The immune system is incredibly complex, but most of us would probably assume that ideally it runs very precisely, like clockwork. However, a new study has found that a big dose of chaos is not just present but may be a necessary piece of the puzzle in helping the immune system regulate itself. Researchers have...
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Scientists discover a brain molecule connecting anxiety to weight loss
Anxiety and fat-burning may seem entirely unrelated so far as bodily functions go, but scientists have found that a certain molecule appears to connect one with the other. Through experiments on mice, the researchers believe that this shared mechanism may open up new pathways for the development of drugs to help manage anxiety disorders and...
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How concussions may lead to epilepsy
Researchers have identified a cellular response to repeated concussions that may contribute to seizures in mice like those observed following traumatic brain injury in humans. The study, published in JNeurosci, establishes a new animal model that could help improve our understanding of post-traumatic epilepsy. 3D reconstructed confocal image depicting cortical grey matter of a mouse...
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Molecular profiling could catch lung cancer early and lead to new treatments
The world’s first genetic sequencing of precancerous lung lesions could pave the way for very early detection and new treatments, reports a new study led by UCL researchers. Lung CA seen on CXR. Credit: James Heilman, MD/Wikipedia Before lung cancer develops, precancerous lesions are found in the airway, but only half of these will actually...
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Energizing the immune system to eat cancer
Immune cells called macrophages are supposed to serve and protect, but cancer has found ways to put them to sleep. Now researchers at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania say they’ve identified how to fuel macrophages with the energy needed to attack and eat cancer cells. It is well established that macrophages...
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Secret to sepsis may lie in rare cell (basophils)
In a paper published in Nature Immunology, scientists from Seattle Children’s Research Institute reveal how a rare group of white blood cells called basophils play an important role in the immune response to a bacterial infection, preventing the development of sepsis. Researchers say their findings could lead to better ways to prevent the dangerous immune...
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Blood test detects Alzheimer’s damage before symptoms
A simple blood test reliably detects signs of brain damage in people on the path to developing Alzheimer’s disease—even before they show signs of confusion and memory loss, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Germany. Credit: CC0 Public Domain...
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Unexpected link found between feeding and memory brain areas
The search for a mechanism that could explain how the protein complex NCOR1/2 regulates memory has revealed an unexpected connection between the lateral hypothalamus and the hippocampus, the feeding and the memory centers of the brain, respectively. The findings, which were published today in the journal Nature Neuroscienceby a multidisciplinary team led by researchers at...
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Zap: How Electric Therapy Is Curing Navy SEALs of PTSD … And Could Remake Brain Science
Tony didn’t know what to expect when he walked into the Brain Treatment Center in San Diego, California, last spring. The former Navy SEAL only knew that he needed help. His service in Iraq and Afghanistan was taking a heavy toll on his mental and physical wellbeing. He had trouble concentrating, remembering, and was given...
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Study shows dopamine plays a role in musical pleasure
An international team of researchers has found evidence of dopamine in the brain playing a role in the pleasure people feel when they listen to music. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes experiments they carried out with volunteers who were given a dopamine precursor or antagonist...