Neurons News and Research

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Human motor neurons can be quickly generated from stem cells, say researchers

Researchers report they can generate human motor neurons from stem cells much more quickly and efficiently than previous methods allowed. The finding, described in Nature Communications, will aid efforts to model human motor neuron development, and to understand and treat spinal cord injuries and motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

2 Apr 2014

Cedars-Sinai earns grant to conduct clinical trial of gene therapy product for patients with Lou Gehrig's disease

The Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute has received a $2.5 million grant from the Department of Defense to conduct animal studies that, if successful, could provide the basis for a clinical trial of a gene therapy product for patients with Lou Gehrig's disease, also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

2 Apr 2014

Northwestern University awarded NIH grant to conduct phase III Parkinson's neuroprotective study

Tanya Simuni, M.D., medical director of Northwestern University's Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct a $16 million phase III study of the safety and efficacy of the drug isradipine as a potential neuroprotective agent in Parkinson's disease.

2 Apr 2014

New research implicates that RNA processing is central to ALS disease process

In work supported by The ALS Association, researchers have discovered a new ALS-causing gene and have linked its function to that of another prominent disease gene. The study was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

1 Apr 2014

Researchers identify two new genes associated with intellectual disability

Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health have discovered two new genes linked to intellectual disability, according to two research studies published concurrently this month in the journals Human Genetics and Human Molecular Genetics.

1 Apr 2014

Experimental anticancer compound appears to reverse behaviors associated with schizophrenia

Johns Hopkins researchers say that an experimental anticancer compound appears to have reversed behaviors associated with schizophrenia and restored some lost brain cell function in adolescent mice with a rodent version of the devastating mental illness.

1 Apr 2014

Young adults with cardiac risk factors have worse cognitive function in middle age

Young adults with such cardiac risk factors as high blood pressure and elevated glucose levels have significantly worse cognitive function in middle age, according to a new study by dementia researchers at UC San Francisco.

1 Apr 2014

Potassium boost improves walking, prolongs survival in mouse model of Huntington's disease

Tweaking a specific cell type's ability to absorb potassium in the brain improved walking and prolonged survival in a mouse model of Huntington's disease, reports a UCLA study published March 30 in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience. The discovery could point to new drug targets for treating the devastating disease, which strikes one in every 20,000 Americans.

31 Mar 2014

Scientists discover role of protons in neurotransmission

While probing how organisms sense gravity and acceleration, scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and the University of Utah uncovered evidence that acid (proton concentration) plays a key role in communication between neurons.

27 Mar 2014

Study points to potential culprit that kills motor neurons in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is marked by a cascade of cellular and inflammatory events that weakens and kills vital motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The process is complex, involving cells that ordinarily protect the neurons from harm. Now, a new study by scientists in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital points to a potential culprit in this good-cell-gone-bad scenario, a key step toward the ultimate goal of developing a treatment.

27 Mar 2014

Scientists discover why cerebellar granule cell neurons in A-T patients fail to repair DNA damage

A team of scientists, led by Stuart Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the Neuroscience and Aging Research Center at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, recently discovered why cerebellar granule cell neurons in patients suffering from ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) were unable to repair DNA damage and thus died.

26 Mar 2014

MIT biological engineers trying to adapt MRI to visualize gene activity inside the brains of living animals

Doctors commonly use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose tumors, damage from stroke, and many other medical conditions. Neuroscientists also rely on it as a research tool for identifying parts of the brain that carry out different cognitive functions.

26 Mar 2014

Stem cell research opens doors to potential new treatments for bipolar disorder

What makes a person bipolar, prone to manic highs and deep, depressed lows? Why does bipolar disorder run so strongly in families, even though no single gene is to blame? And why is it so hard to find new treatments for a condition that affects 200 million people worldwide?

26 Mar 2014

tPA can improve chances of recovering from stroke

When the clock starts ticking after the onset of stroke symptoms, access to a neurologist is crucial. Quickly diagnosing a stroke allows for the administration of lifesaving tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) in patients who quality for this treatment.

25 Mar 2014

New subcellular mechanism identified for fast transmission in basket cells of the brain

In his third major research paper since December 2013, IST Austria Professor Peter Jonas together with his collaborator, postdoc Hua Hu, identifies a new subcellular mechanism for reliable, fast transmission in the so-called basket cells of the brain.

25 Mar 2014

Neurons News and Research

Human motor neurons can be quickly generated from stem cells, say researchers

Cedars-Sinai earns grant to conduct clinical trial of gene therapy product for patients with Lou Gehrig's disease

Northwestern University awarded NIH grant to conduct phase III Parkinson's neuroprotective study

New research implicates that RNA processing is central to ALS disease process

Researchers identify two new genes associated with intellectual disability

Experimental anticancer compound appears to reverse behaviors associated with schizophrenia

Young adults with cardiac risk factors have worse cognitive function in middle age

Potassium boost improves walking, prolongs survival in mouse model of Huntington's disease

Scientists discover role of protons in neurotransmission

Study points to potential culprit that kills motor neurons in ALS

Scientists discover why cerebellar granule cell neurons in A-T patients fail to repair DNA damage

MIT biological engineers trying to adapt MRI to visualize gene activity inside the brains of living animals

Stem cell research opens doors to potential new treatments for bipolar disorder

tPA can improve chances of recovering from stroke

New subcellular mechanism identified for fast transmission in basket cells of the brain

New research reveals new complexity to nerve cells in brain that could affect future therapies

Insulin-secreting beta cells of pancreas have capacity to regenerate, say scientists

Research aims to develop world's first lipid database for healthy persons

Inner-ear membrane uses tiny pores to mechanically separate sounds

Neurexin proteins play key role in formation of synaptic connections

Neuroscience - Second Edition eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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