to combat obesity continues. Recently, investigators have been exploring whether they can engage the lymphatic system to help regulate obesity-induced inflammation of fat (adipose) tissue and restore systemic metabolic fitness.

14 Mar 2019

Using CRISPR to regulate genes in the rat brain

Neuroscientists have used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to regulate genes in the rat brain. Described in eNeuro, this technique paves the way for researchers to probe genetic influences on brain health and disease in model organisms that more closely resemble human conditions.

From Society for Neuroscience 25 Feb 2019

Researchers find potential therapeutic strategy to treat Alzheimer's

Researchers from the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona (UBNeuro) have identified a potential therapeutic strategy to treat Alzheimer's, according to a study published in Journal of Neuroscience.

20 Feb 2019

Bone marrow disease is stimulated by vitamin D and immune cells, reveals research

The bone marrow disease myelofibrosis is stimulated by excessive signaling from vitamin D and immune cells known as macrophages, reveals a Japanese research team. These findings could help to develop alternative treatments that do not target problem genes.

11 Feb 2019

'Satellite' stem cells more likely to develop into fat cells after rotator cuff tears

Why are fat deposits more likely to occur after tears of the shoulder's rotator cuff, compared to other types of muscle injuries? An increased propensity of stem cells within with rotator cuff muscles to develop into fat cells may explain the difference, reports a study in the February 6, 2019 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

7 Feb 2019

Powerful immune molecule silences barrel to protect transplanted organs from rejection

A powerful immune molecule helps protect transplanted organs from rejection by putting a silencer on two other immune molecules that converge to take a direct shot at the organ, scientists report.

5 Feb 2019

RhoE protein plays key role in the development of nervous system

Researchers have revealed the key role of the RhoE protein in essential processes for the development of the central nervous system, such as myelination.

3 Feb 2019

Skin samples hold early signs of prion disease, research suggests

Prions can infect both humans and animals, causing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, mad cow disease in cattle, and chronic wasting disease in elk and deer. The infectious, misfolded protein particles often go undetected as they destroy brain tissue, causing memory loss, mobility issues, and ultimately death.

23 Jan 2019

Researchers identify new therapeutic target in the fight against chronic liver diseases

Chronic liver disease is known as the silent killer, as it shows no obvious symptoms until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. Therefore, making a proper diagnosis in the early stage of disease progression can be a clinical challenge.

18 Jan 2019

Genetically diverse mouse models improves usability for precision medicine for Alzheimer's

Incorporating genetic diversity into a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease resulted in greater overlap with the genetic, molecular and clinical features of this pervasive human disease, according to a study funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.

28 Dec 2018

Neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease may actually not be a bad thing, shows study

For the first time, scientists at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, in Lisbon, Portugal, have shown that neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease may actually not be a bad thing - on the contrary, it may be the result of a cell quality control mechanism trying to protect the brain from the accumulation of malfunctioning neurons.

27 Dec 2018

MUSC researchers identify potential therapeutic target for lung fibrosis

In an article published online by Frontiers in Endocrinology, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina report that they have identified a potential therapeutic target for lung fibrosis or scarring.

19 Dec 2018

Diets containing GM maize have no harmful effects on health or metabolism of rats

For six months, rats were fed a diet containing either GM maize (MON 810 or NK603) or non-GM maize, in varying concentrations.

14 Dec 2018

New mouse model shows potential for rapid identification of promising muscular dystrophy therapies

A Massachusetts General Hospital research team has created a new mouse model of a common form of muscular dystrophy with the potential of rapidly distinguishing promising therapeutic drugs from those unlikely to be successful.

13 Dec 2018

Breast tumors recruit bone marrow cells to boost their growth, study reveals

Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that breast cancer tumors boost their growth by recruiting stromal cells that originate in bone marrow.

10 Dec 2018

Researchers elucidate infection process of bacterial pathogen Clostridium difficile

Scientists from the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research identified the mechanisms by which the bacterial pathogen Clostridium difficile kills intestinal epithelial cells, thus destroying the protective mucosal barrier of the intestinal tract.

21 Nov 2018

Transgenic rat model may provide new insights into cerebral amyloid angiopathy

In a report in The American Journal of Pathology investigators describe the generation of a successful novel transgenic rat model that accumulates amyloid specifically in brain blood vessels and strongly mimics many of the associated detrimental changes that are observed in humans - a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which is also commonly observed in Alzheimer disease.

13 Nov 2018