Paralysis News and Research

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Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles. Paralysis can be complete or partial. It can occur on one or both sides of your body. It can also occur in just one area, or it can be widespread. Paralysis of the lower half of your body, including both legs, is called paraplegia. Paralysis of the arms and legs is quadriplegia.

Researchers clarify beneficial function of brain protein linked to mad cow disease

Scientists have clarified details in understanding the beneficial function of a type of protein normally associated with prion diseases of the brain, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (commonly known as mad cow disease) and its human counterpart, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

8 Aug 2016

Botulinum toxins may cause remote effects by moving between neurons

The botulinum toxins are among the deadliest substances on Earth, and two specific toxins — including the popular drug Botox — have multiple uses for treating many neuromuscular conditions, including frown lines, disabling muscle spasms and migraine headaches.

5 Aug 2016

Neurologists identify cause of immune-mediated neuropathies

Würzburg neurologists have discovered an antibody that is involved in triggering certain forms of neuropathies. This discovery also allowed them to show a way to treat these diseases successfully.

3 Aug 2016

Large study of familial ALS finds new gene variant present in 3% of all patients with disease

Variations in a gene with multiple functions in neurons are present in approximately 3 percent of all cases of ALS in North American and European populations, both sporadic and familial, making it one of the most common genetic causes of the disease, according to a paper published in Nature Genetics.

26 Jul 2016

Penn researchers develop plant-based oral vaccine booster

Jonas Salk created a vaccine against polio that has been used since 1955; Albert Sabin created another version that has been on the market since 1961. Together, these two vaccines have nearly eliminated polio from the face of the earth.

20 Jul 2016

Researchers develop antibody with potential therapeutic effects against multiple sclerosis

Inserm Unit U919, directed by Prof. Denis Vivien has developed an antibody with potential therapeutic effects against multiple sclerosis.

20 Jul 2016

VIB research reveals new insights into ALS

Research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) conducted by VIB-KU Leuven has led to interesting and unexpected conclusions.

14 Jul 2016

Cryopreserved human umbilical cord patch shows promise in treating fetal spina bifida

A patch made from cryopreserved human umbilical cord may be a novel method for treating spina bifida in utero, according to researchers at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

12 Jul 2016

SLU researchers receive federal grant to study Zika virus

Saint Louis University vaccine researchers have received $1.3 million in federal funding to study Zika, as part of a multi-site study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

1 Jul 2016

Stem cell procedure may be safe for ALS patients

A phase II clinical trial in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, suggests that transplanting human stem cells into the spinal cord may be done safely.

30 Jun 2016

SLU to conduct human clinical trial of vaccine to protect people from Zika virus

Saint Louis University's vaccine center has been tapped by the National Institutes of Health to conduct a human clinical trial of a vaccine to prevent the Zika virus, which can cause devastating birth defects in babies.

24 Jun 2016

Experts use next-generation genetic sequencing to diagnose suspected brain infections

In a proof-of-principle study, a team of physicians and bioinformatics experts at Johns Hopkins reports they were able to diagnose or rule out suspected brain infections using so called next-generation genetic sequencing of brain tissue samples.

21 Jun 2016

TUM scientists identify four new risk genes altered in MS patients

Scientists of the Technical University of Munich and the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry have identified four new risk genes that are altered in German patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

20 Jun 2016

Air pollution becomes leading risk factor for stroke worldwide

Air pollution – including environmental and household air pollution - has emerged as a leading risk factor for stroke worldwide, associated with about a third of the global burden of stroke in 2013, according to a new study published in The Lancet Neurology journal.

13 Jun 2016

Researchers deploy mobile DNA sequencing laboratories to help combat Zika virus spread in Brazil

Researchers from the University of Birmingham are working with health partners in Brazil to combat the spread of Zika virus by deploying a pair of mobile DNA sequencing laboratories on a medical 'road trip' through the worst-hit areas of the country.

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 8 Jun 2016

Experts at EAN Congress discuss spread of Zika virus threat across Europe

The Zika epidemic has long assumed global proportions, experts told the Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Copenhagen. Europe needs to get prepared to deal with the relentless spread of the health threat, in particular with a view to "imported" infection.

31 May 2016

Fasting-mimicking diet may help decrease multiple sclerosis symptoms

Evidence is mounting that a diet mimicking the effects of fasting has health benefits beyond weight loss, with a new USC-led study indicating that it may reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

27 May 2016

WPI receives patent for novel method of reprogramming human skin cells

Cell therapies for a range of serious conditions, including heart attacks, diabetes, and traumatic injuries, will be accelerated by research at Worcester Polytechnic Institute that yielded a newly patented method of converting human skin cells into engines of wound healing and tissue regeneration.

25 May 2016

Cost-effectiveness tool can help guide decisions regarding proposed funds to combat Zika virus outbreak

A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases presents a cost-effectiveness tool that can help guide decisions regarding resource allocation to fund interventions targeted at curtailing the ongoing Zika virus outbreak.

24 May 2016

New study may contribute to ongoing debate on fortification program

Fortifying the U.S. food supply with folic acid was not associated with a decline in certain birth defects that researchers expected to see in California, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

23 May 2016