Neurons News and Research

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UBQLN2 Liquid Droplets Found to Catalyze Early α-Synuclein Aggregation

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related, progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The hallmark of PD pathogenesis is the Lewy bodies (LBs) that accumulate in neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain, damaging these neurons and leading to the motor symptoms of the disease. α-synuclein (α-syn), a misfolded protein, aggregates and forms fibrils, which leads to the formation of LBs.

27 Nov 2025

Scientists Uncover Inner Workings of Biomolecular Condensates Linked to ALS

Inside the cell reside many tiny assembly factories and warehouses that gather together all of the proteins and RNAs-which carry out instructions from our DNA-that a living being needs.

27 Nov 2025

Researchers Uncover How Methamphetamine Suppresses Dopamine Clearance

Dopamine brings on a surge of pleasure, but too much dopamine in a synapse can ultimately lead to mood disorders and addiction.

26 Nov 2025

Scientists Map Five Major Epochs of Brain Wiring Across Human Life

Neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge have identified five "major epochs" of brain structure over the course of a human life, as our brains rewire to support different ways of thinking while we grow, mature, and ultimately decline.

26 Nov 2025

Discovery Reveals Unexpected Role for OTULIN in Controlling Tau Expression

Scientists have uncovered a surprising mechanism by which a brain enzyme called OTULIN controls the expression of tau, the protein that forms toxic tangles in Alzheimer's disease.

26 Nov 2025

New Technique Reveals Synaptic Vesicle Dynamics in Living Brain Tissue

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have used a "zap-and-freeze" technology to watch hard-to-see brain cell communications in living brain tissue from mice and humans.

25 Nov 2025

Advancing Brain Research With Nanowire-Based Astrocyte Models

Scientists have engineered a nanowire platform that mimics brain tissue to study astrocytes, the star-shaped cells critical for brain health, for the first time in their natural state.

25 Nov 2025

Innovative Human Cell Model Shows How Melanoma Thrives in the Brain

Using human cells and cutting-edge technology, the team created a three-dimensional (3D) model that accurately simulates the brain invaded by aggressive cancer.

19 Nov 2025

Neurons and Other Nondividing Cells Respond Differently to CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing

The gene editing tool known as CRISPR-Cas9 is changing what's possible for treating a wide range of diseases caused by genetic mutations.

18 Nov 2025

Researchers Reveal How the Brain Forms Hidden-State Inferences

Animals survive in changing and unpredictable environments by not merely responding to new circumstances, but also, like humans, by forming inferences about their surroundings-for instance, squirrels understand that certain bird noises don't signal the presence of a predator, so won't seek shelter when they later hear these same sounds.

18 Nov 2025

Brain Immune Cells Found to Act as Accelerators and Brakes for Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions in America, affecting about one in five people nationwide.

12 Nov 2025

Rare Stress-Sensitive Neurons Hold the Key to Healthy Brain Blood Flow

While the exact causes of neurodegenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia are still largely unknown, researchers have been able to identify a key characteristic in affected brains: reduced blood flow.

12 Nov 2025

Atomic Structure of Kinesin-2 Reveals the Molecular Logic of Cargo Recognition

For decades, scientists have known that motor proteins like kinesin-2 ferry vital cargo along microtubule "highways" inside cells.

7 Nov 2025

Hidden Role of Biliverdin Reductase A in Fighting Oxidative Damage

According to a new study from Johns Hopkins Medicine, the enzyme biliverdin reductase A (BVRA) protects neurons directly from oxidative stress, regardless of whether it produces the yellow pigment bilirubin.

5 Nov 2025

RNA Molecules Alter Genome Structure to Silence Critical Neuronal Genes During Stress

What if the brain's response to stress could be read not in fleeting neurotransmitter bursts, but in the quieting of genes deep inside chromatin? Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have now shown that stress hormones may silence crucial neuronal genes through an unexpected class of RNA molecules that operate not by encoding proteins, but by reshaping the genome's architecture.

5 Nov 2025

Enzyme BVRA Found to Shield Neurons from Oxidative Stress

New research from Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that the enzyme biliverdin reductase A (BVRA) plays a direct protective role against oxidative stress in neurons, independent of its role producing the yellow pigment bilirubin.

4 Nov 2025

Scientists Build the First Cellular Atlas of the World’s Deadliest Mosquito

The most dangerous animal in the world just got easier to study-and perhaps defeat one day.

3 Nov 2025

Frazzled Protein Found to Shape Fast Neural Connections in Fruit Flies

Florida Atlantic University neuroscientists have uncovered a surprising role for a protein named "Frazzled" (known as DCC in mammals) in the nervous system of fruit flies, showing how it helps neurons connect and communicate with lightning speed.

3 Nov 2025

Research Sheds New Light On How Neurons Transmit Strains and Stresses

How do embryos develop? Why does the cortex of the mammalian brain fold? How do we feel touch at our fingertips? These and other fundamental biological questions remain unsolved. Yet, scientists know they all rely on a common principle: the conversion of a physical stimulus into a biochemical signal.

30 Oct 2025

Fruit Fly Study Reveals New Details on Alzheimer's Disease Risk Genes

Scientists have identified hundreds of genes that may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease but the roles these genes play in the brain are poorly understood.

30 Oct 2025