Central Nervous System News and Research

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Oligodendrocytes as Producers of Amyloid Beta in Alzheimer's Disease

Oligodendrocytes are an important source of amyloid beta (Aβ) and play a key role in promoting neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study published July 23, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Rikesh Rajani and Marc Aurel Busche from the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, and colleagues.

24 Jul 2024

Neuregulin 3 Gene Variant Linked to Gabapentin Effectiveness in Chronic Pelvic Pain

Women who carry a particular form of a pain gene are more likely to respond well to a common medication used to treat long-term discomfort, research shows.

16 Jul 2024

Kainate Receptors: A Potential Target for Novel Cerebellar Therapies

The Institute of Neurosciences (IN), a collaborative center of the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is leading a study in Tokyo, Japan, in conjunction with Keio University, which highlights the critical role one of the glutamate receptors plays in the proper functioning of the cerebellum's synapses.

11 Jul 2024

UCL Study Uncovers Astrocytes' Role in Brain Energy Boosting Mechanism

A key mechanism which detects when the brain needs an additional energy boost to support its activity has been identified in a study in mice and cells led by UCL scientists.

4 Jul 2024

Fruit Fly Motor Circuitry Revealed Through Advanced Mapping Techniques

Work is underway on a wiring diagram of the motor circuits in the central nervous system that control muscles in fruit flies.

27 Jun 2024

Breakthrough in Understanding Connexin-Drug Interactions

Researchers have gained new knowledge of how drugs bind to connexin molecules. These molecules form channels that allow neighboring cells to send direct messages to one another.

27 Jun 2024

Novel protein biomarker panel can detect Parkinson's disease in early stages using blood samples

A team of researchers used multiplexed mass spectrometry data and a machine learning model to identify biomarkers that can predict Parkinson’s disease.

27 Jun 2024

Small Molecule Restores TERT Levels to Combat Aging-Related Decline

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have demonstrated that therapeutically restoring 'youthful' levels of a specific subunit of the telomerase enzyme can significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of aging in preclinical models.

24 Jun 2024

Study Unveils Broader Immune Response in EBV-MS Connection

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may have a greater effect on the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) than previously believed due to a higher level of cross-reactivity, which occurs when the immune system binds to the incorrect target.

10 Jun 2024

New Chemical Modification Enhances Antisense Oligonucleotide Targeting in CNS Diseases

Diseases that affect the brain and spinal cord can be particularly devastating, and finding new and more effective ways to treat these conditions is an important goal for researchers and clinicians alike.

23 May 2024

Researchers Highlight Crucial Contributions of Astrocytes to Mental Health

The health and function of the brain depend on astrocytes, which are essential cells in the central nervous system. According to recent research, they affect behaviors and higher cognitive functions by controlling local neuronal activity.

22 Apr 2024

Cell's Garbage Disposal May Also Send Sensory Signals Beyond Recycling

The proteasome, the cell's garbage disposal mechanism, usually breaks down proteins into smaller pieces and recycles some of the pieces.

15 Apr 2024

Unraveling the Mysteries of Neuronal Communication Circuits

The basic building blocks of the central nervous system are neurons, or nerve cells, which play a crucial role in signal transduction pathways.

3 Apr 2024

Rare YKT6 Gene Variants Linked to New Neurological Disorder

A recent collaborative study has discovered rare variants in the YKT6 gene as the cause of a new neurological disorder characterized by developmental delays along with severe progressive liver disease and a potential risk for liver cancer.

2 Apr 2024

New Study Sheds Light on Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction in Aging

The central nervous system requires a tightly controlled environment for the neurons in the brain to function properly and be able to process information. The blood-brain barrier, which is maintained by specific brain endothelial cells lining blood vessel inner walls, controls the exchange of chemicals between the neurological and circulatory systems.

25 Mar 2024

Non-Immune Cells Form Memory, Boosts Inflammatory Response

An essential component of adaptive immunity is immunological memory, which is the capacity to react to a foreign material or antigen more quickly and intensely when exposed again.

21 Mar 2024

New Biomarker Offers Early Detection of ALS and FTD

Two progressively degenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD, recently in the news with the diagnoses of actor Bruce Willis and talk show host Wendy Williams), are linked by more than the fact that they both damage nerve cells critical to normal functioning -; the former affecting nerves in the brain and spinal cord leading to loss of movement, the latter eroding the brain regions controlling personality, behavior and language.

19 Mar 2024

Discovery of Crym-Positive Astrocytes Sheds Light on Neuropsychiatric Disorders

UCLA Health researchers have discovered a group of specialized support cells in the brain that can regulate behaviors associated with human neuropsychiatric disorders.

1 Mar 2024

Scientists Develop First Full Model of Early Human Central Nervous System with Stem Cells

The first stem cell culture method that produces a full model of the early stages of the human central nervous system has been developed by a team of engineers and biologists at the University of Michigan, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and the University of Pennsylvania.

27 Feb 2024

Breaking Down the Complex Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration

By using a novel neuronal cell culture model, researchers at the University of Zurich have illuminated the complex mechanisms behind neurodegeneration.

23 Feb 2024