Ataxia News and Research

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Ataxia is a neurological sign and symptom that consists of gross lack of coordination of muscle movements. Ataxia is a non-specific clinical manifestation implying disfunction of the parts of the nervous system that coordinate movement, such as the cerebellum.

SARS-CoV-2 WA1/2020, Delta and Omicron strains found to infect human sensory neurons

Researchers evaluated the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

13 Jan 2023

CNB-CSIC vaccine fully protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection of the brain

In a recent study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, researchers in Spain described the effectiveness of a modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vector severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine candidate in protecting against SARS-CoV-2 infection in the brain using a mouse model.

12 Jan 2023

Vitamin D can help the immune system fight tuberculosis, study says

Most people probably associate tuberculosis with a leaky loft in 20th-century Paris. But as a matter of fact, tuberculosis is not ancient history.

6 Jan 2023

History of COVID-19 increases risk of fatigue and other long COVID symptoms in adults and children

Researchers observe that COVID-19 patients were at an increased risk of developing certain conditions.

21 Dec 2022

Study explores cellular alterations in six distinct neurodegenerative diseases

A perplexing range of neurodegenerative diseases are known to attack distinct regions of the brain, causing severe cognitive and motor deficit.

21 Dec 2022

NEJM study shows hidden genetic anomaly behind common late-onset cerebellar ataxia

Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, McGill University and other institutions have found that a well-concealed genetic variation in the gene FGF14, called a DNA tandem repeat expansion, causes a common form of late-onset cerebellar ataxia, a brain disorder that interferes with coordinated movement.

16 Dec 2022

Study uncovers previously unknown genetic cause of late-onset cerebellar ataxia

A new study published on Dec. 14, 2022 in the New England Journal of Medicine reports the identification of a previously unknown genetic cause of a late-onset cerebellar ataxia, a discovery that will improve diagnosis and open new treatment avenues for this progressive condition.

15 Dec 2022

New chemical probe can selectively inhibit human COQ8A protein in cells

Inhibition of the COQ8 protein could be beneficial in the treatment of diseases such as cancer. COQ8 is needed for the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q, also known as ubiquinone.

28 Nov 2022

Scientists illuminate the molecular events underlying childhood movement disorder

Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, in collaboration with a team from Queen Mary University of London, have illuminated the molecular events underlying an inherited movement and neurodegenerative disorder known as ARSACS – Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay, named for two Quebec valleys where the first cases were found.

3 Nov 2022

Increasing Awareness Surrounding Ataxia

In this interview, we speak to Dr. Lauren Moore from the National Ataxia Foundation about the condition and the importance of raising awareness for ataxia.

31 Oct 2022

Review on Panax ginseng therapeutic efficacy for COVID-19-associated neurological diseases

In a new study, researchers discussed the therapeutic potential of Panax ginseng for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019)-induced neurological diseases.

14 Oct 2022

The role of oxidative stress in congenital syndromes

Researchers discuss the role of oxidative stress in genetic conditions.

10 Oct 2022

Study reveals a promising therapeutic target for spinocerebellar ataxia type 14

Spinocerebellar ataxias are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the degeneration of Purkinje cells, a major class of neurons in the cerebellum.

3 Oct 2022

Research may open the way to developing treatments for rare movement disorders

Spinal cerebellar ataxia 6 (SCA6) is an inherited neurological condition which has a debilitating impact on motor coordination.

16 Sep 2022

In vivo imaging of α-synuclein aggregates in the brains of living patients with multiple system atrophy

α-synuclein is a neuronal protein involved in functions like vesicle trafficking and neurotransmitter release. It is typically found in abundance in a healthy brain.

30 Aug 2022

Sublethal exposure to insecticides impair optomotor behavior in bees

The challenge to let people walk back and forth in a straight line isn't just used by police to test if drivers are intoxicated: it's also used by neurologists to diagnose neurological disorders like ataxia, where parts of the brain that coordinate movement are impaired. Now, researchers use an insect version of this challenge to show for the first time that modern pesticides damage the nervous system of honeybees so that it becomes hard for them to walk in a straight line. The results are published in Frontiers in Insect Science.

18 Aug 2022

Novel zoonotic Langya virus identified in China

Scientists discuss their discovery of the novel Langya henipavirus in eastern China.

11 Aug 2022

Research identifies unique vulnerabilities in ALT cancers that can serve as novel therapeutic targets

In a study recently published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, a team of researchers led by C. Patrick Reynolds, M.D., Ph.D., director for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine Cancer Center, sought to expand upon his lab's previous research that showed ALT tumors identified by a biomarker known as C-circles share a common biology that confers vulnerabilities to be exploited for cancer therapy.

10 Aug 2022

NIH researchers develop three-dimensional structure of twinkle protein

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have developed a three-dimensional structure that allows them to see how and where disease mutations on the twinkle protein can lead to mitochondrial diseases.

5 Aug 2022

The known and proposed interactions of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 with DNA damage response pathways

Researchers reviewed the consequences of infection with sSARS-CoVs on the host DNA damage response.

19 Jul 2022