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GlycoNet researchers to study correlation between sugars and Alzheimer's disease

Two GlycoNet Investigators are using technology to better understand how sugars in the human body are connected to Alzheimer's disease.

12 Feb 2018

Neuroscientist wins NIH grant to find whether pear- or apple-shape physique is best for our brains

With the new year still ringing, many of us have fat on our minds, but Dr. Alexis M. Stranahan is more interested in what fat does to our minds.

29 Jan 2018

Powerful imaging technique sheds light on how the brain responds to vascular injury

Pericytes, a little-understood type of cell on the brain's blood vessels, grow into the empty space left when neighboring pericytes die, report researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina in a January 2nd, 2018 article in Cell Reports.

4 Jan 2018

Brain astrocytes could play key role in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

Astrocytes, the supporting cells of the brain, could play a significant role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. This is the first time researchers discovered a direct association between astrocytes and AD. Published in Stem Cell Reports, the study investigated the brain cell function of familial AD patients by using stem cell technologies.

17 Nov 2017

New model could provide understanding of how HIV infection damages the brain

HIV infects certain cells in the brain called microglia, and infected microglia release toxic and inflammatory molecules that can impair or kill surrounding neurons.

8 Nov 2017

Gelatin promotes faster healing of the blood brain barrier after injury

Researchers already know that gelatin-covered electrode implants cause less damage to brain tissue than electrodes with no gelatin coating. Researchers at the Neuronano Research Centre at Lund University in Sweden have now shown that microglia, the brain's cleansing cells, and the enzymes that the cells use in the cleaning process, change in the presence of gelatin.

6 Nov 2017

Discovery may provide insight into how Zika virus gets transmitted from mother to fetus

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in Brazil, report that the Zika virus is transmitted from mother to fetus by infected cells that, ironically, will later develop into the brain's first and primary form of defense against invasive pathogens.

27 Oct 2017

Alzheimer's gene can protect against and promote neurological damage

Scientists drilling down to the molecular roots of Alzheimer's disease have encountered a good news/bad news scenario. A major player is a gene called TREM2, mutations of which can substantially raise a person's risk of the disease.

9 Oct 2017

Immune cells may play crucial role in helping the brain heal after hemorrhage or stroke

While immune cells called neutrophils are known to act as infantry in the body's war on germs, a National Institutes of Health-funded study suggests they can act as medics as well. By studying rodents, researchers showed that instead of attacking germs, some neutrophils may help heal the brain after an intracerebral hemorrhage, a form of stroke caused by ruptured blood vessels.

20 Sep 2017

Researchers find unique genetic mutation in 74-year-old man with Parkinson's disease

Mutations in the human genome may be responsible for many diseases. In the case of Parkinson's disease (PD), five locations have been the subject of recent attention. Variants of one of these locations, ACMSD (aminocarboxymuconate semialdehyde decarboxylase), may be implicated in PD, but until now, no mutations in ACMSD have been found in any PD patients.

14 Sep 2017

Researchers identify gene linked to brain damage in pre-term babies

A gene has been identified by researchers at King's College London that is thought to be associated with the types of brain damage that can be caused by pre-term birth.

5 Sep 2017

Potential rare gene mutation could act as predictor for schizophrenia and autism

Huntington's disease, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy are all diseases that can be traced to a single mutation. Diagnosis in asymptomatic patient for these diseases is relatively easy - You have the mutation? Then you are at risk. Complex diseases, on the other hand, do not have a clear mutational footprint.

30 Aug 2017

Stabilizing TREM2 could be viable therapeutic strategy to combat Alzheimer's disease

A gene called triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, or TREM2, has been associated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Parkinson's disease, and Nasu-Hakola disease. Recently, a rare mutation in the gene has been shown to increase the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

30 Aug 2017

Acid-sensing receptor may have significant relevance to physiological response in panic disorder

Panic disorder is a syndrome characterized by spontaneous and recurrent episodes of incapacitating anxiety. It typically emerges during adolescence or early adulthood and can take an exhausting emotional and physical toll on the body.

24 Aug 2017

Scientists reveal differences between human and murine microglia used in degenerative disease research

The results of a new research showed that many of the genes that are expressed by microglia are different between humans and mice, which are frequently used as animal models in research on Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

18 Aug 2017

Researchers spot two genes that influence person's risk of Alzheimer's disease

A team of researchers led by Cardiff University has identified two genes that influence a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

17 Jul 2017

Immune system controls eye tissue regeneration in zebrafish, research finds

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report evidence that zebrafishes' natural ability to regenerate their eyes' retinal tissue can be accelerated by controlling the fishes' immune systems.

17 Jul 2017

ASU-TGen researchers find source of altered ANK1 gene expression linked to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers led by Arizona State University and the Translational Genomics Research Institute have identified altered expression of a gene called ANK1, which only recently has been associated with memory robbing Alzheimer's disease, in specific cells in the brain.

14 Jul 2017

Natural compound found in strawberries may help prevent age-related diseases

Salk scientists have found further evidence that a natural compound in strawberries reduces cognitive deficits and inflammation associated with aging in mice.

11 Jul 2017

Dysfunctional microglia cells contribute to loss of synapses in Alzheimer's disease

Similar to other neurodegenerative disorders, Alzheimer's is a disease in which the cognitive abilities of afflicted persons continuously worsen.

30 Jun 2017