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Dampening effects of overactive immune cells may serve as new treatment for TBI

Targeting overactive immune cells and dampening their effects may serve as a new treatment for treating a traumatic brain injury, according to new research in mice published in JNeurosci.

From Society for Neuroscience 19 Feb 2020

Novel formulation allows use of toxin from rattlesnake venom to control neuropathic pain

Crotoxin, extracted from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, has been studied for almost a century for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities and as an even more powerful muscle paralyzer than botulinum toxin.

16 Feb 2020

Surprising discovery about childhood brain tumor may unlock new cancer treatments

A surprising discovery about a rare form of childhood brain cancer suggests a new treatment approach for that cancer and, potentially, many others.

13 Feb 2020

Macrophages migrate from the blood to attack brain tissue shortly after stroke

Macrophages are part of the innate immune system and essential for brain development and function. Using a novel method, scientists from Jena University Hospital, the University of Bonn and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York (USA) succeeded in visualizing macrophages that were formed in the bone marrow.

11 Feb 2020

Research shows how the brain's immune system could be activated to improve memory

When it comes to memory, immune cells are known as the "bad cops" of the brain. But new research shows they could also be turned into "good cops" to power memory and learning.

11 Feb 2020

Age-linked cognitive decline could be slowed by immune activation

A new study published in February 2020 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), reports that activating a specific type of immune cell found in the brain could delay reduced cognition often found in older people, and even prevent neurologic degeneration of age.

5 Feb 2020

Flickering light triggers the brain to release signaling chemicals that may help fight Alzheimer's

For over a century, Alzheimer's disease has confounded all attempts to treat it. But in recent years, perplexing experiments using flickering light have shown promise.

4 Feb 2020

Research unravels consequences of Zika virus attack on neural cells

Previous studies regarding the damage of the Zika virus on the brain had already pointed out the virus's predilection for a certain neural cell: the astrocyte. However, few studies have proposed to identify the infection effects on these cells, as well as their association with developmental alterations, including brain malformations and microcephaly.

27 Jan 2020

Immune system cells facilitate the invasive capacity of glioblastoma

In a study published in Brain Communications, a new Open Access publication of the well-known journal Brain, the team led by Carlos Barcia, researcher at Institut de Neurociències of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, analyzed the role of immune cells in the expansion of glioblastoma, the most aggressive brain tumor.

23 Jan 2020

Study shows how gene therapy may help protect against vision loss in multiple sclerosis

New research by Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, reveals the molecular process in which synaptic connections in the brain are damaged in multiple sclerosis and how this contributes to neurodegenerative symptoms.

21 Jan 2020

Overactivation of neuroimmune gene leads to schizophrenia-like changes in mice

Excessive activity of an immune system gene previously linked to schizophrenia reproduces neural and behavioral aspects of the disease in mice, according to a new study publishing on January 14 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Ashley Comer and Alberto Cruz-Martín of Boston University and colleagues.

14 Jan 2020

Specific group of immune cells may influence Alzheimer’s disease

A new study has revealed that the immune system plays a crucial and previously unidentified role in Alzheimer's disease.

9 Jan 2020

Gut microbes may play a role in stroke recovery

New research shows that the microorganisms in our gut could help protect brain cells from damage caused by inflammation after a stroke.

8 Jan 2020

Short chain fatty acid supplementation improves stroke recovery, mice study shows

Supplementing the body’s short chain fatty acids can improve stroke recovery, according to research in mice recently published in JNeurosci. Short chain fatty acid supplementation may be a non-invasive addition to stroke rehabilitation therapies.

From Society for Neuroscience 2 Jan 2020

Radiation-induced brain damage: new study reveals the mechanism

Following radiation therapy to the head for brain tumors, more than 80% of patients who live six months at least after the treatment report a loss of some cognitive functions such as memory, thinking and related tasks. Now a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports shows why this happens, which in turn could pave the way to correct this damage and protect the brain in future patients.

17 Dec 2019

Study shows how a protein in the brain could protect against Alzheimer’s

Research shows that white blood cells in the human brain are regulated by a protein called CD33--a finding with important implications in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by University of Alberta chemists.

13 Dec 2019

Study could help improve GENUS to become a therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease

The sweeping extent to which increasing 40Hz "gamma" rhythm power in the brain can affect the pathology and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in mouse models has been surprising, even to the MIT neuroscientists who've pioneered the idea. So surprising, in fact, they can't yet explain why it happens.

11 Dec 2019

Exploring the links between chronic stress, inflammation and depression

Chronic stress can inflame our brain, destroy the connections between our neurons and result in depression, scientists say.

21 Nov 2019

Scientists grow complex organoids in the lab

Scientists at the University of Würzburg have successfully produced human tissues from stem cells. They have a complexity similar to that of normal tissue and are far superior to previous structures.

19 Nov 2019

Non-coding enhancer DNA may be key for identifying genetic risk in neurological conditions

One might think that the primary cause of most genetically linked diseases comes from mutations in coding DNA -- alterations in coding regions of the genome that can lead directly to changes in the expression of particular proteins important for a healthy body.

14 Nov 2019