It can be a relief to scratch the occasional itch, but when itch gets out of control, it can become a serious health problem. How does the body know when to stop? Scientists at UC San Francisco are getting close to an answer. In a breakthrough that could transform how doctors treat conditions from eczema...
Tag: <span>Neurons</span>
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Researchers discover neurons that track and regulate blood sugar levels
by University of Washington School of Medicine Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain New research has discovered neurons within the brain that detect and respond to changes in the level of sugar within the bloodstream. Understanding how this blood sugar detection system works and how these neurocircuits operate would give researchers and doctors greater insights into how our brains regulate...
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Study: Multiple sclerosis blood antibodies found to be toxic to neurons
by Chris Casey, CU Anschutz Medical Campus The difference in neuronal death between plasma IgG samples from MS patients and control samples. Credit: CU Anschutz Medical Campus A University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus research team has discovered that the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in the plasma of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are toxic to neurons, a...
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How Huntington’s disease affects different neurons
by Anne Trafton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Data from the human Grade 1 HD patient indicate the loss of compartmental identities as a conserved signature of HD. Credit: Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35752-x In patients with Huntington’s disease, neurons in a part of the brain called the striatum are among the hardest-hit. Degeneration of these neurons contributes...
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Communication breakdown: How does your brain keep neurons from firing uncontrollably?
Seizures are suddenly triggered by stress, fever, flashing lights, or tiredness. Some cause the body to jerk and shake while others can produce strange sensations, make one lose a sense of awareness, or faint. They can happen when the person is awake or asleep. When they pass, after a few seconds or minutes, they leave people tired,...
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New study sheds light on how neurons respond to aged-related iron accumulation
ULSAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY(UNIST) IMAGE: FROM THE LEFT, PROFESSOR TAEJOON KWON, HWAPYEONG CHO, KUJIN KWON, AND PROFESSOR HYUNG JOON CHO IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING AT UNIST, TOOK GROUP PHOTO WITH THE BACKGROUND OF MRI EQUIPMENT USED IN THE STUDY. CREDIT: UNIST Iron (Fe) accumulates in the brain cortex with aging....
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New findings reveal how neurons build and maintain their capacity to communicate
Nerve cells regulate and routinely refresh the collection of calcium channels that enable them to send messages across circuit connections. The nervous system works because neurons communicate across connections called synapses. They “talk” when calcium ions flow through channels into “active zones” that contain vesicles carrying molecular messages. The electrically charged calcium causes vesicles to...
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New findings reveal how neurons build and maintain their capacity to communicate
Nerve cells regulate and routinely refresh the collection of calcium channels that enable them to send messages across circuit connections. The nervous system works because neurons communicate across connections called synapses. They “talk” when calcium ions flow through channels into “active zones” that contain vesicles carrying molecular messages. The electrically charged calcium causes vesicles to “fuse” to...
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Researchers discover novel light-gated potassium channel in neurons
by Graciela Gutierrez, Baylor College of Medicine Dr. François St-Pierre’s (L) lab at Baylor College of Medicine. Credit: Baylor College of Medicine A key approach to understanding the brain is to observe the behavioral effects of turning on specific populations of neurons. One of the most popular approaches to controlling neuronal activity in model systems is...
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Neurons specialized in encoding sound emerge before birth
by Karolinska Institutet 3D picture of the neurosensory elements of a mouse cochlea soon after birth (neurons are at the centre and hair cells in the periphery, in a spiral shape). Credit: Csaba Ádori Distinct neuron types in the auditory organ are necessary for encoding different features of sound and relaying them to the brain. Researchers...