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Neuropeptides Revealed as Key Messengers in Fear Response

Researchers at Salk developed techniques to examine neuropeptides, which are messenger proteins in the brain that regulate the fear response in mice.

23 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

New Cold-Sensing Protein Discovery Could Revolutionize Pain Management

The only available treatments for millions of people with chronic pain worldwide frequently involve the use of opioids, which pose the risk of addiction and overdose.

24 Jun 2024

Human Antibodies Offer Hope for Improved Black Widow Antivenom

Sera produced from horses can be used to treat serious illnesses caused by black widow bites. But this approach is not totally secure. To address this, scientists have produced entirely human antibodies that are capable of neutralizing the European black widow's alpha-latrotoxin.

13 Jun 2024

Super-Cooled Brain Cell Molecules Shed Light on Epilepsy Drug Action

By super cooling a molecule on the surface of brain cells down to about minus 180 degrees Celsius -; nearly twice as cold as the coldest places in Antarctica -; scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have determined how a widely-used epilepsy drug works to dampen the excitability of brain cells and help to control, although not cure, seizures.

11 Jun 2024

New Technique Reveals Microscopic Heart Vessels with Unprecedented Clarity

A new imaging technique tested in patients could improve the evaluation of cardiac conditions and undiagnosed chest pain.

7 May 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

TAM-Sense Offers Painless Imaging of Tumor Inflammation

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded two new grants totaling $6.7 million to researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

2 Apr 2024

Promising Compound Shows Potential in Reducing Alcohol Consumption

Scripps Research scientists have found that LY2444296-;a compound that selectively blocks the kappa opioid receptor (KOP)-;may reduce drinking in cases of alcohol dependence in animal studies.

30 Mar 2024

Nature-Inspired Approach Accelerates Folding of Cysteine-Rich Peptides for Drug Discovery

Certain types of peptides and microproteins for drug discovery research can be made more efficiently and quickly using a reaction solvent that helps mimic nature's way.

25 Mar 2024

Scientists Design Proteins to Reach Hidden Cellular Targets

Drug developers have long faced challenges in reaching targets embedded within the cell membrane because of the membrane's complex biochemical properties. Chemists at Scripps Research have now shown that novel, specially made proteins are capable of effectively reaching these “intramembrane” targets.

14 Mar 2024

How Seba's Short-Tailed Bats Navigate Their Acoustic World

The world of bats is full of sounds. They utilize vocalizations for both navigation and communication with their conspecifics. For the latter, they produce ultrasonic noises that reverberate and allow them to form a mental "image" of their environment

26 Feb 2024

Pain-Triggered Oxytocin in the Brain Leads Mice to Shun Bullies

Mice, like humans, fight for mates and territory, form intricate social groups, and learn when it is safer to stay away from particular opponents.

25 Jan 2024

New Technology Enables Minimally-Invasive, High-Resolution Recording of Brain Activity

Sensors built with a new manufacturing approach are capable of recording activity deep within the brain from large populations of individual neurons–with a resolution of as few as one or two neurons–in humans as well as a range of animal models, according to a study published in the Jan. 17, 2024 issue of the journal Nature Communications.

18 Jan 2024