Newsline — Monday, June 9, 2014 10:13
SSRI Use May Worsen Hemorrhagic Strokes
Researchers Profile Active Genes in Neurons Based on Connections
Friday, June 6, 2014 13:38
Researchers in the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at Rockefeller University have devised a way to create snapshots of gene expression in neurons based on their connections. Their new technique, called Retro-TRAP, merges two approaches to understanding the brain: mapping all of its connections and profiling gene expression within populations of neurons. The researchers modified a technique known as translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP), developed to identify gene expression using green fluorescent protein to tag ribosomes. To test their technique, the research team focused on inputs to the nucleus accumbens. Using Retro-TRAP, they introduced green fluorescent protein to the neuron via a virus that travels backwards from a synapse into the body of a mouse neuron. The researchers used a small antibody to link the ribosome with the fluorescent protein. Then, using these fluorescent tags, the researchers pulled out the ribosomes and sequenced the genetic messages passing through them. In this way, they produced a list of active genes. The researchers created molecular profiles of neurons extending from the hypothalamus and ventral midbrain that project to…
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Compound Reverses Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice
Thursday, June 5, 2014 13:12
A new molecular compound restored learning, memory and appropriate behavior in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. According to findings recently reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the molecule, developed by Saint Louis University scientists, also reduced inflammation in the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Scientists tested the compound, called antisense oligonucleotide (OL-1), in a type of mouse that overexpresses a mutant form of the human amyloid beta precursor gene. The mice were given a series of tests designed to measure memory, learning and appropriate behavior, such as going through a maze, exploring an unfamiliar location and recognizing an object. The scientists found that learning and memory improved in the genetically engineered mice that received OL-1, compared to the genetically engineered mice that received random antisense, a strand of molecules that bind to messenger RNA, launching a cascade of cellular events that turns off a certain gene. “Our findings reinforced the importance of amyloid beta protein in the Alzheimer’s disease process. They suggest that an antisense that targets the precursor…
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Sex-specific Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow Begin at Puberty
Thursday, June 5, 2014 9:00
In a new study reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Penn Medicine researchers have discovered that cerebral blood flow (CBF) levels decreased similarly in males and females before puberty, but saw them diverge sharply in puberty, with levels increasing in females while decreasing further in males, which could give hints as to developing differences in behavior in men and women and sex-specific pre-dispositions to certain psychiatric disorders. The Penn team imaged the brains of 922 youth ages 8 through 22 using arterial spin labeled (ASL) MRI. Age-related differences were observed in the amount and location of blood flow in males versus females, with blood flow declining at a similar rate before puberty and diverging markedly in mid-puberty. At around age 16, while male CBF values continue to decline with advanced age, females CBF values actually increased. This resulted in females having notably higher CBF than males by the end of adolescence. Potentially, these effects could also be related to the higher risk in women for depression and anxiety disorders, and higher risk…
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Simulated Learning in Medical Education Improves Patient Care, Outcomes
Wednesday, June 4, 2014 13:00
According to a new study from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, the use of simulation techniques in medical education results in improved patient care, better outcomes and other benefits. Researchers analyzed 23 medical education studies that measured the effects of simulation-based mastery learning (SBML). A qualitative synthesis of these studies found that SBML improved outcomes in four areas: the educational laboratory, patient care practices, patient outcomes and collateral effects, such as reduced health-care costs. For example, among other things, these studies examined the impact of SBML on clinical skills, including management of ICU patients on ventilators; lumbar puncture; and communicating with a chronically ill patient about goals of care. Click here to learn more about the study.
An Unlikely Stress Responder May Protect Against Alzheimer’s
Wednesday, June 4, 2014 9:47
According to a recent report in the Journal of Neuroscience, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered that a protein that forms harmful aggregates in the body when produced in the liver protects against Alzheimer’s disease aggregates when it is produced in the brain. The results suggest drugs that can boost the protein’s production specifically in neurons could one day help ward off Alzheimer’s disease. The study centers on transthyretin (TTR), a protein that functions as a transporter, carrying the thyroid hormone thyroxine and vitamin A through the bloodstream and cerebrospinal fluid. TTR is known to be produced principally in the liver and in the parts of the brain where cerebrospinal fluid is made. “It’s becoming more and more evident in biology that the same molecule can do very different things in different contexts,” said Joel N. Buxbaum, MD, professor at TSRI. To learn more about the study, click here.
Researchers Find New Target for Chronic Pain Treatment
Tuesday, June 3, 2014 13:45
Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have found a new target for treating chronic pain: an enzyme called PIP5K1C. A paper recently published in Neuron discusses that PIP5K1C controls the activity of cellular receptors that signal pain. By reducing the level of the enzyme, researchers showed that the levels of a crucial lipid called PIP2 in pain-sensing neurons is also lessened, thus decreasing pain. They also found a compound that could dampen the activity of PIP5K1C. This compound, currently named UNC3230, could lead to a new kind of pain reliever for chronic pain. In particular, the researchers showed that the compound might be able to significantly reduce inflammatory pain, as well as neuropathic pain. The research team screened about 5,000 small molecules to identify compounds that might block PIP5K1C. While there were a number of hits, UNC3230 was the strongest. To learn more about the study, click here.
Study Identifies New Way Brain Tumors Become More Malignant
Monday, June 2, 2014 13:10
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have identified a strategy that highly aggressive brain tumor cells use to fuel their relentless expansion. In a study recently published online in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, the research team demonstrates that alternative splicing, or the beading together of different parts of a gene, allows brain tumors to incapacitate a key tumor suppressor gene, and that this splicing event happens in a tissue-specific context. The team discovered that a specific spliced form of the membrane-binding tumor suppressor annexin A7, or ANXA7, leads to the decreased breakdown of a receptor, EGFR, that contributes to the growth of tumor cells. The study reveals what happens to ANXA7 — and introduces a fresh target for cancer therapy: PTBP1. This “splice factor” snips out a crucial part of the ANXA7 gene, compromising its function. The researchers found that in the brain this process happens in stemlike precursor cells that represent potential cells of origin of glioblastoma but not in mature neuronal cells. The research team demonstrated that PTBP1 is overexpressed…
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Cynicism Could Hurt Your Brain Health
Friday, May 30, 2014 13:00
According to a new study published in Neurology, those who exhibit high levels of cynical distrust may be more likely to develop dementia. Although cynicism has previously been associated with other health problems such as heart disease, this is the first study to examine the relationship between cynicism and dementia. “These results add to the evidence that people’s view on life and personality may have an impact on their health,” said the author of the study. During the study, 1,449 people with an average age of 71 were given tests for dementia and a questionnaire to measure their levels of cynicism. After researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect dementia risk, the results of the study showed that of the 146 people who showed high levels of cynicism, 14 people developed dementia, compared to nine of the 212 people with low levels of cynicism. To read more about this study, click here.
Optical Brain Scanner Goes Where Other Brain Scanners Cannot
Friday, May 30, 2014 9:10
According to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis that is now available online in Nature Photonics, scientists have advanced a brain-scanning technology that tracks what the brain is doing by shining dozens of tiny LED lights on the head. This new generation of neuroimaging avoids the radiation exposure and bulky magnets other approaches require. Suited for children and for patients with electronic implants, such as deep brain stimulators, the new technology is called diffuse optical tomography (DOT). The new DOT instrument covers two-thirds of the head and for the first time can image brain processes taking place in multiple regions and brain networks such as those involved in language processing and daydreaming. The technique works by detecting light transmitted through the head and capturing the dynamic changes in color of the brain tissue. Unlike functional MRI and PET, DOT technology is designed to be portable, so it could be used at a patient’s beside or in the operating room. To learn more about the study, click here.