Confocal image representing the immunolabelling of AgRP and Synaptophysin-TdTomato in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus anterior (PVH ant) of a mouse brain.v A high-fat diet can promote overweight and increase the risk of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes. In mice brains, this leads to measurable changes in the region of the hypothalamus. However, fat...
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Bacterial breakthrough:
UiT The Arctic University of Norway Imagine a country with a billion people, where every individual has different interests and different goals. You will never know their interests and goals until you ask them, but asking a billion people is not an easy task. This is the same complex scenario that scientists face when we...
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Multiple sclerosis: early warnings in the immune system
LMU researchers demonstrate that certain immune cells already play an important role in the early stages of multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system. This impairs the transmission of signals between the brain and body and can lead to deficits in vision,...
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Revolutionizing cardiovascular risk assessment with AI
University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science A recent position paper in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in ophthalmology. Led by Lama Al-Aswad, Professor of Ophthalmology and Irene Heinz Given and John La Porte Given Research Professor of Ophthalmology II, of the Scheie Eye Institute, the work represents a...
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Largest-ever genetic study of epilepsy finds possible therapeutic targets
Epilepsy genetic architecture from large-scale genetic association studies. Credit: Nature Neuroscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01747-8 The largest and most diverse study to date of epilepsy’s genetic factors has revealed new potential targets for treatment, both shared by and unique to different subtypes of epilepsy. The findings point to factors involved in how neurons communicate and fire, suggesting potential...
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Liver X receptor beta: A new frontier in treating depression and anxiety
In a Bench to Bedside review published in the journal Brain Medicine, researchers Dr. Xiaoyu Song and Professor Jan-Åke Gustafsson from the University of Houston and Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) shed light on the therapeutic potential of liver X receptor beta (LXRβ) in treating depression and anxiety. This comprehensive analysis marks a significant step forward in understanding the molecular...
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Could groin pain be a sports hernia?
A sports hernia is a type of core muscle injury that occurs when there is weakening or a tear in the lower abdominal wall or the tendons that attach muscles to your pelvis. Although it can be found in a similar location to an inguinal hernia, typically, there is no bulge of the intestine protruding...
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Canada and Australia curb predatory stem cell market: Researchers hope to replicate success in US
Over the last decade, a number of U.S. clinics have marketed stem cell products directly to consumers as purported treatments for a host of diseases and injuries. The problem is that many of these interventions have scant proof of efficacy or safety, noted Laertis Ikonomou, Ph.D., associate professor of oral biology in the University at...
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Botox: Six surprising uses that have nothing to do with smoothing wrinkles
Botulinum toxin, or Botox as it’s widely known, is famous for its ability to smooth away wrinkles. But hiding our frown lines from the world isn’t the reason early scientists started experimenting with this substance. Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. In its most raw form, it can cause the deadly disease...
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Turning brain cells on using the power of light: Researchers refine noninvasive method of bioluminescent optogenetics
(A) Schematic illustration of the LMO7 molecule. (B) Representative histological images showing fluorescence expression in the left SI of a mouse. (C) Illustration of the timeline of events within a single day of imaging. (D) Schematic of the experimental setup used to image bioluminescence in the mouse. Credit: NeuroImage (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120882 University of Rochester researchers have...