Microglia News and Research

RSS

Study reveals how immune cells in the brain influence sexual behavior

Researchers have found a surprising new explanation of how young brains are shaped for sexual behavior later in life.

14 Aug 2018

Scientists map regulatory landscape of mouse genome at single-cell resolution

Scientists have completed a major effort to map the regulatory landscape of the mouse genome at a single-cell resolution.

2 Aug 2018

Alzheimer’s-in-a-dish model made better with microfluidic system

Researchers from Massachusetts have used a microfluidic device to incorporate neuroinflammation into the Alzheimer's-in-a-dish model for drug discovery.

31 Jul 2018

Study uncovers molecular key for delaying progression of multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys a structure known as the "myelin sheath", whose integrity is indispensable for the brain and spinal cord to function properly.

20 Jul 2018

WFN to highlight clean air for brain health on World Brain Day 2018

Global air pollution is not a problem that only affects lung health. Recent data show that airborne pollutants account for 30 percent of acute stroke cases worldwide.

19 Jul 2018

Early childhood adversity increases sensitivity of the body's immune response to cocaine

Childhood adversity permanently alters the peripheral and central immune systems, increasing the sensitivity of the body's immune response to cocaine, reports a study by researchers at the IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation and University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy.

17 Jul 2018

Salk Institute scientists receive funding for cancer research

Salk Institute scientists Ronald Evans, Diana Hargreaves, Tony Hunter, Graham McVicker and Geoffrey Wahl are among the first wave of researchers to receive funding from Padres Pedal the Cause, one of one of the largest stand-alone cancer fundraising events in San Diego.

27 Jun 2018

UVA research shows true nature of immune cells blamed in Alzheimer's

Immune cells commonly blamed in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases are actually precision cleaning machines protecting the central nervous system, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine shows.

26 Jun 2018

CRISPR technique reduces repetitive behavior in fragile X syndrome mouse models

Scientists have used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to lessen some autism symptoms in mice with a form of fragile X syndrome, the most common known single-gene cause of autism spectrum disorder.

25 Jun 2018

Scientists identify immune cells that remove degenerating neurons after brain injury

Researchers have identified the immune cells that are responsible for clearing dead and dying nerve cells following a brain injury.

25 Jun 2018

Microglia play protective role in response to retinal detachment, shows study

A research team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear has shown that microglia, the primary immune cells of the brain and retina, play a protective role in response to retinal detachment.

19 Jun 2018

Mice study shows beneficial effect of MANF treatment on reversal of stroke-induced behavioral deficits

Stroke is the most common cause of adult disability. This is due not only to the high incidence of stroke, but also because spontaneous recovery is often incomplete and no drugs are available that hasten recovery.

11 Jun 2018

New study shows how alcohol contributes to development of Alzheimer's disease

Research from the University of Illinois at Chicago has found that some of the genes affected by alcohol and inflammation are also implicated in processes that clear amyloid beta -- the protein that forms globs of plaques in the brain and which contributes to neuronal damage and the cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease.

5 Jun 2018

Scientists uncover the role of the ApoE gene in Alzheimer's Disease

A study conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has identified why the ApoE4 gene increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, and why the ApoE3 gene reduces the risk.

31 May 2018

Single spinal injection reverses chemotherapy-induced pain for months in mice

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found a new way to block a root cause of pain. The key is a naturally occurring protein called apolipoprotein A-I binding protein (AIBP). AIBP binds to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a protein that sits on the surface of cells like an antenna, searching for signs of infection or tissue damage.

29 May 2018

Novel drug prevents memory impairment in mice exposed to simulated deep space radiation

Planning a trip to Mars? You'll want to remember your anti-radiation pills. NASA and private space companies like SpaceX plan to send humans to the red planet within the next 15 years--but among the major challenges facing future crewed space missions is how to protect astronauts from the dangerous cosmic radiation of deep space.

22 May 2018

Microglia may play key role in slowing progression of prion diseases, research suggests

Prion diseases are slow degenerative brain diseases that occur in people and various other mammals. No vaccines or treatments are available, and these diseases are almost always fatal. Scientists have found little evidence of a protective immune response to prion infections.

17 May 2018

Study uncovers mechanism underlying brain malformation linked to severe epilepsy

One of the most frequent causes of drug-resistant epilepsy, considered a difficult disease to control, is a brain malformation known as focal cortical dysplasia.

16 May 2018

Novel disease model for ALS and MS can be used to develop new immunotherapies

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a new disease model for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and MS that can be used to develop new immunotherapies. The model is described in a publication in the scientific journal Nature Immunology.

16 Apr 2018

Biomarker panel can guide future therapeutic decisions for glioma patients

In an article published April 10th in the journal Cell Reports, researchers at the University of São Paulo describe a biomarker panel that could tell physicians which patients diagnosed with glioma, a type of brain cancer, will tend to progress to a more aggressive form of the disease in the event of relapse.

10 Apr 2018