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Researchers find potential new target for treating drug addiction

New University of Minnesota Medical School research discovers a novel potential target for treating drug addiction through "the hidden stars of the brain."

16 Jan 2020

Discovery could lead to new treatments for hypertension, dementia

A study led by researchers at UCL has discovered the mechanism that allows the brain to monitor its own blood supply, a finding in rats which may help to find new treatments for human conditions including hypertension (high blood pressure) and dementia.

14 Jan 2020

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

KAUST researchers one step closer to understanding brain function

Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) are officially one-step closer to understanding the brain and its function.

29 Oct 2019

Long-term exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment impairs brain function in mice

Human-made toxic chemicals that linger indefinitely in the environment disrupt the performance of critical helper cells in the mouse brain, leading to impaired function over long-term exposures, say neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center.

22 Oct 2019

New gene therapy helps stroke patients develop new neurons

Ischemic stroke is a condition in which parts of the brain lose their blood supply, causing nerve damage. Once brain tissue suffers irreparable harm, the patient will experience irreversible disability or death, depending on the extent of neuronal loss.

12 Sep 2019

Study provides new insights into how astrocytes help the brain process information

A collaboration between the laboratories of Vincent Bonin (NERF, empowered by VIB, imec and KU Leuven) and Matthew Holt (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research) reveals that noradrenaline plays a key role in how astrocytes - star-shaped cells in the brain closely associated with neurons - track distinct information during behavior.

12 Sep 2019

Astrocytes help the brain to establish long-lasting memories

Star-shaped cells called astrocytes help the brain establish long-lasting memories, Salk researchers have discovered.

25 Aug 2019

Study: Blocking inflammatory pathway could prevent melanoma brain metastasis

Brain metastases are among the deadliest tumor metastases, with a median survival period of less than one year, and the incidence of brain metastasis is rising.

20 Aug 2019

Study reveals surprising discoveries about poorly understood glioblastoma

Glioblastoma, a cancer that arises in the brain's supporting glial cells, is one of the worst diagnoses a child can receive. The grade IV, highly malignant tumor aggressively infiltrates healthy brain tissue, and most children die of the disease within one to two years of diagnosis, similar to adults.

12 Aug 2019

Johns Hopkins researchers use nanotechnology to repair faulty brain circuits

Working with mouse and human tissue, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report new evidence that a protein pumped out of some — but not all — populations of “helper” cells in the brain, called astrocytes, plays a specific role in directing the formation of connections among neurons needed for learning and forming new memories.

31 Jul 2019

Astrocytic MORs in the hippocampus responsible for conditioned place preference

If somebody asks me "are you a coffee addict?" I may say, "Yeah it seems like, but on the one condition, only in my office." I don't have that much craving for coffee at home, but just being in the office, where I used to drink coffee all the time seeking to get caffeine jitters, seems to trigger my caffeine-addicted brain.

31 Jul 2019

Switch that decides fate of cells from neural stem cells discovered

Neurons and astrocytes are prominent cell types in the cerebral cortex. Neurons are the primary information processing cells in the brain, whereas astrocytes support and modulate their functions.

24 Jun 2019

Healthy blood vessels could help stave off cognitive decline

High blood pressure may affect conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease by interfering with the brain’s waste management system, according to new research in rats published in JNeurosci. Maintaining blood vessel health could therefore help stave off cognitive decline.

From Society for Neuroscience 19 Jun 2019

Scientists develop universal FACS-based approach to heterogenous cell sorting, propelling organoid research

Researchers have developed three novel FACS protocols that can be used to isolate neural progenitors, astrocytes, and neurons from infected cerebral organoids.

19 Jun 2019

URMC biotech start-up receives funding to develop cell-based therapies for neurological disorders

Oscine Therapeutics, a new biotechnology company based on discoveries made and developed at the University of Rochester Medical Center has received a significant multi-year investment to support both research and development of cell-based therapies for neurological disorders.

11 Jun 2019

Astrocytes protect neurons from damaging side effects of overactivity

Astrocytes are overtaxed neurons' pit crew. The brain cells collect damaged lipids secreted by hyperactive neurons, then recycle those toxic molecules into energy, researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus report May 23, 2019, in the journal Cell.

3 Jun 2019