Neurons News and Research

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Humans and zebrafish share mechanisms that regulate the circadian system

Circadian rhythms - the natural cycle that dictates our biological processes over a 24-hour day - does more than tell us when to sleep or wake. Disruptions in the cycle are also associated with depression, problems with weight control, jet lag and more. Now Prof. Yoav Gothilf of Tel Aviv University's Department of Neurobiology at the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences is looking to the common zebrafish to learn more about how the human circadian system functions.

21 Jul 2011

PrioNet Canada awards University of Western Ontario $600,000 to study neurodegenerative disorders

The University of Western Ontario is one of nine universities which will share 2.9 million dollars in research grants announced by PrioNet Canada to study Prion diseases and neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's.

21 Jul 2011

Scientists discover cholesterol moves far slower within and between cells

Neutrons have shown the movement of cholesterol between and within cells takes far longer than previously thought. Findings could impact the treatment of a range of diseases linked to abnormal rates of cholesterol transfer.

19 Jul 2011

Study describes how hyperactivation of AMPK promotes neurodegeneration in HD

A new study describes how hyperactivation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) promotes neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease.

19 Jul 2011

Study: 'The wave of death' may not indicate onset of brain death

The wave-shaped signal, which was previously dubbed 'the wave of death', had already been measured by researchers in Nijmegen in the brains of rats that had just been decapitated. The rats had already had electrodes implanted in their brains before the experiment.

18 Jul 2011

Traumatic brain injury in older veterans increases risk of dementia

Older veterans who experienced traumatic brain injury showed a more than two-fold increase in the risk of developing dementia, according to new research presented today at the Alzheimer's Association® International Conference 2011 (AAIC 2011) in Paris.

18 Jul 2011

Autism Speaks honors Scripps Research scientist with Weatherstone Fellowship

Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy group, has awarded a two-year Dennis Weatherstone Pre-Doctoral Fellowship to Kristopher Nazor of The Scripps Research Institute.

16 Jul 2011

Retinal cells require vitamin C to function properly

Nerve cells in the eye require vitamin C in order to function properly - a surprising discovery that may mean vitamin C is required elsewhere in the brain for its proper functioning, according to a study by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

16 Jul 2011

Neuralstem receives U.S. patent allowance for three new neurogenic compounds

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that it has received notice of allowance for U.S. Patent Applications 12/939,897 and 12/939,914 entitled: "Compositions to Effect Neuronal Growth."

15 Jul 2011

Meditation appears to change brain anatomy: Study

Two years ago, researchers at UCLA found that specific regions in the brains of long-term meditators were larger and had more gray matter than the brains of individuals in a control group. This suggested that meditation may indeed be good for all of us since, alas, our brains shrink naturally with age.

15 Jul 2011

UCI study sheds light on how transplantation alleviates side effects of radiotherapy

Human neural stem cells are capable of helping people regain learning and memory abilities lost due to radiation treatment for brain tumors, a UC Irvine study suggests.

14 Jul 2011

Progesterone could fight against neuroblastoma

High doses of the hormone progesterone can kill neuroblastoma cells while leaving healthy cells unscathed, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found in laboratory research.

14 Jul 2011

New method to study neuronal activity in the deepest layers of the cortex

Visual and tactile objects in our surroundings are translated into a perception by complex interactions of neurons in the cortex. The principles underlying spatial and temporal organization of neuronal activity during decision-making and object perception are not all understood yet.

13 Jul 2011

New technique may help scientists understand how neuronal circuits work

Machine logic is based on human logic. But although a computer processor can be dissembled and dissected in logical steps, the same is not true for the way our brains process information, says Mark Shein of Tel Aviv University's School of Electrical Engineering.

13 Jul 2011

Celprogen develops neuronal stem cells to treat Alzheimer's

Celprogen has developed neuronal stem cells that can be differentiated into neurons as an alternative for Cell based therapy for neurological diseases including Alzheimer's patients.

13 Jul 2011

New Center for Nano Science and Technology: Italy

With a staff of 53 researchers of various nationalities, in a building of around 1,000 square metres, the Center for Nano Science and Technology is focused on technological innovation starting with basic research. In particular, the specific fields of application are photovoltaic conversion, biomimetic systems and plastic electronics.

12 Jul 2011

SUMO molecules might prevent protein aggregations that typify PD

A small protein called SUMO might prevent the protein aggregations that typify Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a new study in the July 11, 2011, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology.

12 Jul 2011

Scientists study neuronal excitation to treat neurological disorders

Oh, the challenges of being a neuron, responsible for essential things like muscle contraction, gland secretion and sensitivity to touch, sound and light, yet constantly bombarded with signals from here, there and everywhere.

11 Jul 2011

Scientists convert brain cells into cardiomyocytes

For the past decade, researchers have tried to reprogram the identity of all kinds of cell types. Heart cells are one of the most sought-after cells in regenerative medicine because researchers anticipate that they may help to repair injured hearts by replacing lost tissue.

11 Jul 2011

New technique may help scientists probe mysteries of many different stem cells

Researchers at the Salk Institute have been able to genetically incorporate "unnatural" amino acids, such as those emitting green fluorescence, into neural stem cells, which then differentiate into brain neurons with the incandescent "tag" intact.

8 Jul 2011