A collaborative research team, including bioanalytical neurochemist Alexander G. Zestos of American University, has identified a key signaling pathway that spurs beige fat cells to burn energy, revealing a possible target for obesity therapies in humans. The team, whose findings published today in Nature Medicine, conducted mouse studies to identify the brain receptor known as the CHRNA2 signaling...
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Mice regrow brain tissue after stroke with bioengineered gel
Replacement neurons, blood vessels fill in stroke cavity; gel provides scaffolding In a first-of-its-kind finding, a new stroke-healing gel helped regrow neurons and blood vessels in mice with stroke-damaged brains, UCLA researchers report in the May 21 issue of Nature Materials. “We tested this in laboratory mice to determine if it would repair the brain in a model...
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Immune cells hold promise in slowing down ALS
Recent research from Houston Methodist Hospital showed that a new immunotherapy was safe for patients with ALS and also revealed surprising results that could bring hope to patients who have this relentlessly progressive and fatal disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a nervous system disorder in which nerve cells that...
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Cell types underlying schizophrenia identified
Scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and University of North Carolina, USA, have identified the cell types underlying schizophrenia in a new study published in Nature Genetics. The findings offer a roadmap for the development of new therapies to target the condition. Schizophrenia is an often devastating disorder causing huge human suffering. Genetic studies have linked...
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Relieving constipation by shining light where the Sun don’t shine
The field of optogenetics is all about using light to stimulate cells in the body, and so far it’s been used to modify pain responses in mice, reset the biological clock, and restore regular heartbeats as a gentle alternative to defibrillation. Now, researchers from Flinders University have used the technique to shine a light where the Sun don’t shine, stimulating nerves in...
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Larger waistlines are linked to higher risk of vitamin D deficiency
Higher levels of belly fat are associated with lower vitamin D levels in obese individuals, according to data presented in Barcelona at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, ECE 2018. The study reports that vitamin D levels are lower in individuals with higher levels of belly fat, and suggests that individuals, particularly the overweight...
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Hotter bodies fight infections and tumours better—researchers show how
The hotter our body temperature, the more our bodies speed up a key defence system that fights against tumours, wounds or infections, new research by a multidisciplinary team of mathematicians and biologists from the Universities of Warwick and Manchester has found. The researchers have demonstrated that small rises in temperature (such as during a fever) speed up the speed...
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Neuron guidance factor found to play a key role in immune cell function
Macrophages are white blood cells involved in a variety of biological functions, from destroying infectious pathogens to repairing damaged tissue. To carry out their different roles, macrophages must first be activated and transformed into different subtypes. However, the mechanisms that lead to macrophage activation are not fully understood. Now, researchers at Osaka University have identified a new...
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Mosquito spit primes your body for disease—so scientists want to make an anti-saliva vaccine
Every time a mosquito bites you, she injects a bunch of goodies into your bloodstream. These ingredients help her to slurp up a meal by stopping your blood from clotting and keeping your blood vessels dilated. However, mosquito spit serves a more nefarious purpose as well. Scientists reported today that mosquito saliva causes far-reaching changes in the immune system that...
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Flow of cerebrospinal fluid regulates neural stem cell division
Stem cells in the brain can divide and mature into neurons participating in various brain functions, including memory. In a paper published in the journal ‘Cell Stem Cell‘, scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) have shown how this works. They found that ion channels play a key role in mediating force signals...