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16 promising postdoctoral scientists awarded Damon Runyon Fellowships for cancer research

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named 16 new Damon Runyon Fellows, exceptional postdoctoral scientists conducting basic and translational cancer research in the laboratories of leading senior investigators.

28 Aug 2024

Neuroscientists decode the brain’s response to unexpected sensory inputs

Researchers have discovered how two brain areas, neocortex and thalamus, work together to detect discrepancies between what animals expect from their environment and actual events.

28 Aug 2024

New photoacoustic probes could revolutionize brain activity imaging

To understand the brain better, we need new methods to observe its activity.

28 Aug 2024

New implant offers hope for nerve repair after spinal cord injury

A research team at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has developed a new implant that conveys electrical signals and may have the potential to encourage nerve cell (neuron) repair after spinal cord injury.

28 Aug 2024

PET imaging and proteomics reveal distinct protein signatures in Alzheimer's disease progression

Researchers used PET imaging and proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid to study amyloid β and tau tangle loads in Alzheimer's patients, identifying 127 proteins linked to disease progression. The findings highlight distinct molecular pathways and potential therapeutic targets.

28 Aug 2024

Scientists discover how a gut insulin antagonist controls fat loss in C. elegans by modulating brain signals

Researchers have identified an endogenous insulin antagonist, INS-7, in Caenorhabditis elegans that modulates fat loss by inhibiting a gut-to-brain signaling pathway involving the neuropeptide FLP-7.

27 Aug 2024

New techniques in RNA engineering promise longer-lasting therapies

New methods to shape RNA molecules into circles could lead to more effective and long-lasting therapies, shows a study by researchers at the University of California San Diego.

27 Aug 2024

FDA-approved Alzheimer's drug induces torpor-like state in tadpoles

27 Aug 2024

Gut microbe metabolite found to modulate heart disease risk through β2-adrenergic receptors

Study identifies phenylacetylglutamine (PAGln), a gut microbiome metabolite, as a novel allosteric modulator of β2-adrenergic receptors, offering insights into its role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

26 Aug 2024

GPePV neurons identified as key players in controlling cocaine addiction behaviors

Researchers examine how GPePV cells regulate cocaine-induced behaviors through interactions with ventral tegmental area dopamine cells.

25 Aug 2024

Study reveals how brain pathways aid motor recovery after injury

Stroke and spinal cord injuries can severely impair motor functions, and understanding how to promote recovery is a critical challenge.

23 Aug 2024

FDA-approved drug could revolutionize organ transplantation

Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University report that they were able to successfully put tadpoles of Xenopus laevis frogs into a hibernation-like torpor state using donepezil (DNP), a drug approved by the FDA to treat Alzheimer's. The team had previously used another drug, SNC80, to achieve similar results in tadpoles and enhance the survival of whole mammalian hearts for transplants, but SNC80 is not approved for clinical use in humans because it can cause seizures. By contrast, DNP is already being used in the clinic, meaning it potentially could be rapidly repurposed for use in emergency situations to prevent irreversible organ injury while a person is being transported to a hospital.

23 Aug 2024

Mosquitoes detect infrared radiation for host seeking

While a mosquito bite is often no more than a temporary bother, in many parts of the world it can be scary. One mosquito species, Aedes aegypti, spreads the viruses that cause over 100,000,000 cases of dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and other diseases every year. Another, Anopheles gambiae, spreads the parasite that causes malaria. The World Health Organization estimates that malaria alone causes more than 400,000 deaths every year. Indeed, their capacity to transmit disease has earned mosquitoes the title of deadliest animal.

23 Aug 2024

Kynurenine pathway blockade shows promise for restoring brain metabolism in Alzheimer's

Among the many ways neuroscientists think Alzheimer's disease may strip away brain function is by disrupting the glucose metabolism needed to fuel the healthy brain.

22 Aug 2024

Cancer drug holds promise as a new treatment for neurodegenerative diseases

A type of drug developed for treating cancer holds promise as a new treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, according to a recent study by researchers at Penn State, Stanford University and an international team of collaborators.

22 Aug 2024

Study shows frequent mitochondrial DNA insertion in the brain cells

As direct descendants of ancient bacteria, mitochondria have always been a little alien.

22 Aug 2024

AI-driven adaptive deep brain stimulation improves Parkinson’s symptoms

Researchers compare the safety and feasibility of an adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) system to a conventional DBS system for Parkinson's disease.

22 Aug 2024

The critical role of PGK1 in Parkinson's disease

An enzyme called PGK1 has an unexpectedly critical role in the production of chemical energy in brain cells, according to a preclinical study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The investigators found that boosting its activity may help the brain resist the energy deficits that can lead to Parkinson's disease.

21 Aug 2024

Gut molecule blocks fat burning during fasting in C. elegans

In a struggle that probably sounds familiar to dieters everywhere, the less a Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) worm eats, the more slowly it loses fat.

21 Aug 2024

Seizures detected at low levels of central thalamus stimulation in mice study

The idea of electrically stimulating a brain region called the central thalamus has gained traction among researchers and clinicians because it can help arouse subjects from unconscious states induced by traumatic brain injury or anesthesia, and can boost cognition and performance in awake animals.

21 Aug 2024