Highlights Cryopreserved human iPSC-mDA neurons retain high viability and midbrain lineage iPSC-mDA neurons secrete dopamine and possess typical electrophysiological parameters Grafted iPSC-mDA neurons survive and innervate rodent and monkey PD models Cryopreserved iPSC-mDA neurons reverse functional motor deficits in 6-OHDA rats Summary A major challenge for clinical application of pluripotent stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s...
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New method that leads to the formation of specialized tissue cells for disease treatment
A new method that leads to the formation of specialized tissue cells could improve the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory diseases and cancer. Macrophages are specialized cells involved in tissue development, repair and immunity. Macrophage communities in several types of tissues are derived from ‘yolk-sac precursor cells’, named primitive macrophages, planted there during early embryonic development....
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Autism severity detected with brain activity test
FINDINGS UCLA researchers have discovered that children with autism have a tell-tale difference on brain tests compared with other children. Specifically, the researchers found that the lower a child’s peak alpha frequency — a number reflecting the frequency of certain brain waves — the lower their non-verbal IQ was. This is the first study to...
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Eye test could help diagnose autism
A new study out in European Journal of Neuroscience could herald a new tool that helps physicians identify a sub-group of people with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The test, which consists of measuring rapid eye movements, may indicate deficits in an area of the brain that plays an important role in emotional and social development. “These findings...
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Visceral/subcutaneous fat ratio predicts CVD in T2DM
Tatsuya Fukuda, from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and colleagues enrolled 682 patients with type 2 diabetes and used dual bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA) to assess VFA and SFA. The authors divided the patients into groups according to quartiles of V/S ratio. The researchers found that 21 of the patients reached the study end point of first occurrence...
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New dementia blood test can identify those at risk of losing their memory with 89% accuracy – years before symptoms
Decades before it strikes, sticky plaques can be seen in the brains of sufferers Currently, the only way to detect amyloid beta is through costly procedures But a study suggests blood tests, a much cheaper method, are just as accurate Experts have described the Washington University findings as ‘exciting A quick and affordable blood test...
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New Exhaled Breath Sensor to Spot Diseases, Monitor Health
At KAIST, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, researchers have developed a new breath sensor that uses protein-encapsulated nanocatalysts to spot certain biomarkers of diseases. While the breath can hold a lot of information about what’s going on inside the body, the variety of gasses present and the large amount of...
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Blood test identifies key Alzheimer’s marker
A new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that measures of amyloid beta in the blood have the potential to help identify people with altered levels of amyloid in their brains or cerebrospinal fluid. Currently, the only way to detect amyloid beta in the brain is via...
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Research identifies new brain death pathway in Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease tragically ravages the brains, memories and ultimately, personalities of its victims. Now affecting 5 million Americans, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and a cure for Alzheimer’s remains elusive, as the exact biological events that trigger it are still unknown. In a new study published today, Arizona...
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Hidden herpes virus may play key role in MS, other brain disorders
The ubiquitous human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) may play a critical role in impeding the brain’s ability to repair itself in diseases like multiple sclerosis. The findings, which appear in the journal Scientific Reports, may help explain the differences in severity in symptoms that many people with the disease experience. “While latent HHV-6 — which can be...