Researchers have recently identified a neuron in the brains of mice that is crucial for navigation. Navigation and neurology Scientists know that the RSC is crucial for navigation. In fact, if a person’s RSC is damaged, not only can they experience memory loss, but their ability to navigate will also be severely reduced. For example,...
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Eating meat: links to chronic disease might be related to amino acids – new findings
by Laura Brown, The Conversation Plant-based diets have been popular in the media recently, but research shows that going vegetarian or vegan isn’t only good for the environment, but for our health, too. Meat-rich diets are linked to a range of health problems, from heart disease and strokes to type two diabetesand some cancers. People...
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Researchers challenge new guidelines on aspirin in primary prevention
by Florida Atlantic University According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 859,000 Americans die of heart attacks or stroke every year, which account for more than 1 in 3 of all U.S. deaths. Credit: Florida Atlantic University The most recent guidelines for primary prevention recommend aspirin use for individuals ages...
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Rattlesnake venom compound points to promising new painkiller
By Rich Haridy New research has found a toxin extracted from the venom of a South American rattlesnake can function as an effective analgesic for neuropathic pain. The Brazilian study reveals the venom’s toxicity can be reduced by encapsulating it in tiny silica particles, with early animal studies delivering promising results. Crotoxin is the main...
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Beta-arrestin-2 increases neurotoxic tau driving frontotemporal dementia
University of South Florida study suggests a new approach to inhibit the buildup of brain damaging tau tangles associated with frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA (USF HEALTH) TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 17, 2020) — The protein β-arrestin-2 increases the accumulation of neurotoxic tau tangles, a cause several forms of dementia, by interfering...
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Gut bacteria’s interactions with immune system mapped
by Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute The first detailed cell atlas of the immune cells and gut bacteria within the human colon has been created by researchers. The study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and collaborators revealed different immune niches, showing changes in the bacterial microbiome and immune cells throughout the colon. As part of the...
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Biomarker for Parkinson’s disease may originate in the gut
by Lori Dajose, California Institute of Technology Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder, impairing the motor functions of millions of elderly people worldwide. Often, people with PD will experience disturbances in gastrointestinal function, such as constipation, years before motor symptoms set in. Postmortem examinations of the brains of people with PD have shown...
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Researchers challenge new guidelines on aspirin in primary prevention
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY The most recent guidelines for primary prevention recommend aspirin use for individuals ages 40 to 70 years who are at higher risk of a first cardiovascular event, but not for those over 70. Yet, people over 70 are at increasingly higher risks of cardiovascular events than those under 70. There has been...
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New research demonstrates safety of phage therapy
Bacteriophage or ‘phage’ is a virus that selectively attacks bacteria. Phage therapy was used for centuries to treat bacterial infections, but was largely replaced when antibiotics became widely available. Researchers are now revisiting the use of phage therapy to treat bacterial infections that are growing increasingly resistant to current antibiotic treatments. Lead researcher of the...
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Gene therapy can protect against ALS and SMA-related cell death
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Milan in Italy have identified a gene in human neurons that protects against the degeneration of motor neurons in the deadly diseases ALS and SMA. Gene therapy in animal models of these diseases was shown to protect against cell death and increase life expectancy. The...