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First-of-its-kind study in space station seeks to find causes of major diseases

High above the Earth, researchers are conducting a first-of-its-kind study to help patients with Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis on the planet below. The International Space Station experiment is looking for what triggers these diseases by studying how nerve and immune brain cells interact.

1 Aug 2019

Mice brain study reveals secrets about Alzheimer’s

Researchers from University of California, Irvine have found the key responses of brain cells to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and say that this could help them understand the chronic debilitating and progressive neurodegenerative disease better in future.

1 Aug 2019

Fungus used in traditional medicine could slow neuron loss in ALS

A Chinese caterpillar fungus that is used in traditional Chinese medicine has been found to minimize motor neuron loss in mice models of ALS.

25 Jul 2019

Gut microbiota protects from viral-induced neurologic damage, study finds

Gut microbes produce compounds that prime immune cells to destroy harmful viruses in the brain and nervous system, according to a mouse study published today in eLife.

16 Jul 2019

Researchers identify new subtypes of motor neurons and microglia present in ALS patients

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that causes paralysis and ultimately death when the nerves enervating the lungs cease to carry the signals needed for breathing.

16 Jul 2019

Study offers clues about how to prevent brain inflammation in Alzheimer's

A new study by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital offers clues about how to prevent inflammation of brain tissue, which promotes Alzheimer's disease

11 Jul 2019

Novel imaging molecule reveals brain changes linked to progressive MS

Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is a relentless disease. Over time, patients experience worsening physical, mental and mood-related symptoms.

2 Jul 2019

Anti-aging protein hormone Klotho shown to be neuroprotective in ALS model

Increasing the levels of the anti-aging protein hormone Klotho improves the neurological deficits and prolongs life span in an experimental model with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

28 Jun 2019

Scientists use advanced imaging to track brain tumor 'turncoats'

Glioblastomas, the deadliest type of brain tumor in adults, attract "turncoats." These are macrophages, a type of immune cell, which promote tumor progression and mask tumors from the immune system's scrutiny.

26 Jun 2019

Researchers reveal fundamental role of protein associated with Alzheimer's

Researchers from the University of Seville, the Seville Biomedicine Institute and Lund University have been able to describe how the body responds to a component present in the brain in Alzheimer's patients.

25 Jun 2019

Researchers identify missing link between amyloid plaques and tau tangles in Alzheimer's

Years before symptoms of Alzheimer's disease appear, two kinds of damaging proteins silently collect in the brain: amyloid beta and tau. Clumps of amyloid accumulate first, but tau is particularly noxious.

25 Jun 2019

Complement system shown to remove dead cells in retinitis pigmentosa, contradicting previous research

Researchers have found that the complement system seems to protect against retinal degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa.

18 Jun 2019

Targeting immune cells could potentially treat some kinds of brain tumor, study suggests

Tumors arise when cells shake off their restraints and start to multiply out of control. But how fast a tumor grows does not depend solely on how quickly the cancer cells can divide, a new study has found.

4 Jun 2019

New fluorescent probe specifically labels microglia cells

Part of the immune system in the brain is made up of so-called microglia cells. Korean and Singaporean researchers have now developed a fluorescent probe that specifically labels this type of macrophage. The cells were visualized in cell culture and in the live brains of rodents.

29 May 2019

Long-term antibiotic treatment slows growth of amyloid plaques in male mice but not in females

Researchers at The University of Chicago have demonstrated that the type of bacteria living in the gut can influence the development of Alzheimer's disease symptoms in mice.

17 May 2019

Researchers inhibit galectin-3 protein that plays a major role Alzheimer’s disease

In recent years, it has become increasingly clear to researchers that the protein galectin-3 is involved in inflammatory diseases in the brain.

15 May 2019

Light therapy may dramatically reduce neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at MIT have found that light therapy can enhance synaptic function and protect against cell death in Alzheimer’s disease.

9 May 2019

Long-standing immunosuppressive drug reduces Zika birth defects in mice

In experiments with pregnant mice infected with the Zika virus, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report they have successfully used a long-standing immunosuppressive drug to diminish the rate of fetal deaths and birth defects in the mice's offspring.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 7 May 2019

Comprehensive brain map reveals ‘hidden’ microglia that may be involved in neurodegenerative diseases

Our brains do not only contain neurons, but also a variety of immune cells that play an important role for its functioning.

6 May 2019

Novel chemical probe enables live imaging of brain immune cells

Researchers in South Korea and Singapore have, for the first time, developed a chemical probe that enables live-imaging of a type of immune cells in the brain, known as microglia, in a live animal brain.

3 May 2019