Neurodegeneration – News and Features

Researchers have made a major breakthrough with the potential to turn intravenous drugs into oral treatments for diseases like brain cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

By studying mutations in a gene called neurexin-1, which is highly associated with both schizophrenia and autism, researchers have discovered that different types of mutations in the gene require different treatments.

A new study shows that dysfunction of lysosomes can cause leakage of toxic substances within brain cells, contributing to Parkinson's onset but also offering new therapeutic targets.

A new study from the University of Michigan reveals that psychedelic compounds can improve cognitive flexibility in mice, with benefits lasting for weeks. The findings suggest potential treatments for psychiatric conditions like depression and PTSD.

Microglia can be engineered to detect disease-specific brain changes – like amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease – and deliver therapeutics exactly where needed.

The protein responsible for binding neural stem cells in the human brain, Neuro-cadherin, also plays a key role in stimulating their differentiation.

Neurobiologists discovered that individual neurons can apply different plasticity rules in separate dendritic branches. This new understanding challenges prior assumptions of uniformity in synaptic changes and opens possibilities for improving AI.

Researchers have demonstrated that an existing drug can revive immune cells that are not functioning correctly. These findings provide leads for further research in patients admitted to the intensive care unit with sepsis.

Tiny cells inside small blood vessels called pericytes can be forced to change shape and create "cellular bridges" that support axon regeneration after spinal cord injury.

A study identifies a genetic link between autism and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Researchers found that tandem repeat expansions in the DMPK gene, causing DM1, also disrupt gene splicing in the brain.