Newsline — Wednesday, May 14, 2014 9:02
Researchers Define New Subtype of Alzheimer’s Disease
Vitamin E Variant Helps “Redirect” Blood During a Stroke
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 13:42
In animal studies, researchers have discovered that brain damage during a stroke can be prevented by triggering the surrounding blood vessels to dilate and redirect the blood flow around a blockage. The blood vessel “redirect” is the result of 10 weeks’ worth of supplementation with a little-known type of vitamin E called tocotrienol. Tocotrienol appears to stimulate arteriogenesis, and this collateral blood supply can make a major difference in stroke outcomes. “We know that people who have good collaterals have better recovery from strokes. We think that tocotrienol helps improve the function of collaterals, which would offer someone better protection from an initial or secondary stroke,” said Cameron Rink, MD, a professor of surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. To find out exactly how tocotrienol is impacting blood vessel remodeling, Rink pioneered a technique using laser capture microdissection (LCM) to take microscopic pieces of brain tissue and blood vessels from the exact area where collaterals are called into action during a stroke. To learn more about the study, click here.
Transcription Factors Distinguishing Glioblastoma Stem Cells Identified
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 9:00
The activity of four transcription factors appears to distinguish the small proportion of glioblastoma cells responsible for the aggressiveness and treatment resistance of the deadly brain tumor. The findings by a team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, recently published in Cell, support the importance of epigenetics in cancer pathology and identify molecular circuits that may be targeted by new therapeutic approaches. “We have identified a code of ‘molecular switches’ that control a very aggressive subpopulation of brain cancer cells, so-called glioblastoma stem cells,” said Mario Suvà, MD, PhD, of the MGH Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, co-lead author of the Cell article. “Understanding what drives these aggressive cells will give us insights into alternative ways of eliminating them and potentially changing the course of this very deadly tumor.” To learn more about the study, click here.
Zinc Supplementation Shows Promise in Treatment of TBI
Monday, May 12, 2014 13:00
A researcher at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine has been investigating the effects of low-zinc diets on cell stress following a blast injury. To explore the possible effects of zinc supplementation on wounded troops suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), Dr. Angus Scrimgeour’s animal study recreated blast injuries in 32 rats similar to what soldiers experience from improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including loss of consciousness. The results suggest that zinc supplementation reduces blast-induced cell stress. “We know that soldiers’ brain tissue cannot repair on low-zinc diets,” said Scrimgeour. To learn more about the study, click here.
Study IDs New Cause of Brain Bleeding Immediately After Stroke
Monday, May 12, 2014 9:55
Researchers at University of California (UC) Irvine and the Salk Institute have discovered a new mechanism that allows blood to enter the brain immediately after a stroke. While observing that blood-brain barrier function is rapidly impaired after a stroke (within six hours), they unexpectedly found that this early barrier failure is not due to the breakdown of tight junctions between blood vessel cells, and in fact, junction deterioration did not occur until two days after the event. Instead, the researchers discovered dramatic increases in serum albumin flowing directly into brain tissue. “These findings suggest new therapeutic directions aimed at regulating flow through endothelial cells in the barrier after a stroke occurs,” said Dritan Agalliu, assistant professor of developmental & cell biology at UC Irvine, “and any such therapies have the potential to reduce or prevent stroke-induced damage in the brain.” To learn more about the study, click here.
Brain Tumors Not Caused by Viruses
Friday, May 9, 2014 13:00
With an estimated one in five cancers caused by an infectious agent, either bacterial or viral, the findings from a recent study are significant: According to a recent genetic analysis of more than 4,000 tumors that maps the linkages between viruses and 19 different types of cancer, brain tumors and breast cancer are not caused by viruses. Previous studies have suggested links between breast cancer and Epstein-Barr virus and between brain tumors and cytomegalovirus, but the new study disproves those associations. To learn more about the study, click here.
Study May Reveal Cause of Epilepsy
Friday, May 9, 2014 9:00
Recently published in The Journal of Neuroscience, an animal study shows the first evidence that hyaluronic acid (HA) plays a role in epileptic seizures, providing a potential new approach for treatments. The study used mice to demonstrate a physiological role for HA in the maintenance of the brain’s extracellular space (ECS) volume. The team of researchers from Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and SUNY Downstate Medical Center examined the role of HA using mutant mice deficient in each of the three hyaluronan synthase genes. “We showed that Has-mutant mice develop spontaneous epileptic seizures, indicating that HA is functionally involved in the regulation of neuronal excitability. Our study revealed that deficiency of HA results in a reduction in the volume of the brain’s ECS, leading to spontaneous epileptiform activity in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons,” said Sabina Hrabetova, MD, PhD, associate professor in the department of cell biology at SUNY Downstate. To learn more about the study, click here.
The Debate Over Aspirin Use for Stroke Prevention
Thursday, May 8, 2014 13:11
According to a recent MedPage Today article, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a message to consumers against the use of aspirin for primary prevention of stroke and heart attack, stating that evidence does not support its use, and citing risk factors. While the agency did add that for secondary prevention aspirin’s benefits do outweigh the risks, not everyone agrees with the FDA’s perspective, including the American Heart Association, whose guidelines indicate aspirin use for the primary prevention of stroke. A number of physicians provided their thoughts on the issue and how the statement will impact their practices. To read the full article, click here.
New Sensor System Detects Early Signs of Concussion in Real Time
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 16:25
A wireless health-monitoring system, developed by researchers at the University of Arkansas, detects early signs of traumatic brain injury in athletes by continuously monitoring various brain and neural functions. The technology makes it possible for a physician to continuously monitor each player’s physiological signs that indicate concussion. The system is a network of flexible sensors woven or printed into a skullcap worn under a helmet. The sensors are built with carbon nanotubes and two- and three-dimensional, textile nanostructures. The system includes a pressure-sensitive textile sensor embedded underneath the helmet’s outer shell, which measures intensity, direction and location of impact force, while the other sensors work as an integrated network within the skullcap. The system then uses wireless telemetry to transmit data from the sensors to a receiver, which then transmits the data via a wireless network to a remote server or monitor, such as a computer. “In real time, our system continuously monitors neural activity and recognizes the signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injury, such as drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, sensitivity to light and anxiety,”…
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Researchers Discover New Genetic Brain Disorder in Humans
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 9:00
A newly identified disorder associated with degeneration of the central and peripheral nervous system in humans was reported in a recent issue of Cell. The findings were generated by two collaborative scientific teams by performing DNA sequencing of more than 4,000 families affected by neurological problems. The two research teams independently discovered that a disease marked by reduced brain size and sensory and motor defects is caused by a mutation in a gene called CLP1, which is known to regulate tRNA metabolism in cells. Mutations affecting molecules involved in producing tRNAs have been implicated in human neurological disorders, such as pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH), a currently incurable neurodegenerative disease affecting children. Insights into the rare disorder, researchers say, may have important implications for the future treatment of more common neurological conditions. To read more about this study, click here.