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Researchers identify a sound-sensitive mammalian protein

Salk researchers have programmed mammalian cells to be stimulated with ultrasound.

14 Feb 2022

Hemoglobin plays role as a chemosensory signal for mother mice to protect offspring

Biochemists in Japan were surprised to discover that the molecule hemoglobin in the blood works not only as an oxygen carrier, but when the blood is spilled as a result of aggression, accident or predator attack, the molecule also acts as a chemosensory signal -; a chemical stimulus picked up by the senses, namely smell in this case -; for lactating mother mice, prompting digging or rearing behavior in them to check the surrounding environment and keep their offspring safe.

11 Feb 2022

Three proteins as potential new therapeutic targets in movement disorders

Three members of a family of proteins have been identified that are important to helping us fine tune the activity of brain chemicals which enable us to walk or stand at will, scientists report.

11 Feb 2022

Social contact-seeking behavior in mice is driven by peptide amylin in the brain, study reveals

As we have experienced during the COVID pandemic, loneliness, or perceived social isolation, is a major stress for social animals and increases the risk of various mental and physical health issues such as depression, substance abuse, obesity, and premature death.

9 Feb 2022

Study discovers a novel role for hormone-sensitive neurons in maternal nesting behavior

Gestation leads to a modification of brain circuits and behaviors such as nesting within the animal kingdom. The underlying biological, neural and hormonal mechanisms have been unknown until now.

7 Feb 2022

Researchers gain detailed insight into the mechanism of a light-driven chloride pump

Many bacteria and unicellular algae have light-driven pumps in their cell membranes: proteins that change shape when exposed to photons such that they can transport charged atoms in or out of the cell.

4 Feb 2022

Different autism risk genes have similar effects on brain development, study finds

Autism spectrum disorder has been associated with hundreds of different genes, but how these distinct genetic mutations converge on a similar pathology in patients has remained a mystery.

3 Feb 2022

Researchers provide first evidence of the gene-environment interaction in the social dysfunctions typical of autistic disorders

Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by a wide range of behavioral issues.

2 Feb 2022

Researchers aim to tackle neurodegenerative diseases of the eye and brain

Could a new paradigm in digital health treat blinding disorders and possibly also be a conduit for treating other parts of the brain? A multi-disciplinary team of world-renowned researchers at USC are exploring this exciting possibility.

31 Jan 2022

Experts unravel a new form of communication between brain cells

Scientists discovered hundreds of proteins that are constantly transferred throughout the healthy brain in small membrane-enclosed sacs.

31 Jan 2022

Respiration entrains and coordinates neuronal activity in various brain regions

LMU neuroscientists have shown that breathing coordinates neuronal activity throughout the brain during sleep and quiet.

25 Jan 2022

Alteration of gene expression "recipe" in a protovertebrate impacts sensory cell development

When baking a cake, even a small change to your recipe can have a major impact on the final product.

24 Jan 2022

Researchers analyze motor protein movement in neurons

A thread-like highway, called microtubule tracks, allows motor proteins to transport cargo inside neurons.

21 Jan 2022

First molecular images of enzyme may help solve the mystery cause of hereditary neurodegenerative diseases

WEHI researchers have produced the first molecular images of an enzyme that controls proteins to signal and communicate with each other in human cells.

From Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) 13 Jan 2022

Increasing the expression of a gene slows Alzheimer’s progression in mice

According to a recent research, enhancing the expression of one gene in cells that help the brain’s neurons, shields neurons in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.

13 Jan 2022

Scientists discover new Senp5S protein with crucial role in brain development

Understanding how the brain develops is crucial to formulating treatments and management protocols for a variety of developmental disorders, as well as degenerative neurological diseases. Right from the embryonic stage, brain development is facilitated by the differentiation of neurons (brain cells).

12 Jan 2022

Neurons derived from human stem cells can predict the cardinal features of psychiatric illness

In a breakthrough that holds significant promise for early diagnosis and better treatment of psychiatric illness, researchers have for the first time used neurons derived from human stem cells to predict the cardinal features of a psychiatric illness, such as psychosis and cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia.

11 Jan 2022

Cryobioprinting uses a bioink embedded with cells to print frozen and complex structures

A new technique takes bioprinting -; in which an ink of cells is printed, layer by layer, to form a structure -; to a whole new, and icy level. Investigators from the Zhang lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a technology that they term "cryobioprinting," a method that uses a bioink embedded with cells to print frozen, complex structures that can be easily stored for later use.

31 Dec 2021

Discovery may lead to a better understanding of prion and other neurodegenerative diseases

Prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), are fast-moving, fatal dementia syndromes associated with the formation of aggregates of the prion protein, PrP.

23 Dec 2021

Novel tool provides an unprecedented view of brain cell activity

To decipher the mysteries behind memory and learning, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine developed a system to trace millions of connections amongst brain cells in mice.

22 Dec 2021