Researchers at the University of Sheffield have identified a new pathway that is disrupted in motor neurone disease (MND), a discovery which could pave the way for new treatments. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The ground breaking findings were discovered by converting skin cells to brain cells called astrocytes, and comparing the energy metabolism of cells...
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Regulating the MS-causing properties of Th17 cells
Th17-cell differentiation. Satb1 is dispensable for the differentiation of Th17 cells but plays a pivotal role in the effector functions of pathogenic Th17 cells. EurekAlert! An international study group led by researchers from Osaka University identifies a protein regulator responsible for inducing the pathogenic properties of Th17 cells, leading to multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory...
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Heartbeats and memory suppression – the new tools for controlling fear
Most of us feel afraid when faced with a threat or danger, but people with phobias and anxiety feel overwhelming levels of fear in situations that are relatively harmless. Scientists want to moderate this response by using drugs to wipe out scary memories or by harnessing the power of heartbeats to improve therapy. Horizon: the...
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Movement impairments in autism could be reversible
Researchers from Cardiff University have established a link between a genetic mutation and developmental movement impairments in autism. Cardiff University The study, which found that the mutation of the CYFIP1 gene leads to changes in the development of brain cells, leading to the motor issues, also suggests that motor learning difficulties occur at a young...
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New therapy for aggressive blood cancer discovered
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common form of acute leukemia. It is characterized by an increase of malignant myeloid progenitor cells at the expense of mature blood cells. Only twenty-five percent of all AML patients survive five years beyond the initial diagnosis. Therefore there is an urgent need to deepen the knowledge about...
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Bioluminescent deep-sea creatures illuminate the effectiveness of new cancer therapies
A study by scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC presents a new, less expensive and more accurate way to engineer and monitor immune-system cancer therapies IMAGE: PREET. M CHAUDHARY, MD, PHD, KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF USC view more CREDIT: RICARDO CARRASCO III LOS ANGELES – Researchers at the Keck School of...
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Brain clock ticks differently in autism
The neural ‘time windows’ in certain small brain areas contribute to the complex cognitive symptoms of autism, new research suggests. In a brain imaging study of adults, the severity of autistic symptoms was linked to how long these brain areas stored information. The differences in neural timescales may underlie features of autism like hypersensitivity and...
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Ingestible Pill Stays Inside Stomach, Monitors Digestion
There are a variety of gastrointestinal conditions that may be better treated if clinicians had an idea of what’s going on inside the stomach. But, the stomach is full of acid and it eventually expels whatever drops into it, making it difficult to have sensors operate inside for long periods of time. Researchers at MIT...
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Study Links Adult Fibromyalgia to Childhood Sexual Abuse
The research suggests that survivors of childhood sexual abuse who develop fibromyalgia may be effectively treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the application of hyperbaric pressure in conjunction with increased oxygen delivery to oxygen-deprived tissue. Fibromyalgia News Today The new study is part of an ongoing collaboration between TAU, the University of Haifa and Assaf Harofeh...
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Asthma pill targets airway muscles to decrease attacks
Results from a phase II clinical trial, experimental work on cells and computational modelling have together shown why the first pill for asthma in 20 years can help reduce asthma attacks. Credit: ECN Researchers from Leicester (UK) and Vancouver (Canada) have shown that the investigational drug, Fevipiprant (an oral, selective prostaglandin D2 receptor antagonist), reduces...