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Researchers discover molecular underpinnings of Alexander disease

Scientists have known that genetic mutations leading to the production of a defective protein called GFAP cause Alexander disease (AxD), a debilitating neurodegenerative condition that can present during infancy, adolescence, or adulthood.

21 Nov 2019

Extra DNA scooped up alongside cancer-causing genes helps drive tumor growth

One of the ways a cancer-causing gene works up enough power to turn a normal cell into a cancer cell is by copying itself over and over, like a Xerox machine.

21 Nov 2019

Frailty: An important predictor of worse outcome after traumatic spinal cord injury

A new study has shown that frailty is an important predictor of worse outcome after traumatic spinal cord injury in patients less than 75 years of age. In patients younger than 75 years, frailty was a predictor of adverse events, acute length of stay, and in-hospital mortality, as reported in an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

21 Nov 2019

Study could help predict resistance to pancreatic cancer treatments

A study from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center could help predict resistance to treatments for pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancer types.

21 Nov 2019

Transplanted human brain cells in a mouse brain provide insight into neural circuit formation

The brain cortex, the outside layer of our brain often referred to as grey matter, is one of the most complex structures found in living organisms. It gives us the advanced cognitive abilities that distinguish us from other animals.

21 Nov 2019

Researchers turn to older treatment methods for new health challenges

The last thing anyone wants during a stay in the hospital is a hospital-acquired infection. Nosocomial infections, as they are called, are on the rise as more pathogens become resistant to drugs currently available.

21 Nov 2019

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease study unearths a new mechanism of neurodegeneration

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is an inherited neurodegenerative condition that affects 1 in 2500 individuals.

21 Nov 2019

Gene linked to Alzheimer’s plays indirect role in increasing delirium risk

Marked by acute temporary confusion, disorientation and/or agitation, postoperative delirium is the most common post-surgical complication in older adults, striking as many as half of adults older than 65 who undergo high-risk procedures such as cardiac surgery or hip replacements.

21 Nov 2019

Coriell Institute for Medical Research wins $7.7 million NINDS contract

Coriell Institute for Medical Research has been awarded a $7.7 million contract by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health focused on the study of nervous system disorders.

21 Nov 2019

Doughnut-shaped circles of ecDNA provide tumor cells with a malignant twist

Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA encodes information, not only in its sequence but also in its shape.

21 Nov 2019

Study uncovers new Alzheimer's risk gene

A new paper in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology finds a gene that may help explain a large part of the genetic risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

21 Nov 2019

Machine learning successfully replicates cell architecture

A new study reports the use of machine learning to help form complex cell architectures from pluripotent stem cells.

21 Nov 2019

Researchers identify a promising drug pair to attack deadly childhood brain cancers

Researchers have devised a new plan of attack against a group of deadly childhood brain cancers collectively called diffuse midline gliomas, including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, thalamic glioma and spinal cord glioma.

20 Nov 2019

Researchers uncover novel pathogenic mechanism in Huntington’s disease

Researchers from the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona and the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute described a mechanism, the increase of proteinaceous synthesis, which takes part in the degeneration of the type of neurons that are affected in Huntington's disease, a genetic neurodegenerative disease.

20 Nov 2019

Impaired gene expression may influence aging via altered cellular metabolism

Throughout history, humans have been obsessed with finding a way to prevent aging and prolong life. Although the mechanisms have long eluded us, modern science is revealing more and more about the aging process. Now, researchers from Japan have uncovered new information about the genetic processes that may trigger age-related disorders, including low energy production and low cellular growth.

20 Nov 2019

JACM special issue focuses on challenges in inter-rater reliability in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Diagnostic agreement between practitioners is an ongoing challenge in the evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine and other healthcare systems that rely on constitutional types.

20 Nov 2019

Breakthrough therapy could improve health and survival in people with cystic fibrosis

Researchers at the Children's Hospital Colorado Breathing Institute, one of the largest cystic fibrosis clinical care centers in the U.S., are part of a Therapeutics Development Network that oversaw clinical trials leading to FDA approval of TRIKAFTA, a new, highly-effective CF treatment for people with CF 12 years of age and older.

20 Nov 2019