Neuropeptide News and Research

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Gut-innervating nociceptors found to regulate the intestinal microbiota and promote tissue protection

According to a recent study, substance P produced by the nociceptors present in the gut lining confers protection against inflammation and tissue damage by increasing the number of beneficial microbes.

19 Oct 2022

How the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin may have heart-healing properties

In this interview, News Medical speaks to Dr. Aitor Aguirre, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan State University, about how the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin may provide heart-healing properties.

17 Oct 2022

Oxytocin induces epicardial cell proliferation, study finds

The neurohormone oxytocin is well-known for promoting social bonds and generating pleasurable feelings, for example from art, exercise, or sex. But the hormone has many other functions, such as the regulation of lactation and uterine contractions in females, and the regulation of ejaculation, sperm transport, and testosterone production in males.

30 Sep 2022

Love hormone can activate heart repair mechanisms after cardiac injury, study finds

Researchers show for the first time that the neurohormone oxytocin has a previously unsuspected function in both zebrafish and human cell cultures: it stimulates mature cells in the epicardium of the heart to become stem-like cells, which can replace heart cells lost after damage.

30 Sep 2022

Scientists identify the mechanism responsible for exceptional auditory abilities in Williams-Beuren syndrome

Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a rare disorder that causes neurocognitive and developmental deficits. However, musical and auditory abilities are preserved or even enhanced in WBS patients.

23 Sep 2022

How a key brain network responds to seasonal shifts in day length

A recent paper examined the difference in neuronal communication in the hypothalamic network that regulates physiological function in response to the photoperiod.

8 Sep 2022

Eating disorders could be treated by modulating gut microbiota

Researchers describe how the gut-brain axis facilitates communication between the gastrointestinal tract and brain to regulate food consumption behaviors.

17 Aug 2022

Understanding the emotions behind memories

In this interview, we speak to Professor Kay Tye about her latest research into memories and how we can start to understand the emotions behind them.

10 Aug 2022

Study reveals key similarities between the nervous system of two early-diverging animal lineages

Neurons, the specialized cells of the nervous system, are possibly the most complicated cell type ever to have evolved. In humans, these cells are capable of processing and transmitting vast sums of information. But how such complicated cells first came about remains a long-standing debate.

9 Aug 2022

Oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex revealed

A study published in the journal Pharmacological Research reveals the oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex, a component present in the brain which is involved in the analgesic and addictive effects of certain opioids.

22 Jul 2022

Scientists identify the neural basis of pleasant touch sensation

Studying mice, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a neural circuit and a neuropeptide - a chemical messenger that carries signals between nerve cells - that transmit the sensation known as pleasant touch from the skin to the brain.

28 Apr 2022

Researchers identify 16 distinct cell populations in a key brain region for substance use disorders

In a work of systematic biology that advances the field, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have identified 16 distinct cell populations in a complex area of the midbrain called the ventral tegmental area, or VTA.

18 Apr 2022

Excessive neuropeptide secretion in the lungs can lead to fluid buildup and poor oxygenation

COVID-19 has put a spotlight on the pulmonary and nervous systems, but there is still much to learn about how they interact. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine recently explored this relationship in the context of a childhood lung disease, but their findings may also apply to COVID-19 symptoms.

17 Mar 2022

Treatment found to be safe, efficacious in improving insomnia and night sweats among midlife women

Hot flashes and night sweats are a common cause of insomnia among peri- and postmenopausal women. Hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia are all linked to reduced quality of life and distress.

17 Feb 2022

DPP4 protein: The connection between severe COVID-19 and diabetes

Researchers explore the relationship between DPP4 and diabetes targets in the management of COVID-19.

17 Jan 2022

Role of leptin in immune modulation and pathophysiology of COVID-19

A recent review paper in the journal Frontiers in Physiology discusses the role of leptins in infection with SARS-CoV-2 that triggered the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

13 Jan 2022

New biomarkers could help determine synaptic damage and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is the main neurodegenerative disease in old people for which there is no treatment or efficient prevention yet.

10 Nov 2021

Maternal exposure to flame retardants linked with ASD-relevant behavioral traits in offspring

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, are a class of fire-retardant chemicals that are ubiquitous. They are found on upholstery, carpets, curtains, electronics, and even infant products.

7 Nov 2021

New system synthetically reconnects neural circuits using neuropeptides from Hydra

For two people to communicate in a loud, crowded room, they need to be standing side by side. The same is often true for neurons in the brain. But the same way a cell phone allows two people to communicate clearly across the room, new research at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) opened up a new channel of communication in the worm C. elegans brain.

30 Sep 2021

Researchers use new laser-assisted technology for bioprinting adult neuron cells

A group of researchers including a Concordia PhD student have developed a new method of bioprinting adult neuron cells. They're using a new laser-assisted technology that maintains high levels of cell viability and functionality.

22 Sep 2021