Brain Cell News and Research

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Jefferson participates in global study to extend effectiveness of drug for Parkinson's

After Parkinson's disease patients use the drug levodopa or L-dopa for several years as a treatment for restoring the cellular communication that controls muscle movement by replacing lost dopamine, they begin to experience motor complications that include a shortened response to each dose of L-dopa.

19 Apr 2007

New understanding of genetics behind Noonan Syndrome

Researchers have discovered that the genetic malfunction that causes a form of mental retardation called Noonan Syndrome (NS) produces an imbalance in the genesis of two types of cells in the developing embryonic brain.

19 Apr 2007

Better understanding of membrane fusion

Cells constantly swap cargo bound in vesicles, miniscule membrane-enclosed packages of proteins and other chemicals. Before the swap can take place, the vesicle membrane must fuse with another membrane, creating channels packages can pass through.

18 Apr 2007

Shutting down microglia

Developing brain tumors can coax assistance from nearby cells known as microglia, according to a new study from scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers have identified one protein made by microglia that helps accelerate tumor growth and are looking for others.

15 Apr 2007

Developing brain tumors coax assistance from nearby cells

Developing brain tumors can coax assistance from nearby cells known as microglia, according to a new study from scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

12 Apr 2007

Three proteins could be new targets for treating stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries

Some mature brain cells can grow new extensions when the amount of three particular proteins on their surface increases, a new study shows.

12 Apr 2007

Gene finding could lead to new pathways for development of Alzheimer's therapeutics

Scientists have known for more than a decade that individuals with a certain gene are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

11 Apr 2007

Protecting brains of premature infants - new approach needed

A study of how the brain of a premature infant responds to injury has found vulnerabilities similar to those in the mature brain but also identified at least one significant difference, according to neuroscientists and neonatologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

11 Apr 2007

Potential target for the development of a drug to treat memory loss

A mind-altering mutation in mice results in an enhanced long-term memory, researchers report in the April 6, 2007 issue of the journal Cell, published by Cell Press.

7 Apr 2007

Stanford technique directly controls brain cell activity with light

Every thought, feeling and action originates from the electrical signals emitted by diverse brain cells enmeshed in a tangle of circuits.

5 Apr 2007

New therapeutic target for Alzheimer's could lead to drugs without side effects

It's been 100 years since Alzheimer's disease was first described, and yet our best treatments in development for the disease are still highly toxic drugs.

5 Apr 2007

Stem cell therapy shows promise for degenerative diseases of the eye

For the millions of Americans whose vision is slowly ebbing due to degenerative diseases of the eye, the lowly neural progenitor cell may be riding to the rescue.

3 Apr 2007

Bacteria biosensor prototype

Common bacteria with an overt reaction to toxins that cause oxidative stress show promise as a biosensor to predict public health threats.

2 Apr 2007

Scientists invent way to reversibly silence brain cells using pulses of yellow light

Scientists at the MIT Media Lab have invented a way to reversibly silence brain cells using pulses of yellow light, offering the prospect of controlling the haywire neuron activity that occurs in diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.

2 Apr 2007

New target for removing unwanted ammonia from the body

Thousands of people with liver and kidney disease die every year from too much ammonia in their blood, and scientists from the United States and Japan have found a possible solution.

2 Apr 2007

Regenerative medicine project taps into human stem cells

Researchers at the McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida have initiated a project to treat human brain and other diseases by plundering the secrets of regeneration from creatures with remarkable powers of self-renewal, such as salamanders, newts, starfish and flatworms.

2 Apr 2007