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Inflammatory processes drive progression of neurodegenerative brain diseases

Inflammation drives the progression of neurodegenerative brain diseases and plays a major role in the accumulation of tau proteins within neurons.

20 Nov 2019

Scientists identify protein that pulls the brake on nerve growth

During embryonic development, nerve cells form thin, long extensions, which they use to wire up a complex network, the brain. Scientists from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn have now identified a protein that regulates the growth of these extensions by pulling a brake.

31 Oct 2019

High-salt diet may trigger dementia

We’ve all heard that taking too much salt can damage your blood vessels, and now a new study published in the journal Nature on October 23, 2019, says it’s true – a diet rich in salt reduces the levels of nitric oxide, which in turn alters the tau protein within the neuron, triggering a fall in cognitive processing by the brain.

24 Oct 2019

Study suggests new model of treatment for heart attack or stroke victims

Each year, heart attacks kill almost 10 million people in the world, and more than 6 million die from stroke. A heart attack is caused by a clot that blocks the artery blood flow. Unirrigated tissues are deprived from the oxygen that is carried by the blood. Under these conditions, the affected tissues undergo a rapid necrosis.

15 Oct 2019

New technique can rapidly image synaptic proteins at high resolution

Our brains contain millions of synapses -- the connections that transmit messages from neuron to neuron. Within these synapses are hundreds of different proteins, and dysfunction of these proteins can lead to conditions such as schizophrenia and autism.

26 Sep 2019

Stopping cold viruses dead by blocking replication

The common cold virus (and its more deadly cousins, the viruses that cause polio and acute flaccid myelitis) may just have met its nemesis. In a recent study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on September 16, 2019, scientists reported a potentially successful new approach to stop cold viruses from replicating inside human cells – by blocking the formation of a protein that is vital to this process.

17 Sep 2019

Polycystic kidney disease may be preventable

Kidney failure is a lifelong burden in hundreds of thousands of people who need to be treated either by dialysis or a kidney transplant. Both procedures significantly increase the cost of healthcare and reduce the quality of life.

26 Aug 2019

Using principles of mechanics and physics to identify state of individual cells

Researchers at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering have discovered a new way to identify the state of individual cells by bringing principles of mechanical engineering and physics to bear on processes that are now well understood at the macro level, but not yet at the cellular level: how stressors such as injury and disease force an organism into a new level of equilibrium -- a biological process of finding a "new normal" called allostasis.

20 Aug 2019

Mechanical forces regulate cellular behavior during embryonic development of the brain

A new study coordinated by the Research Group in Developmental Biology at UPF shows that during the embryonic development of the brain, the cells that are between adjacent segments detect the mechanical forces generated during morphogenesis to regulate the balance between progenitor stem cells and differentiated neurons.

29 Jul 2019

New study reveals 'clutch' proteins responsible for putting T cell activation 'into gear'

In collaborative research, scientists from three continents were able to discover a crucial bit of information about how T cells move proteins inside them to drive the immune response. This could help evolve specific new treatments centered on T cell selectivity.

12 Jul 2019

Study shows how gastric stem cells fight colonizing bacteria

Stem cells are not only key players in tissue regeneration, they are also capable of taking direct action against bacteria.

25 Jun 2019

Muscle loss in space travelers could be reduced finds study

Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston explain that space travellers often face muscle loss that is caused due to reduced gravity during their flight missions in space. They have found that exercise and certain hormones could help prevent this muscle loss.

13 Jun 2019

Study searches for the origins of depressive symptoms in Huntington's disease

About 40% of the affected patients with Huntington's disease -a neurodegenerative pathology- show depression symptoms, even in early stages before the apparition of the typical motor symptoms of the disease.

31 May 2019

Study sheds light on design of pharmacological strategies to treat depression in Huntington's disease

About 40 % of the affected patients with Huntington's disease -a neurodegenerative pathology- show depression symptoms, even in early stages before the apparition of the typical motor symptoms of the disease.

31 May 2019

PDIA1 enzyme levels could help diagnose individuals’ predisposition to cardiovascular disease

Measuring the blood plasma levels of an enzyme called PDIA1 could one day become a method of diagnosing a person's predisposition to cardiovascular disease even if they are healthy, i.e., not obese, diabetic or a smoker, and with normal cholesterol.

20 May 2019

UGR scientists break new ground in Chagas disease research

A team of scientists from the University of Granada has broken new ground in Chagas disease research.

10 May 2019

Cell's cytoskeleton aids in energy transfer and information processing within neurons, study finds

Dysfunctions and malformations in the scaffold of a cell are thought to contribute to heart muscle weakness, neurodegenerative disease and even deafness.

8 May 2019

Form drives function in cancer proliferation, UTSW study finds

A new study finds that the protein responsible for the crawling movements of cells also drives the ability of cancer cells to grow when under stress.

6 May 2019

Scientists discover central role of cell 'skeleton'

All cells possess a cytoskeleton which allows them to move and maintain their shape. However, scientists recently showed that a part of this cytoskeleton called branched actin is also essential to cell proliferation: this actin transmits information to cells about the space around them, environmental chemical messages and therefore on whether they should proliferate.

10 Apr 2019

Discovery of protein, lipid connection could lead to new influenza therapies

The connection between an influenza virus surface protein and a host cell lipid has been discovered by researchers at the University of Maine and the National Institutes of Health. Confirmation of direct interaction between the protein and lipid could lead to new antiviral therapies.

6 Mar 2019