Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

UC San Diego researchers launch clinical trial to test gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have launched a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a gene therapy to deliver a key protein into the brains of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a condition that often precedes full-blown dementia.

18 Feb 2021

Study provides new insight into the effects of antidepressant drugs

The effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other conventional antidepressants are believed to be based on their increasing the levels of serotonin and noradrenalin in synapses, while ketamine, a new rapid-acting antidepressant, is thought to function by inhibiting receptors for the neurotransmitter glutamate.

18 Feb 2021

Cone snail venom could potentially treat severe forms of malaria

Severe forms of malaria such as Plasmodium falciparum may be deadly even after treatment with current parasite-killing drugs.

18 Feb 2021

Blood-clotting protein linked with tumor pathogenesis of CNS B-cell lymphoma

In people with central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma, cancerous B cells--a type of white blood cell--accumulate to form tumors in the brain or spinal cord, often in close proximity to blood vessels.

17 Feb 2021

Lewy body dementia may share similar genetic profiles with Alzheimer's disease

In a study led by National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers, scientists found that five genes may play a critical role in determining whether a person will suffer from Lewy body dementia, a devastating disorder that riddles the brain with clumps of abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies.

17 Feb 2021

Simulating an overactive autoimmune response leads to changes in the brain region

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan show that simulating an overactive autoimmune response in mice leads to changes in the hippocampal region of the brain.

17 Feb 2021

Study reveals the therapeutic applications of medicinal plants

Both Asia and Africa are home to many plants that can be used for the treatment of many diseases and their medicinal properties are gaining interest in western societies.

17 Feb 2021

Mice study suggests novel approach to treat a type of common glioma

Gliomas are common brain tumors that comprise about one third of all cancers of the nervous system. In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers tested a novel combination treatment approach on mice with tumors with characteristics similar to human astrocytomas--a type of slow-growing glioma--and found tumor regression in 60 percent of the mice treated.

16 Feb 2021

Daily caffeine consumption can change the gray matter of the brain

Coffee, cola or an energy drink: caffeine is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance. Researchers from the University of Basel have now shown in a study that regular caffeine intake can change the gray matter of the brain. However, the effect appears to be temporary.

16 Feb 2021

How SARS-CoV-2 enters the central nervous system

The central nervous system (CNS) is highly protected in the human body. Yet, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) invades the CNS, causing profound clinical complications. How is the CNS involved in a respiratory virus infection?

15 Feb 2021

Existing heart failure drug may be effective in treating postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

In a new study out of University of California San Diego School of Medicine, researchers found a drug used for heart failure improves symptoms associated with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, otherwise known as POTS.

15 Feb 2021

Disrupting cancer cell cycle with two commercially available inhibitors causes tumor cell death

With two commercially available inhibitors, the cell cycle of the cancer cells in the childhood tumor neuroblastoma can be disrupted at a key point causing tumor cell death.

12 Feb 2021

Brain pericytes serve as a potential hub for SARS-CoV-2 infection

A team of scientists from the United States has recently conducted a study using pericyte-like cell-containing brain cortical organoids as an experimental model to investigate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the central nervous system.

11 Feb 2021

Study offers a new way to treat children with bow hunter syndrome

Fusing the neck's top two vertebrae can prevent repeat strokes in children with bow hunter syndrome, a rare condition that affects a handful of U.S. pediatric patients each year, UT Southwestern researchers suggest in a recent study.

11 Feb 2021

Study could help develop drugs for pregnancy maintenance, treat autoimmune diseases

A team of scientists from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University with their colleagues from the Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Perm) studied the effect of trophoblastic β1-glycoprotein in the blood of pregnant women on pro-inflammatory immune cells.

10 Feb 2021

Scientists decipher the molecular blueprint for important receptor

In order for a drug to be effective at the right places in the body, it helps if scientists can predict as accurately as possible how the molecules of that drug will interact with human cells.

10 Feb 2021

Study identifies new therapeutic targets for treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes

The GIP receptor in the central nervous system plays a crucial role in the regulation of body weight and food intake.

10 Feb 2021

New molecular tool can be used to study single synapses of neurons

Neurons are the primary cells of the nervous system, and the signals that are transmitted between them are responsible for all our actions and our cognitive ability.

9 Feb 2021

MSK researchers report an underlying cause of COVID brain

One of the dozens of unusual symptoms that have emerged in COVID-19 patients is a condition that's informally called "COVID brain" or "brain fog."

9 Feb 2021

Wearable devices can identify COVID-19 cases earlier than traditional diagnostic methods

Wearable devices can identify COVID-19 cases earlier than traditional diagnostic methods and can help track and improve management of the disease, Mount Sinai researchers report in one of the first studies on the topic. The findings were published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research on January 29.

8 Feb 2021