Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Gut bacteria help regulate contraction and relaxation of colon muscles

Micro-organisms in the gut support healthy digestion by helping nerve cells within the intestine to regulate the contraction and relaxation of the muscle wall of the colon, according to new research from the Crick and Bern University.

5 Feb 2020

Age-linked cognitive decline could be slowed by immune activation

A new study published in February 2020 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), reports that activating a specific type of immune cell found in the brain could delay reduced cognition often found in older people, and even prevent neurologic degeneration of age.

5 Feb 2020

Making it all work: brain-dependent immune activation in embryos

How does the immune system develop its functionality? This has been an ongoing area of research for biologists. Now, a new study published in the journal NPJ Regenerative Medicine in February 2020 shows that in very early fetal life the brain must signal directions to the developing immune system to help it defend the body from infectious agents. This signaling markedly improves the capability of the embryo to survive when faced with bacterial infection.

4 Feb 2020

Study finds higher suicide rate among people with neurological disorders

Neurological disorders may impact one’s mental health, a new study says as researchers found that there is a higher rate of suicide among individuals living with neurological disorders.

4 Feb 2020

Study provides neurobiological insight into how yoga may help to alleviate depression

The benefits of yoga have been widely documented by scientific research, but previously it was not clear as to how yoga exerts its physiologic effect.

3 Feb 2020

Reduced scar formation in the central nervous system

Neural stem and progenitor cells, from the so-called subventricular zone, can help to repair a brain damaged by central nervous system disorders.

3 Feb 2020

Scientists track down a potential target for new sleeping sickness drugs

Using ultra-bright X-ray flashes, a team of researchers has tracked down a potential target for new drugs against sleeping sickness: The scientists have decoded the detailed spatial structure of a vital enzyme of the pathogen, the parasite Trypanosoma brucei.

30 Jan 2020

Gene-editing taken to advanced levels in human stem cells

A new study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports in January 2020 reports the use of an adaptation to a commonly used gene editing technology to achieve a more than 900% increase in efficiency.

30 Jan 2020

New genetic screen for Huntington’s disease

Huntington’s disease is a genetic disease that is debilitating and progressive leading to severe brain damage and eventual death. In patients with this autosomal dominant disease, there is presence of a protein called the Huntingtin protein that forms clumps within the brain leading to the symptoms of the disease.

30 Jan 2020

Regulating neuronal lipid metabolism helps axon regeneration after injury, study finds

Typical examples include paralysis due to a spinal cord injury and visual field atrophy or even complete blindness due to optic nerve atrophy in glaucoma patients.

30 Jan 2020

New method for delivering NSCs to spinal cord injuries may boost repair efforts

Writing in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, an international research team, led by physician-scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, describe a new method for delivering neural precursor cells (NSCs) to spinal cord injuries in rats, reducing the risk of further injury and boosting the propagation of potentially reparative cells.

29 Jan 2020

High intake of dietary flavonols tied to lower risk of Alzheimer's dementia

People who eat or drink more foods with the antioxidant flavonol, which is found in nearly all fruits and vegetables as well as tea, may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's dementia years later, according to a study published in the January 29, 2020, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Jan 2020

Finer particulate matter (PM1) and risk of cardiovascular disease

A new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters reports that particulate matter smaller than a single micron in diameter, called PM1, is strongly linked to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This is thought to be due to its higher surface area to volume ratio.

29 Jan 2020

New way to treat stroke using an already FDA-approved drug shows promise

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability in the United States. More than 87 percent are ischemic strokes, caused by obstruction of one or more cerebral arteries. With limited progress in developing treatments, there is a critical need for neuroprotective agents to effectively treat stroke.

29 Jan 2020

Researchers develop new strategy to study childhood brain tumors

Researchers are at work to find effective treatments to help young patients with brain tumors. Hundreds of brain organoids have been developed in the laboratories of the University of Trento to understand the genetic mechanisms responsible for these hard to treat diseases.

29 Jan 2020

Scientists 'knock out' gene in myeloid cells to create listeriosis-immune mice

An international research team which includes specialists from ITMO University has conducted a series of experiments with the goal of studying the immune system and identifying the genes and proteins involved in the response to certain harmful bacteria.

28 Jan 2020

Novel palladium compound acts against ovarian tumor cells

A group led by a researcher affiliated with the University of São Paulo's São Carlos Chemistry Institute (IQSC-USP) in Brazil has developed a novel palladium compound that acts against ovarian tumor cells without affecting healthy tissues. Palladium is a silvery white metal belonging to the same group as platinum.

28 Jan 2020

Sound and movement are processed simultaneously in the brain, mice study suggests

New insight on how information relating to sound and movement is processed in the brain has been published today in the open-access journal eLife.

28 Jan 2020

Human organ chips for better drug development

The process of developing new drugs is both difficult and costly. It is estimated that of all the drug candidates which start out on their testing journey, less than 14% actually make it to the clinical scene and receive approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

27 Jan 2020

Scientists reveal the damaging effect of Zika virus on a type of brain cell

The Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in Brazil in 2015 sparked for many health agencies and scientists to study the pathogen, which has been linked to microcephaly and other fetal neurological disorders collectively known as Congenital Zika Syndrome.

27 Jan 2020