A recent study led by USC Stem Cell scientist Janos Peti-Peterdi reveals that a loss of salt and body fluid can stimulate kidney regeneration and repair in mice. This groundbreaking research, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, uncovers an innate regenerative response driven by a small population of kidney cells known as the macula … Read more
A low vitamin B6 level has negative effects on brain performance. A research team from Würzburg University Medicine has now found a way to delay the degradation of the vitamin. Vitamin B6 is important for brain metabolism. Accordingly, in various mental illnesses, a low vitamin B6 level is associated with impaired memory and learning abilities, … Read more
Our brains are made of tens of billions of nerve cells called neurons. These cells communicate with each other through biomolecules called neurotransmitters. Serotonin, a type of neurotransmitter, is produced by serotonin neurons in our brains and influences many of our behavioral and cognitive functions such as memory, sleep, and mood. Using mice, scientists at … Read more
Animal physiology is the branch of biology that focuses on understanding the biological functions and adaptations of animals, ranging from microscopic organisms to complex multicellular organisms. It encompasses a wide range of topics, including cellular processes, organ systems, homeostasis, metabolism, reproduction, behavior, and adaptations to diverse environments. By studying animal physiology, scientists gain insights into … Read more
Some families call it a trial of faith. Others just call it a curse. The progressive neurological disease known as spinocerebellar ataxia 4 (SCA4) is a rare condition, but its effects on patients and their families can be severe. For most people, the first sign is difficulty walking and balancing, which gets worse as time … Read more
Saturday evening at a well-attended stand-up party. Servers balance trays of appetizers over the heads of the guests. We spot donuts on one of these passing platters and decide in a matter of seconds in favor of the one on the far right. But then the waitress briefly disappears from our field of vision, only … Read more
In a study recently published in Nature, an international research team led by Karolinska Institutet and MedUni Vienna, addressed how and why acute heat exposure, in conditions reminiscent of a sauna session or limited exposure to the sun, leads to reduced food intake. “There is an increasing risk of obesity in society these days and understanding the mechanisms … Read more
The typical job of the proteasome, the garbage disposal of the cell, is to grind down proteins into smaller bits and recycle some of those bits and parts. That’s still the case, for the most part, but, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers, studying nerve cells grown in the lab and mice, say that the proteasome’s role … Read more
In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School have investigated brain development to understand how different areas of the brain become specialized in handling information such as vision, sound, touch and planning. The study found that different areas of the brain start … Read more
A perplexing problem for people with recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs) is persistent pain, even after antibiotics have successfully cleared the bacteria. Now Duke Health researchers have identified the likely cause—an overgrowth of nerve cells in the bladder. The finding, appearing March 1 in the journal Science Immunology, provides a potential new approach to managing … Read more
A University of Kansas study of rare gene mutations that cause hereditary Alzheimer’s disease shows these mutations disrupt the production of a small sticky protein called amyloid. Plaques composed of amyloid are notoriously found in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease and have long been considered responsible for the inexorable loss of neurons and cognitive decline. … Read more
Researchers at the University of Alberta have uncovered what they say has been the missing puzzle piece ever since the genetic code was first cracked. The code is the universal set of rules that allow living organisms to follow genetic instructions found in DNA and RNA to build proteins. In new research, published in BMC … Read more
A neurotransmitter previously thought only to calm neurons may also play a role in waking them up, according to a study published in the journal PLOS Biology, a discovery which challenges the textbook view of how neurons communicate with one another in the brain. Gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, is thought to be the principal inhibitory … Read more
Researchers from Bochum and Dortmund have created an artificial cell environment that could promote the regeneration of nerves. Usually, injuries to the brain or spinal cord don’t heal easily due to the formation of fluid-filled cavities and scars that prevent tissue regeneration. One starting point for medical research is therefore to fill the cavities with … Read more