'Remote Control' for Cholesterol Regulation Discovered in Brain
Circulation of cholesterol is regulated in the brain by the hunger-signaling hormone ghrelin, researchers say. The finding points to a new potential target for the pharmacologic control of cholesterol levels. [Press release from the University of Cincinnati discussing online prepublication in Nature Neuroscience]
Protein Lets Brain Repair Damage from Multiple Sclerosis, Other Disorders
A protein that helps build the brain in infants and children may aid efforts to restore damage from multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases, researchers have found. [Press release from Washington University in St. Louis discussing online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]
Immune System Helps Transplanted Stem Cells Navigate in Central Nervous System
By discovering how adult neural stem cells navigate to injury sites in the central nervous system, researchers have helped solve a puzzle in the creation of stem cell-based treatments: How do these cells know where to go? [Press release from UC Irvine discussing online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]
Experimental Targeted Therapy Shows Early Promise Against Medulloblastomas – A Type of Childhood Brain Cancer
Researchers presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology findings of a pediatric brain tumor study using an experimental drug that targets the underlying genetic makeup of the tumor. [Press release from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital discussing research presented at the 46th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology]
New Cause of Cognitive Decline in Aging Population Discovered in Nerve Cell Specializations
Researchers have found that certain types of specializations on nerve cells called "spines" are depleted as a person ages, causing cognitive decline in the part of the brain that mediates the highest levels of learning. [Press release from ScienceDaily discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Neuroscience]
Dynamin I Phosphorylation by GSK3 Controls Activity-Dependent Bulk Endocytosis of Synaptic Vesicles Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is a critical enzyme in neuronal physiology; however, it is not yet known whether it has any specific role in presynaptic function. Researchers found that GSK3 phosphorylates a residue on the large GTPase dynamin I (Ser-774) both in vitro and in primary rat neuronal cultures. [Nat Neurosci]
Molecular Maps of the Reorganization of Genome-Nuclear Lamina Interactions during Differentiation
To visualize this process in molecular detail, researchers generated high-resolution maps of genome-nuclear lamina interactions during subsequent differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells via lineage-committed neural precursor cells into terminally differentiated astrocytes. [Mol Cell]
Fragile X Protein Controls Neural Stem Cell Proliferation in the Drosophila Brain
The results demonstrate that Fragile X protein is required during brain development to control the exit from quiescence and proliferative capacity of neuroblasts as well as neuron production, which may provide insights into the autistic component of Fragile X syndrome. [Hum Mol Genet]
Lowering Beta-Amyloid Levels Rescues Learning and Memory in a Down Syndrome Mouse Model It is not known if beta-amyloid contributes to intellectual disability in younger individuals. Researchers used a gamma-secretase inhibitor to lower beta-amyloid levels in young mice that model Down syndrome (DS). This treatment corrected learning deficits characteristic of these mice, suggesting that beta-amyloid-lowering therapies might improve cognitive function in young DS patients. [PLoS ONE]
New Brain Research Institute Chooses Home in Johns Hopkins Bioscience Park
The Lieber Institute for Brain Development, a neuroscience research institute dedicated to developing novel treatments, diagnostic tests, and insights into disorders arising from abnormalities in brain development, has announced that it will establish a permanent research facility at the Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins, next to the Johns Hopkins East Baltimore medical campus. [Johns Hopkins Medicine Press Release]
Immunocellular Brain Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise
A small, early-stage trial of a therapeutic brain cancer vaccine developed by ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd. showed that nearly half the patients were alive without their cancer worsening 18 months after diagnosis, the company said. [Reuters]
Drug Substitutes for Training in Rats, Inducing a Memory of Safety Researchers have found a way to pharmacologically induce a memory of safety in the brain of rats, mimicking the effect of training. The finding suggests possibilities for new treatments for individuals suffering from anxiety disorders. [National Institute of Mental Health, United States]
Gene Test Hope for Personalized Cancer Therapy National Health Service patients are to be offered personalized cancer treatment under a pilot scheme to carry out genetic tests on individuals' tumours. [National Health Service, United Kingdom]
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