Rich Haridy New work led by Stanford University scientists has revealed killer immune cells have been found to collect in parts of the brain where new nerve cells are generated. This damaging proliferation seems to naturally increase as a brain ages and the researchers hypothesize this may be a mechanism that underpins general age-related cognitive...
Tag: <span>Neurons</span>
Post
Astrocytes protect neurons from toxic buildup
by Howard Hughes Medical Institute Astrocytes are overtaxed neurons’ pit crew. The brain cells collect damaged lipids secreted by hyperactive neurons, then recycle those toxic molecules into energy, researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus report May 23, 2019, in the journal Cell. It’s a mechanism to protect neurons from the damaging side effects of overactivity. And it’s another important role for astrocytes, which support neurons in various...
Post
Light-Activated Tether-Free Neural Stimulation Device
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed an ultra-small implantable neural stimulation device that can be activated using a laser and which doesn’t require a cable that tethers it to a controller outside the body. The researchers hope that the device could pave the way for less invasive neural stimulation therapy in neurological disorders...
Post
Stem Cell–Derived Neurons from People with Autism Grow Differently
Changes in gene expression also hint at how the brains of people with ASD develop differently from those of other people. Neurons derived from the skin cells of people with and without autism spectrum disorder exhibit different patterns of growth and development, according to a study published this week (January 7) in Nature Neuroscience. Cortical neurons derived from skin cells of a person...
Post
New insight into the process of generation of new neurons in the adult brain
Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, in collaboration with research groups in Finland, Canada, and Slovenia, have discovered a novel and unexpected function of nestin, the best known marker of neural stem cells. IMAGE: THE PICTURE SHOWS ASTROCYTES IN RED AND GREEN, THE AREAS WHERE INDIVIDUAL ASTROCYTES INTERCONNECT ARE YELLOW. A SINGLE...
Post
Controlling neurons with light — but without wires or batteries
University of Arizona research reveals a more sophisticated method for delivering light to control neurons in the brain — which could ultimately mean turning off pain receptors or reducing the effects of severe neurological disorders UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING IMAGE: WIRELESS AND BATTERY-FREE IMPLANT WITH ADVANCED CONTROL OVER TARGETED NEURON GROUPS. CREDIT: PHILIPP GUTRUF University of Arizona biomedical engineering...
Post
Thriving on teamwork: New research shows how brain cells filter information in groups
When we perceive the world around us, certain objects appear to be more noticeable than others, depending on what we do. For example, when we view a forest-covered mountain from a distance, the forest looks like a large green carpet. But as we get closer, we start noticing the individual trees, and the forest fades...
Post
Neurons that fire together, don’t always wire together
As the adage goes “neurons that fire together, wire together,” but a new paper published today in Neuron demonstrates that, in addition to response similarity, projection target also constrains local connectivity. IMAGE: PRIMARY VISUAL CORTEX NEURONS PROJECTING TO HIGHER VISUAL AREA AL. CREDIT: SAINSBURY WELLCOME CENTRE Researchers from the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre have been looking to elucidate...
Post
New gene therapy reprograms brain glial cells into neurons
A new gene therapy can turn certain brain glial cells into functioning neurons, which in turn could help repair the brain after a stroke or during neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases. In a series of studies in animals, a team of Penn State researchers led by Dr. Gong Chen developed a new gene...
Post
Stem cells can differentiate into neurons and may be useful post-stroke therapeutics
Researchers have performed a careful comparison between locally generated, ischemia-induced, multipotent stem cells (iSCs) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in an effort to determine which cell type has greater central nervous system (CNS) repair capacity. Their results show that the iSC characteristics make them more promising candidates as CNS injury therapeutics. The study...