Nervous System News and Research

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The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous system contains the brain and spinal cord.

Segmented Nerve Cords Enable Precision and Flexibility in Cephalopod Arms

Findings on cephalopod nerve cords highlight segmentation's role in sucker movement control, advancing knowledge of neural architectures in soft-bodied species.

24 Jan 2025

Microglia Response Varies Between Male and Female Mice

A collision happens. Someone is hurt, a head injury, a concussion. Just as the first responders arrive to help the person, inside the brain, another "crew" of responders is busy clearing debris and repairing injured tissue.

22 Jan 2025

Mapping of Neuronal IL-1R1 Expression in the Mouse Brain Sheds Light on Mood and Memory

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a key molecule involved in inflammation and plays an important role in both healthy and diseased states.

20 Jan 2025

Breakthrough in Understanding Semliki Forest Virus Neuro-Invasion

In a recent study, researchers from Uppsala University show that the Semliki Forest virus enters the central nervous system by first entering the cerebrospinal fluid and then binding to a specific cell type before penetrating deeper into the brain.

16 Jan 2025

Researchers Create 3D Atlas of Brain-Spinal Cord Connections

Signals relayed to motor neurons from the brain enable muscle movement, but these signals typically pass through spinal interneurons before they reach their destination. How the brain and this highly diverse group of "switchboard operator" cells are connected is poorly understood.

24 Dec 2024

Chaperone Proteins Unveil Their Role in Neurotransmission

A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the first to show how proteins called "chaperones" are vital in ensuring that neurons can transmit signals to one another. When this neurotransmission breaks down, devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's along with many others, can occur.

19 Dec 2024

Neural Stem Cells Found to Rejuvenate the Aging Brain

Much like plants in a thriving forest, certain cells in the brain create a nurturing environment, enhancing the health and resilience of their neighbors, while others promote stress and damage, akin to a noxious weed in an ecosystem.

19 Dec 2024

Unveiling Human Stem Cell Model with Functional Notochord

For the first time, the notochord a tissue in the developing embryo that serves as a navigation system, telling cells where to build the spine and nervous system (the trunk) has been included in human stem cell models created by researchers at the Francis Crick Institute.

19 Dec 2024

Unraveling the Mystery of Anglerfish’s Deadly Fishing Trick

Frogfish exhibit motor neuron migration in the CNS, revealing evolutionary adaptations in dorsal fins that enhance hunting efficiency and vertebrate evolution.

13 Dec 2024

Programmable G-protein-coupled receptors redefine therapeutic applications.

This study demonstrates the development of PAGERs (programmable antigen-gated engineered receptors), combining antigen specificity, modular adaptability, and drug-controlled activation, with potential applications in synthetic biology, therapeutics, and neuroscience.

12 Dec 2024

Biomaterials to Regenerate the Nervous System: Carl Zeiss Foundation Sponsors InteReg Project at Mainz University

Collaborative project involving Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, and the Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research will receive EUR 6 million.

11 Dec 2024

New Study Challenges Traditional View of Axon Shape and Function

In a provocative new study, scientists challenge a fundamental tenet in neuroscience about the shape of axons -- the long, thin filaments radiating from nerve cells that transmit electrical signals from cell to cell – and propose a new model for understanding how information is transmitted in the brain.

9 Dec 2024

"Molecular GPS" Developed to Guide Immune Cells into the Brain and Kill Tumors

Researchers have found a way to program immune cells to attack glioblastoma and treat the inflammation of multiple sclerosis in mice.

6 Dec 2024

Groundbreaking Discovery Connects Immune Cells with Neural and Metabolic Control

Immune cells have a surprising and critical role in controlling movement and bridging neural activity with metabolic demands, concludes a groundbreaking study published in Nature by researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Imperial College London.

5 Dec 2024

New Discovery Redefines the Shape of Axons in Mammalian Brain Cells

Biology textbooks may need a revision, say Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists, who present new evidence that an armlike structure of mammalian brain cells may be a different shape than scientists have assumed for more than a century.

3 Dec 2024

Mathematical Approach Helps Understand Complex Neural Systems

In an article published in the scientific journal PNAS Nexus, researchers from the Neuromorphic Engineering Laboratory at the University of Liège reveal a fascinating brain mechanism: the ability of neurons to maintain reliable functions despite significant variability in their physiological components.

29 Nov 2024

Study Reveals Molecular Mechanism Behind Neural Fate Commitment

The Wistar Institute's Alessandro Gardini, Ph.D., and lab have shed new light on how certain biological processes determine the development of neural cells. Their findings on a molecular "bridge" complex demonstrate a new level of detail in the understanding of early neural development -; which is fundamental for the further understanding of neurodevelopmental syndromes.

27 Nov 2024