Neuron News and Research

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Chili Peppers continue to help unravel mechanism of pain sensation

Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers, generally is viewed as an irritant that produces a burning sensation when applied to a sensitive area of the body, such as the cornea.

25 Feb 2009

Researchers generate functional neurons from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells

In a new study, researchers were able to generate functionally mature motor neurons from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are engineered from adult somatic cells and can differentiate into most other cell types.

24 Feb 2009

Significant Rett syndrome discovery

A paper published online today in Nature Neuroscience reveals the presence of methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) in glia. MeCP2 is a protein associated with a variety of neurological disorders, including Rett Syndrome, the most physically disabling of the autism spectrum disorders.

23 Feb 2009

Mechanisms that prevent Alzheimer's Disease: Enzymatic activity plays key role

In a project involving the collaboration of several institutes, research scientists of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have succeeded in gaining further insight in the functioning of endogenous mechanisms that protect against the development of Alzheimer's disease.

23 Feb 2009

Human stem cells provide a new model for Lou Gehrig's disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a devastating condition in which motor neuron degeneration causes progressive loss of movement and muscle tone, leading to death.

23 Feb 2009

Researchers develop 'wireless' activation of brain circuits

Traditionally, stimulating nerves or brain tissue involves cumbersome wiring and a sharp metal electrode.

23 Feb 2009

Decoding short-term memory with functional magnetic resonance imaging

People voluntarily pick what information they store in short-term memory.

22 Feb 2009

Lynx2 gene linked to nervous behavior in mice

To measure anxiety in a mouse and suggest it's similar to anxiety in a person may seem like a stretch, but the metrics sound uncannily familiar.

20 Feb 2009

Drug sodium phenylbutyrate could improve the memory of those with Alzheimer's disease

The results of the project, developed by researchers of the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the University of Navarra have been published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

20 Feb 2009

Forgotten and lost -- when proteins 'shut down' our brain

Which modules of the tau protein, in neurons of Alzheimer disease patients, may act in a destructive manner were investigated by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Göttingen) and the Max Planck Unit for Structural Molecular Biology (Hamburg) with the help of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ( PLoS Biology , February 17, 2009).

18 Feb 2009

Neural wiring hints at nervous system gene limits

Genetics may play a surprisingly small role in determining the precise wiring of the mammalian nervous system, according to painstaking mapping of every neuron projecting to a small muscle mice use to move their ears.

16 Feb 2009

Cellular changes in the sleeping brain promote the formation of memories

If you ever argued with your mother when she told you to get some sleep after studying for an exam instead of pulling an all-nighter, you owe her an apology, because it turns out she's right.

15 Feb 2009

New method to stimulate immune system may be effective at reducing amyloid burden in Alzheimer?s

Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered a novel way to stimulate the innate immune system of mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) - leading to reduced amyloid deposits and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease related pathology - without causing toxic side effects.

15 Feb 2009

New insight into why gambling is so attractive to some

A new study demonstrates that when gambling, almost winning promotes significant recruitment of win-related circuitry within the brain and enhances the motivation to gamble.

15 Feb 2009

Bristol Neuroscientists host brain workshops

Around 100 local pupils will have the chance to take part in some really ‘brainy' activities this week at a series of interactive workshops, hosted by Bristol University neuroscientists, to help them discover more about the science of the brain.

11 Feb 2009

Low cholesterol, depression in men linked to early death

New Geisinger research shows that men with a combination of low total cholesterol and depression were seven times more likely to die prematurely from unnatural causes, such as suicide and accidents.

10 Feb 2009

Endo Pharmaceuticals announces research collaborations on novel pain treatments and potential cancer treatments

Endo Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has signed two research collaboration agreements to develop novel treatments for pain and to discover potential treatments for cancer.

10 Feb 2009

Could a hereditary illness ever spread by contamination?

Researchers at the CNRS Laboratoire d'enzymologie et biochimie structurales, studying Huntington's disease in collaboration with Professor Ron Kopito's team at Stanford University, have shown that the normal form of huntingtin protein can acquire an abnormal form without any modification of its genetic code.

10 Feb 2009

Discovery of potential treatment for Rett syndrome

A molecule that promotes brain development could serve as a possible treatment for Rett syndrome, the most common form of autism in girls, according to researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

9 Feb 2009