A review of recent studies suggests mitochondria may be the root cause of depression, providing an opportunity for novel antidepressant medication A new area in depression research suggests dysfunction in mitochondria — the main source of energy for cells — could lead to major depression. Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, this new insight to long-held theories...
Category: <span>Research Updates</span>
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Surprise finding in neurons
UNIVERSITY OF WÜRZBURG Purkinje cells are a central part of the human cerebellum, the part of the brain that plays an important role in motor learning, fine motor control of the muscle, equilibrium and posture but also influences emotions, perception, memory and language. IMAGE: IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE IMAGE FROM THE CEREBELLAR CORTEX REGION OF BIPOLAR PATIENTS THAT SHOWS...
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Discovery presents treatment hope for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA There is new hope for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases following a ground-breaking discovery made by an Australian-Chinese research collaboration. IMAGE: THIS IS A 3D ILLUSTRATION OF NERVE CELLS, CONCEPT FOR NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES, TUMORS AND BRAIN SURGERY. Researchers from the University of South Australia and the Third Military Medical University...
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Tbx6 revealed as crucial to heart and skeleton formation from stem cells
Joint research with the University of Tsukuba shows Tbx6 is required for mesoderm formation and temporally controls cardiac/somite lineage diversification UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBA Tsukuba, Japan – Many studies have attempted to identify a single transcription factor that can induce formation of mesoderm, an early layer in embryonic development, without help from other cellular proteins; none...
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Drugs in development for cancer may also fight brain diseases, including ALS
PARP inhibitors show promise in preventing toxic accumulations of brain disease proteins in Penn research study UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE PHILADELPHIA – A class of cancer drugs called PARP inhibitors could be useful for treating and preventing brain disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, and some forms of...
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Genes drive aging, making normal processes damaging
Ageing in worms mainly results from the direct action of genes and not from random wear and tear or loss of function, and the same is likely to be true in humans, according to research by UCL, Lancaster University and Queen Mary University of London scientists. IMAGE: THE DETERIORATIVE PART OF AGEING, CALLED ‘SENESCENCE’, IS THE...
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Single transplantation of therapeutic macrophages improves rare lung disease in mice
Hereditary pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (herPAP) is a rare disease characterized by the slow build-up of lipo-protein material in the lungs due to the failure of highly specialized cells called macrophages, which usually eat away this material from the pulmonary air-space. On August 9 in the journal Stem Cell Reports, researchers in Germany demonstrate that a single...
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Scientists find that common dietary elements cure lethal infections, eliminating the need for antibiotics
Antibiotic use is driving an epidemic of antibiotic resistance, as more susceptible bacteria are killed but more resilient strains live on and multiply with abandon. But if antibiotics aren’t the end-all solution for infectious disease, what is? Salk scientists find that common dietary elements cure lethal infections, eliminating the need for antibiotics. From left: (front)...
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First FDA-approved study of focused ultrasound to open blood-brain barrier
In the first such clinical trial in the United States, physician-scientists with the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) are investigating the use of MRI-guided focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier. The trial will be conducted with patients undergoing brain cancer surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). The blood-brain barrier is a...
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Possible treatment for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease discovered
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is the most common hereditary neuropathy and affects more than 2 million people worldwide. Researchers at the Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine and the University Medical Center of Göttingen now hope to use lecithin, a harmless dietary supplement, to treat the incurable illness. Compared to healthy rats (left), rats with the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (central)...