Neurons News and Research

RSS

Oxygen sensor PHD1 identified as potential target for treatment of ischemic stroke

Scientists at VIB and KU Leuven have identified the oxygen sensor PHD1 as a potential target for the treatment of brain infarction (ischemic stroke). Despite (minor) improvements in stroke treatment, stroke remains the fourth leading cause of death and the most common reason of severe disability.

8 Jan 2016

Scientists discover molecular mechanism responsible for degeneration of Purkinje cells in SCA1

Scientists from Bern have discovered a mechanism which is responsible for the degeneration of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum in a neurodegenerative disease called Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. The results of their study open up new avenues for the future treatment of cerebellum associated degenerative disorders.

7 Jan 2016

Scientists reveal underlying mechanisms that lead to more difficult-to-treat symptoms of schizophrenia

Scientists at Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, and the Université Paris Descartes have found that deficits in social memory--a crucial yet poorly understood feature of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia--may be due to a decrease in the number of a particular class of brain cells, called inhibitory neurons, in a little-explored region within the brain's memory center.

7 Jan 2016

Scientists demonstrate workings of CCL2 mechanism that stimulates nerve regeneration

The peripheral nervous system is a vast network of nerves that exists primarily outside of brain and spinal cord and connects to the far reaches of the body. The very expanse of peripheral nerves makes them highly vulnerable to injuries such as blunt-force blows, cuts, and leg and arm fractures, as well as diseases that attack peripheral nerves such as diabetes, Charcot-Marie-Tooth, and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

6 Jan 2016

Alpha-synuclein protein involved in Parkinson's disease pathology does not behave like a 'prion'

In Parkinson's disease, the protein "alpha-synuclein" aggregates within neurons of patients and appears to propagate across interconnected areas of the brain. How this happens remains largely unknown.

6 Jan 2016

FDA permits Sound Pharmaceuticals to start SPI-1005 clinical trial for treatment of Meniere's Disease

Sound Pharmaceuticals is pleased to announce that it began enrolling a clinical trial to test SPI-1005 in the treatment of Meniere's Disease (MD). MD or idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops is an inner ear disease that involves episodic vertigo, sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus.

5 Jan 2016

Understanding the brain's cellular building blocks

Understanding the cellular building blocks of the brain, including the number and diversity of cell types, is a fundamental step toward understanding brain function. Researchers at the Allen Institute for Brain Science have created a detailed taxonomy of cells in the mouse visual cortex based on single-cell gene expression, identifying 49 distinct cell types in the largest collection of individual adult cortical neurons characterized by gene expression published to date.

5 Jan 2016

3-D recordings of nematode brains may help understand how neurons coordinate action and perception

Princeton University researchers have captured among the first recordings of neural activity in nearly the entire brain of a free-moving animal. The three-dimensional recordings could provide scientists with a better understanding of how neurons coordinate action and perception in animals.

31 Dec 2015

Scientists pin down structure of neuronal protein clumps associated with ALS

To create treatments for a disease without any, scientists need to study and understand the driving forces behind the faulty biology. Today, researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine announced the first-ever evidence-based description of the neuronal protein clumps thought to be important in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition.

29 Dec 2015

CMU researchers develop new method to survey learning-related changes in synapse properties

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new approach to broadly survey learning-related changes in synapse properties. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience and featured on the journal's cover, the researchers used machine-learning algorithms to analyze thousands of images from the cerebral cortex. This allowed them to identify synapses from an entire cortical region, revealing unanticipated information about how synaptic properties change during development and learning.

29 Dec 2015

3D maps of spatial organization may help find genes involved in hereditary diseases

It has now been 15 years since scientists celebrated the completion of the human genome. At that point, scientists had determined the entire sequence of the genetic letters making up our DNA.

26 Dec 2015

Ultrafast near-infrared lasers deliver gene therapy to treat macular degeneration

Millions of adults over age 50 struggle each year with vision loss caused by damage to the retina or common macular degeneration.

24 Dec 2015

Study explores brain's processes responsible for imitation

We learn many things through imitation: how to walk, play an instument, sports, and even more. What are the processes in the brain responsible for imitation? For some years now, science has been examining the role of mirror neurons, but there is still much to understand.

23 Dec 2015

YAP protein appears to play vital role in helping control inflammation inside the brain

Inside the brain, a protein called YAP, best known for its ability to help right-size our developing hearts and livers, appears to have the different but equally important task of helping control inflammation.

23 Dec 2015

New image modulation technique may help test how the brain processes images

Despite the obvious difference between a chihuahua and a doberman, the human brain effortlessly categorises them both as dogs, a feat that is thus far beyond the abilities of artificial intelligence.

23 Dec 2015

Researchers describe epigenetic mechanisms underlying the development of cerebellum

From before birth through childhood, connections form between neurons in the brain, ultimately making us who we are. So far, scientists have gained a relatively good understanding of how neural circuits become established, but they know less about the genetic control at play during this crucial developmental process.

23 Dec 2015

Novoron Bioscience receives NIH grant to study novel therapeutic approach for multiple sclerosis

Novoron Bioscience, Inc., a private biotech company dedicated to developing new therapeutics for disorders of the central nervous system, today announced that the company has been awarded a National Institutes of Health grant under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.

22 Dec 2015

Bern study sheds light on the brain mechanism of arousal

Scientists from Bern have discovered a mechanism which is responsible for the rapid arousal from sleep and anesthesia in the brain. The results of their study suggest new strategies for the medical treatment of sleep disorders and recovery of consciousness in vegetative states.

22 Dec 2015

New treatment strategy may take pain away

A brain region controlling whether we feel happy or sad, as well as addiction, is remodeled by chronic pain, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

22 Dec 2015

Drug that boosts activity in the brain's 'garbage disposal' system may slow Alzheimer's disease

A drug that boosts activity in the brain's "garbage disposal" system can decrease levels of toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders and improve cognition in mice, a new study by neuroscientists at Columbia University Medical Center has found.

22 Dec 2015

Neurons News and Research

Oxygen sensor PHD1 identified as potential target for treatment of ischemic stroke

Scientists discover molecular mechanism responsible for degeneration of Purkinje cells in SCA1

Scientists reveal underlying mechanisms that lead to more difficult-to-treat symptoms of schizophrenia

Scientists demonstrate workings of CCL2 mechanism that stimulates nerve regeneration

Alpha-synuclein protein involved in Parkinson's disease pathology does not behave like a 'prion'

FDA permits Sound Pharmaceuticals to start SPI-1005 clinical trial for treatment of Meniere's Disease

Understanding the brain's cellular building blocks

3-D recordings of nematode brains may help understand how neurons coordinate action and perception

Scientists pin down structure of neuronal protein clumps associated with ALS

CMU researchers develop new method to survey learning-related changes in synapse properties

3D maps of spatial organization may help find genes involved in hereditary diseases

Ultrafast near-infrared lasers deliver gene therapy to treat macular degeneration

Study explores brain's processes responsible for imitation

YAP protein appears to play vital role in helping control inflammation inside the brain

New image modulation technique may help test how the brain processes images

Researchers describe epigenetic mechanisms underlying the development of cerebellum

Novoron Bioscience receives NIH grant to study novel therapeutic approach for multiple sclerosis

Bern study sheds light on the brain mechanism of arousal

New treatment strategy may take pain away

Drug that boosts activity in the brain's 'garbage disposal' system may slow Alzheimer's disease

eBook: Advancing neurodegenerative research with iPSC-derived microglia models eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News