Brain Cell News and Research

RSS

New insights into the mechanisms of efavirenz-induced neurotoxicity

Efavirenz is an important drug for treating HIV infection, but it has negative effects that can significantly impact patients' quality of life over time. It causes neuropsychiatric disorders and neurocognitive impairment in roughly 50 percent of patients. The drug is associated with abnormal lipid levels in blood plasma, but the molecular mechanisms responsible for negative clinical observations are unknown.

18 Sep 2024

New consortium tackles genetic origins of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders

Neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders (NPD) including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and depression are detrimental to individuals, their families and society as a whole, and in many cases still lack effective treatments.

12 Sep 2024

Study reveals shared and unique molecular markers across multiple forms of dementia

Researchers have for the first time identified degeneration-associated "molecular markers" – observable changes in cells and their gene-regulating networks – that are shared by several forms of dementia that affect different regions of the brain.

11 Sep 2024

New target identified for potential ALS therapy

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons.

10 Sep 2024

Understanding the cooperation of transcription factors in gene expression

Every cell in our body contains the same DNA, yet liver cells are different from brain cells, and skin cells differ from muscle cells.

6 Sep 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

Researchers discover a novel pathway to wake up dormant neural stem cells

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a novel pathway to wake up dormant neural stem cells, offering potential new therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, learning disabilities, and cerebral palsy.

13 Aug 2024

Emory researchers offer a new perspective on the mechanism behind Alzheimer's disease

New findings out of Emory University are challenging existing theories about the origins of Alzheimer's, the leading cause of dementia in the elderly worldwide.

12 Aug 2024

New study links brain cell structures to memory loss in aging and dementia

Researchers assessed whether dendritic spine head diameter in the temporal cortex is a better predictor of episodic memory performance in older adults than synapse quantity, accounting for β amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and sex.

12 Aug 2024

Fish oil may benefit older adults with genetic Alzheimer's risk

A clinical trial at Oregon Health & Science University suggests that a subset of older adults with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease may benefit from fish oil supplements.

1 Aug 2024

Exosome-encapsulated fluorescent sensors enable advanced brain imaging in Alzheimer's research

Neurotransmitter levels in the brain can indicate brain health and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

31 Jul 2024

Unprecedented brain cell mapping sheds light on Alzheimer's

Less than a decade ago, when Dr. Hansruedi Mathys launched an ambitious project to create an annotated library of all the gene readouts stored within 100 individual brain cells, the task felt daunting.

25 Jul 2024

Protein biomarkers in spinal fluid offer promise for early progressive supranuclear palsy diagnosis

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a mysterious and deadly neurological disorder, usually goes undiagnosed until after a patient dies and an autopsy is performed.

3 Jul 2024

Research reveals link between rooms with high ceilings and poorer examination results

Ever wondered why you performed worse than expected in that final university exam that you sat in a cavernous gymnasium or massive hall, despite countless hours, days and weeks of study? Now you have a genuine reason – high ceilings.

3 Jul 2024

Nonhuman primate model reveals early-stage Alzheimer’s disease progression

Research in nonhuman primates is opening the possibility of testing treatments for the early stages of Alzheimer’s and similar diseases, before extensive brain cell death and dementia set in.

26 Jun 2024

New study in rhesus macaques offers early intervention window for Alzheimer's

Research in nonhuman primates is opening the possibility of testing treatments for the early stages of Alzheimer's and similar diseases, before extensive brain cell death and dementia set in.

24 Jun 2024

Existing cancer drug shows promise in blocking alpha-synuclein spread in Parkinson's mice

In studies with genetically engineered mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have identified a potentially new biological target involving Aplp1, a cell surface protein that drives the spread of Parkinson's disease-causing alpha-synuclein.

18 Jun 2024

Revolutionary platform unveils detailed human brain architecture at multiple scales

A new platform enables simultaneous capture of protein expression, cellular morphology, neural projection, and synapse distribution in large-scale human brain tissues at multiple scales, researchers report.

13 Jun 2024

Johns Hopkins researchers discover how epilepsy drug modulates brain activity

By super cooling a molecule on the surface of brain cells down to about minus 180 degrees Celsius - nearly twice as cold as the coldest places in Antarctica - scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have determined how a widely-used epilepsy drug works to dampen the excitability of brain cells and help to control, although not cure, seizures.

10 Jun 2024

Study reveals mechanism behind brain's response to oxygen deprivation and memory loss

When we learn something new, our brain cells (neurons) communicate with each other through electrical and chemical signals.

7 Jun 2024