Chemical Messenger News and Research

RSS

Researchers find link between brain protein and increased vulnerability to neurodegeneration in epilepsy patients

A team of Florida State University College of Medicine researchers has found a link between a specific protein in the brain and increased vulnerability to neurodegeneration for individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

18 Jul 2022

Study describes biochemical pathway that leads to inflammation characteristic of autoimmune diseases

Mitochondria are self-contained organelles (they possess their own mini-chromosome and DNA) residing within cells and are charged with the job of generating the chemical energy needed to fuel functions essential to life and well-being.

13 Jul 2022

Commonly prescribed class of migraine drugs may be effective in treating obesity

Triptans, a commonly prescribed class of migraine drugs, may also be useful in treating obesity, a new study by scientists at UT Southwestern suggests.

11 Jul 2022

Study provides better understanding of the brain pathways that control nausea

Nausea is a bit of a catchall sensation for the human body: the unpleasant sick feeling can hit us as a result of everything from pregnancy or a migraine to eating spoiled food or undergoing chemotherapy.

22 Jun 2022

Changes in dopamine levels in the brain affect emotion-recognition

Emotion-recognition among people with disorders such as Parkinson's disease or schizophrenia may be affected by changes in the levels of dopamine in the brain, say researchers at the University of Birmingham.

24 May 2022

Scientists identify the neural basis of pleasant touch sensation

Studying mice, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a neural circuit and a neuropeptide -; a chemical messenger that carries signals between nerve cells -; that transmit the sensation known as pleasant touch from the skin to the brain.

28 Apr 2022

Levels of little-studied enzyme found to decline with age and more dramatically with Alzheimer’s

A little-studied enzyme has been found in high levels in healthy neurons, levels that scientists say decline with age and more dramatically with Alzheimer's, making adjusting the enzyme's level a potential treatment for both.

19 Apr 2022

Researchers discover potential link between inflammation and structure of specific brain regions

A potential link between inflammation and the structure of specific regions of the brain has been identified by researchers at the University of Birmingham.

30 Mar 2022

Insight into cellular waste disposal could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

A 'waste collection' tidies up our cells. If something does not go according to plan, serious diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's may develop.

20 Feb 2022

UCLA researchers develop a smartwatch that assesses cortisol levels found in sweat

The human body responds to stress, from the everyday to the extreme, by producing a hormone called cortisol.

9 Feb 2022

Study defines a novel way to identify potential new interventions for autism

Researchers from King's College London have shown that there are variations in how a brain chemical called GABA regulates the processing of visual stimuli.

5 Jan 2022

Brain's "feel good" chemical messenger can be willfully manipulated, study shows

From the thrill of hearing an ice cream truck approaching to the spikes of pleasure while sipping a fine wine, the neurological messenger known as dopamine has been popularly described as the brain's "feel good" chemical related to reward and pleasure.

23 Jul 2021

Clinical trial to test personalized treatment for severe asthma caused by a specific mutation

Under a $10 million grant, a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial led by Boston Children's Hospital will test a personalized treatment for a form of severe asthma to which Black and Latinx children and adults are especially vulnerable.

21 Jul 2021

Study may help devise new therapies, improve quality of life for Parkinson's patients

A new discovery by University of Guelph researchers may ultimately help in devising new therapies and improving quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease.

27 May 2021

Researchers discover new brain circuit that may help fight obesity

Like a good story, feeding has a beginning, a middle and an end. It begins with appetite prompting the search for food, continues with eating the food and it ends when satiation hits and the consumption of food is stopped.

27 May 2021

Psychedelic drugs may work in multiple ways in the brain

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have shown that psilocybin—the active chemical in “magic mushrooms”— still works its antidepressant-like actions, at least in mice, even when the psychedelic experience is blocked.

13 Apr 2021

Study explains why antipsychotic medications lead to weight gain, promote metabolic syndrome

Why do patients who receive antipsychotic medications to manage schizophrenia and bipolar disorder quickly gain weight and develop prediabetes and hyperinsulemia?

15 Feb 2021

Study pinpoints specific areas of the brain where serotonin promotes patience

We've all been there. Whether we're stuck in traffic at the end of a long day, or eagerly anticipating the release of a new book, film or album, there are times when we need to be patient.

27 Nov 2020

UCLA researchers discover compound that stimulates muscle cells in mice

UCLA researchers have identified a compound that can reproduce the effect of exercise in muscle cells in mice. The findings are published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

21 Oct 2020

Common class of drugs may be associated with increased risk of cognitive decline

A team of scientists, led by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, report that a class of drugs used for a broad array of conditions, from allergies and colds to hypertension and urinary incontinence, may be associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline, particularly in older adults at greater risk for Alzheimer's disease.

5 Sep 2020