A new wave of research is unpicking the relationship between cancer and neurons — and looking for ways to stop the crosstalk. McKenzie Prillaman A 3D model system shows how nerve cells (magenta) interact with cancer cells (green).Credit: Jennifer Su, Peter Wang, Nicole Lester, William L. Hwang Lightning bolts of lime green flashed chaotically across...
Bioelectric medicine involves the use of implanted devices that stimulate targeted nerves within natural signaling pathways in order to achieve a therapeutic effect. Image Credit: Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock.com Neuromodulation can aid with the unmet needs of several diseases, including heart failure, hypertension, inflammation, asthma, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes.[1] There are also novel approaches that aim...
by Duke University Medical Center The summary model. (Left) A zoomed-in peripheral perivascular site. During IgE-mediated anaphylaxis, IgE-sensitized MCs are activated systemically when allergens bind to IgE, leading to extensive degranulation. Once released, granules fall on nearby nerve fibers, and this promotes the targeted release of multiple MC mediators to nerve fibers. Our study showed that...
UNIVERSITY OF BATH IMAGE: A SEGMENT OF ZEBRAFISH TRUNK. MOTOR NEURONS (GREEN) SEND AXONS THAT INNERVATE MUSCLE FIBRES (RED). CREDIT: NIKOLAS NIKOLAOU A discovery that may improve treatment options for patients with neurodegenerative diseases has been made by scientists at King’s College London and the University of Bath in the UK. This finding centres on...
by Medical University of Vienna Schematic illustration of aberrant parasympathetic reinnervation of denervated facial muscles. Following facial nerve transection, ipsilateral whisker pad showed spontaneous movement 12 weeks after the denervation. Harvested dilator naris muscle showed muscle fiber change after denervation. The reinnervating fibers were traced to the parasympathetic neural source in the pterygopalatine ganglion. The...
FUDAN UNIVERSITY IMAGE: THE DEBRIS OF MICROGLIA (PROFESSIONAL PHAGOCYTES) IS PRIMARILY ENGULFED BY ASTROCYTES (NONPROFESSIONAL PHAGOCYTES), WHICH IS FACILITATED BY C4 OPSONIZATION. THE PHAGOCYTOSED DEBRIS IS THEN DEGRADED IN ASTROCYTES VIA RUBICON-DEPENDENT LAP, AND MICROGLIAL DEBRIS-CONTAINING LAPOSOMES SUBSEQUENTLY FUSE WITH LYSOSOMES TO FORM PHAGOLYSOSOMES, IN WHICH THE DEBRIS IS DEGRADED. CREDIT: THE AUTHORS. Microglia are...
by Karina Toledo, FAPESP Research by groups at the University of São Paulo and the State University of Campinas combined MRI scans of the brains of mild COVID-19 patients, analysis of brain tissue from people who died of the disease and experiments on human nerve cells infected in the laboratory. Image demonstrating cortical thickness atrophy in...
by Emily Caldwell, The Ohio State University Insulin injections help with management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Ohio State researchers have developed a nanomaterial that may improve insulin’s effects on the nervous system. Credit: Shutterstock.com There may be a way in the future to enhance diabetes treatment—with better control of blood sugar and...
by University of Oregon Credit: CC0 Public Domain Sometimes, a gut feeling is literal. Nerves in the intestines help regulate the gut’s acidity, new research from the University of Oregon shows. That helps keep their bacterial communities in balance. “We found an unexpected connection between the nervous system of the intestine and the community of...
Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is considered a respiratory pathogen, myriad neurologic complications—including confusion, stroke, and neuromuscular disorders—manifest during acute COVID-19. Furthermore, maladies such as impaired concentration, headache, sensory disturbances, depression, and even psychosis may persist for months after infection, as part of a constellation of symptoms now called Long Covid. Even...
