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Caltech researchers develop new method to see neural connections in living flies

The human brain is composed of billions of neurons wired together in intricate webs and communicating through electrical pulses and chemical signals.

12 Jan 2018

Diabetes drug holds promise of being developed into new treatment for Alzheimer's

A drug developed for diabetes could be used to treat Alzheimer's after scientists found it "significantly reversed memory loss" in mice through a triple method of action.

2 Jan 2018

Scientists elucidate why exercise slows progression of Parkinson's disease

While vigorous exercise on a treadmill has been shown to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in patients, the molecular reasons behind it have remained a mystery.

22 Dec 2017

Researchers suggest role for MKL1 protein in development of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including the two conditions ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, results in long-term inflammation of the gut and is associated with dysregulation of the immune system.

13 Dec 2017

Canola oil linked to worsening of Alzheimer’s

Canola oil has been marketed as a healthy cooking oil choice because of the low levels of saturated fats that is seen in it. Now a new study has revealed that consumption of canola oil could be linked to worsening of memory functions and learning ability in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

11 Dec 2017

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve pathology of Alzheimer's disease, study shows

A new Tel Aviv University study reveals that hyperbaric oxygen treatments may ameliorate symptoms experienced by patients with Alzheimer's disease.

6 Dec 2017

Rod photoreceptors in the retina contribute to daylight vision, new study shows

An international research team headed by Thomas Münch of the Institute for Ophthalmic Research and Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience of the University of Tübingen found the contribution of rod photoreceptors in mouse retinas to be much greater than previously assumed. One cannot distinguish colors with rods.

28 Nov 2017

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease patients harbor infectious prions in their skin

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)- the human equivalent of mad cow disease- is caused by rogue, misfolded protein aggregates termed prions, which are infectious and cause fatal damages in the patient's brain. CJD patients develop signature microscopic sponge-like holes in their brains.

23 Nov 2017

CRISPR shows potential to reduce diseases spread by mosquitoes

Research at the University of California, Riverside, have shown that it is possible for transgenic mosquitos to stably express the Cas9 enzyme in their germline. Cas9 addition will allow the utilization of the CRISPR gene editing tool to carry out efficient and highly targeted changes to the DNA of the mosquitoes.

16 Nov 2017

UCR-led research discovers that human protein could be used to treat sepsis

A research team led by a biomedical scientist at the University of California, Riverside has discovered that the human protein resistin could be used to treat sepsis, the body's extreme and uncontrolled immune response to an infection.

14 Nov 2017

UCR researchers develop transgenic mosquitoes to help reduce spread of infectious diseases

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have developed transgenic mosquitoes that stably express the Cas9 enzyme in their germline. The addition of Cas9 will enable the use of the CRISPR gene editing tool to make efficient, targeted changes to the mosquitoes' DNA.

14 Nov 2017

Scientists develop novel mouse model to capture pathology of sporadic ALS and FTD

Neurodegenerative diseases are incurable and debilitating conditions that result in progressive degeneration and death of nerve cells, which leads to problems with movement or mental functioning. Examples include Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

13 Nov 2017

Complete new skin from transgenic stem cells for boy with rare genetic disease

Hassan, a then seven-year-old boy from Germany, in 2015, presented to the doctors with a rare skin disease called junctional epidermolysis bullosa or JEB. This condition leaves the skin thin and papery and easily breakable. It has been compared to “butterfly wings” because of their fragile nature.

8 Nov 2017

Scientists uncover previously unknown mechanism to combat influenza A virus

Just as flu season swings into full gear, researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and University of Texas at Austin have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which the human immune system tries to battle the influenza A virus.

8 Nov 2017

New study elucidates osteoblast production during bone regeneration

How osteoblasts are supplied during bone regeneration has been controversial among bone researchers. According to Atsushi Kawakami, an Associate Professor who specializes in tissue regeneration and led the study, scientists disagree on how these cells are made.

3 Nov 2017

Stem cells do not participate directly in cartilage regeneration but serve to ‘animate’ the process

Stem cell therapy has great potential for curing cartilage damage. However, it has remained unclear whether stem cells are responsible for regeneration or whether they trigger the process.

31 Oct 2017

Researchers identify link between circadian rhythm disturbance and brain dysfunction

Researchers at Okayama University describe in the Journal of Neuroscience that a certain protein known to play a major role in circadian rhythmicity — humans’ intrinsic 24-hour biological cycle — is also key to proper brain functioning.

31 Oct 2017

Single infusion of wildtype HSPCs halts cellular damage caused by neuromuscular disorder in mice

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that a single infusion of wildtype hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) into a mouse model of Friedreich's ataxia (FA) measurably halted cellular damage caused by the degenerative disease.

25 Oct 2017

Mayo Clinic research clarifies relationship between two genes that fuel neuroblastoma spread

For the first time, Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues present data on how nervous system tumors, called neuroblastomas, spread. Their paper, published in Cancer Cell, clarifies the relationship between two genes that fuel the aggressive spread of neuroblastomas.

1 Sep 2017

Long non-coding RNAs could represent novel male infertility drug targets

Scientists have found distinctive portions of genetic material--known as lncRNAs--that help sperm develop. Male mice lacking a particular lncRNA have low sperm count, suggesting lncRNAs could represent novel infertility drug targets.

24 Aug 2017