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.

Researchers investigate cellular factors that could be significant for COVID-19 infection

An infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can affect multiple organs. With this in mind, researchers of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Cornell University in the US have investigated cellular factors that could be significant for an infection.

4 Sep 2020

Study reveals a successful strategy to fight influenza

For a long time, influenza scientists have largely focused their studies on the epithelial cells that line the lungs.

2 Sep 2020

Researchers identify brain protein that leads to seizures, abnormal social behaviors

Scientists have identified a novel mechanism that is responsible for causing the abnormal development of neuronal connections in the mice brain.

1 Sep 2020

Findings show new promise for using stem cells to treat enteric nervous system disorders

Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how the enteric nervous system forms, which could pave the way for new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

28 Aug 2020

Insecticide can impact the feeding behavior of prawns leading to nutritional deficiency

Researchers from the University's National Marine Science Centre have demonstrated that imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, can impact the feeding behaviour of prawns in a laboratory environment, leading to nutritional deficiency and reduced flesh quality.

26 Aug 2020

Study shows how DUSP8 protein regulates glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity

The brain plays a major role in controlling our blood glucose levels. In type 2 diabetics this glucose metabolism brain control is often dysfunctional. Genetic components for this phenomenon have so far remained elusive.

24 Aug 2020

Small set of genes may help decide the identity of every neuron in worms

When it comes to brain cells, one size does not fit all. Neurons come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and contain different types of brain chemicals.

20 Aug 2020

Cashew shell compound shows therapeutic potential for demyelinating diseases

In laboratory experiments, a chemical compound found in the shell of the cashew nut promotes the repair of myelin, a team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center reports today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

19 Aug 2020

Drugs designed to lower alpha-ketoglutarate levels could help fight DIPG tumors

Every year, 150 to 300 children in the United States are diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs), aggressive and lethal tumors that grow deep inside the brain, for which there are no cures.

19 Aug 2020

Protective anti-prion antibodies found in humans

Antibodies targeting the normal PrP version of the prion protein have been found in humans selected at random with no history of any associated transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

18 Aug 2020

Protein produced by nervous system may be the key to treating inflammatory diseases

A Rutgers-led team may have found the key to treating inflammatory diseases like asthma, allergies, chronic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

18 Aug 2020

Researchers identify a new gene to treat multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease that affects the central nervous system and can eventually lead to muscle tremors and thus loss of balance.

17 Aug 2020

Hydrogels based on modified pectins could be used for neural tissue restoration

Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) scientists have developed implantable hydrogels based on plant polysaccharides (pectins). They can play the role of an artificial extracellular matrix, a special network of molecules that fills the space between body cells.

14 Aug 2020

Researchers identify metabolically responsive “switch” that reduces tumor growth

According to a study the enzyme called serine palmitoyl-transferase can be utilized as a metabolically responsive “switch” that reduces the growth of tumor.

13 Aug 2020

A genetic switch in brain cells can toggle between sex-specific states when necessary

Biological sex is typically understood in binary terms: male and female. However, there are many examples of animals that are able to modify sex-typical biological and behavioral features and even change sex.

11 Aug 2020

Researchers identify phosphoprotein biomarkers to guide cancer therapy

Precision medicine in cancer treatment uses genetic changes in the cancer cells to select the best therapies for individual patients.

29 Jul 2020

Research identifies how the gut communicates with spinal cord and brain

You're faced with a big decision so your second brain provides what's normally referred to as 'gut instinct', but how did this sensation reach you before it was too late?

27 Jul 2020

Fat-burning neurons have previously unrecognized powers, study reveals

There's no doubt that you can lose fat by eating less or moving more--yet after decades of research, the biology underlying this equation remains mysterious.

23 Jul 2020

Blood vessels communicate with peripheral neurons to regulate neuronal differentiation

Researchers at Pompeu Fabra University have shown for the first time that blood vessels communicate with neurons in the peripheral nervous system, regulating their proliferation and differentiation.

17 Jul 2020

Disseminated cancer cells hijack crucial iron micronutrients to survive

In order to survive within the remote and harsh anatomical microenvironments of the central nervous system, the disseminated cancer cells that cause rare yet deadly leptomeningeal metastases (LM) hijack crucial iron micronutrients from native macrophages, researchers report.