by Christine Yu, Pennsylvania State University Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Exercise has been shown to improve brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia over the long-term. But engaging in everyday physical activity has immediate benefits for brain health, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State College of Medicine....
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New treatment helps children with rare spinal condition regain ability to walk
by Kennedy Krieger Institute Example of patient participating in TSS research stury. Credit: Kennedy Krieger Institute Researchers at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) have made a remarkable advancement in treating children with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare but severe neurological condition that causes sudden paralysis. A new study, published in the journal Children,...
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Gene therapy protects against motor neuron disease in rats
by Will Cushman, University of Wisconsin-Madison A section of brain tissue from a rat that received a gene therapy targeting the Trk-fused gene. A mutation in that gene is implicated in the development of certain motor neuron diseases. Green arrows highlight neurons expressing elevated levels of the gene following the therapy. Red arrows indicate other nerve...
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Protein variant presents a potential new target for developing effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease
by Tel-Aviv University α-synuclein spread in the mouse brain. Credit: Tel Aviv University. Researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) discovered a new factor in the pathology of Parkinson’s disease, which in the future may serve as a target for developing new treatments for this terrible ailment, affecting close to 10 million people worldwide. The researchers say,...
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Goblet cells could be the guardians of the gut
by First Hospital of Jilin University Goblet cells (GCs) play a multifaceted role in the mucosal immune system. Credit: Fernanda Raya Tonetti, Alvaro Eguileor, Cristina Llorente. In a recent study, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have provided new insights into the central role of goblet cells—specialized cells that line the gut—in maintaining...
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Researchers discover why taking a mushroom supplement slows or prevents prostate cancer from getting worse
by City of Hope National Medical Center Effects of WBM extract on tumor growth in TRAMP-C2 flank tumor xenograft models. Credit: Clinical and Translational Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.70048 Researchers at City of Hope now understand why taking an investigational white button mushroom supplement shows promise in slowing and even preventing prostate cancer from spreading among men who joined...
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Scientists discover novel metabolic compound that can regulate body weight
by Baylor College of Medicine Credit: Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.032 Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine and collaborating institutions report in the journal Cell the discovery of BHB-Phe, a novel compound produced by the body that regulates appetite and body weight through interactions with neurons in the brain. Until now, BHB has been known as a compound...
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These once-ignored brain cells may impact mental disorders
by Kara Mason, CU Anschutz Medical Campus Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain It’s only during the last few decades that neuroglia, a diverse group of cells found in the brain that perform a variety of functions to support neurons, have been the subject of research. Prior to that, brain research focused heavily on the role of neurons....
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Study finds 81% of cancer cures touted by TikTok videos are fake
by Eve Lacroix, City University London Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain As many as 81% of cancer cures touted by content creators on TikTok are fake, according to new research from City St George’s, University of London. The ethnographic study by Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker, reader in sociology, gave TikTok’s algorithm free rein to recommend videos to a user looking for...
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Mouth-taping to treat sleep apnea: Here are the risks
by Adam Taylor, The Conversation Credit: Kampus Production from Pexels An unhealthy diet and an indolent life are well known causes of heart disease and stroke. But sleep apnea—where people temporarily stop breathing while asleep because their airway collapses—is also a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. While the solutions for an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise...