Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Study uncovers how the gut communicates with spinal cord and brain

You're faced with a big decision so your second brain provides what's normally referred to as 'gut instinct', but how did this sensation reach you before it was too late?

24 Jul 2020

Spinal cord injuries in mice cause acquired bone marrow failure syndrome

Research conducted at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Medicine found that spinal cord injuries in mice cause an acquired bone marrow failure syndrome that may contribute to chronic immune dysfunction.

24 Jul 2020

Neurotransmitter-derived lipidoids help carry drugs across the blood-brain barrier in mice

Biomedical engineers at the Tufts University School of Engineering have developed tiny lipid-based nanoparticles that incorporate neurotranmitters to help carry drugs, large molecules, and even gene editing proteins across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain in mice.

24 Jul 2020

Study uncovers dual role for molecule involved in autoimmune eye disease

The inflammatory molecule interleukin-17A (IL-17A) triggers immune cells that in turn reduce IL-17A's pro-inflammatory activity, according to a study by National Eye Institute researchers.

23 Jul 2020

Study shows how leptin regulates the presence of neurons in fat

There's no doubt that you can lose fat by eating less or moving more--yet after decades of research, the biology underlying this equation remains mysterious.

23 Jul 2020

Researchers assess the damage caused by microbubbles in brain injuries

Say there's a bomb attack on a military base. A few of the soldiers suffer concussions and other brain injuries. Could some of the injuries be caused by tiny bubbles that form and collapse within the skull during head trauma?

23 Jul 2020

Study identifies common characteristics of pediatric vestibular schwannomas

Vestibular schwannomas, more commonly known as acoustic neuromas, are benign brain tumors that develop on the balance (vestibular) and hearing or auditory nerves leading from the inner ear to the brain.

23 Jul 2020

Mouse model of fatal COVID-19 developed for vaccine and drug testing

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 presents an engineered transgenic mouse that reproduces the functional and clinical characteristics of severe human SARS-CoV-2 infection.

21 Jul 2020

Harvard scientists uncover the real reason behind goosebumps

If you've ever wondered why we get goosebumps, you're in good company -- so did Charles Darwin, who mused about them in his writings on evolution.

20 Jul 2020

A new method for mechanical stimulation of neural cells

In addition to responding to electrical and chemical stimuli, many of the body's neural cells can also respond to mechanical effects, such as pressure or vibration.

20 Jul 2020

Experimental therapy slows zika replication and prevents microcephaly in mice

An international group of researchers have discovered that inhibiting AHR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor), a protein with roles in regulating immunity, stem cell maintenance and cellular differentiation, enables the immune system to combat replication of zika virus in the organism far more effectively.

20 Jul 2020

Novel blood test for heart failure could lead to new diagnostics for COVID-19 patients

A new blood test that reliably predicts outcomes for heart failure patients could lead to new diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19 patients as well, according to newly published research from cardiologists at the University of Alberta.

20 Jul 2020

Higher doses of omega-3 supplements may be needed for averting cognitive decline

For years, a scientific puzzle has bedeviled researchers aiming to fight Alzheimer's disease, a common and incurable form of dementia.

19 Jul 2020

Blood vessels communicate with sensory neurons to regulate their proliferation

Researchers at Pompeu Fabra University have shown for the first time that blood vessels communicate with neurons in the peripheral nervous system, regulating their proliferation and differentiation.

16 Jul 2020

Disseminated cancer cells hijack crucial iron micronutrients from native macrophages

In order to survive within the remote and harsh anatomical microenvironments of the central nervous system, the disseminated cancer cells that cause rare yet deadly leptomeningeal metastases (LM) hijack crucial iron micronutrients from native macrophages, researchers report.

16 Jul 2020

RNA editing may repair the underlying cause of Rett Syndrome in mouse model

A genomic error that causes Rett Syndrome, a serious lifelong neurological disorder, can be corrected in the brains of mice by rewriting the genetic instructions carried by the RNA.

15 Jul 2020

COVID-19 may have an impact on the central nervous system of patients

Depressed mood or anxiety exhibited in COVID-19 patients may possibly be a sign the virus affects the central nervous system, according to an international study led by a University of Cincinnati College of Medicine researcher.

14 Jul 2020

UCR postdoctoral researcher receives 'Pathway to Independence' grant from NIH

Rebekah Charney, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, has received a five-year "Pathway to Independence" grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.

12 Jul 2020

Biologists discover extraordinary regeneration of injured neurons in zebrafish

Biologists from the University of Bayreuth have discovered a uniquely rapid form of regeneration in injured neurons and their function in the central nervous system of zebrafish.

12 Jul 2020