Archyde Impaired Synaptic Pruning in Autism: Immune Cell Dysfunction Identified Table of Contents 1. Impaired Synaptic Pruning in Autism: Immune Cell Dysfunction Identified 2. The Role of synaptic Pruning in Brain Growth 3. Macrophages and Synaptic Clearance: A New Clue 4. CD209 Gene: A Potential Mediator 5. Implications for Future Therapies 6. Source: 7. Frequently … Read more
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition in which affected individuals experience difficulties in social communication and exhibit restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior or interests. A growing body of research suggests that neurobiological changes, particularly abnormalities in dendritic spines, tiny protrusions on nerve cells where synapses form, may be a hallmark of ASD. … Read more
Found in the Finnish population, a rare variant of the TYROBP gene significantly increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study led by the University of Eastern Finland shows. This gene variant affects the function of microglia, the cells which regulate inflammation in the brain. The findings further confirm the role of altered inflammatory … Read more
As scientists seek to unravel the intricate potential connections between nutrition and the aging brain, a new study from researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University is shedding light on how insufficient consumption of vitamin K may adversely affect cognition as people get older. The study, … Read more
Summary: New research reveals that the immune checkpoint molecule Tim-3 plays a critical role in how microglia, the brain’s immune cells, respond to Alzheimer’s disease. While Tim-3 normally helps maintain brain homeostasis, it can also inhibit microglia from clearing harmful plaques that accumulate in Alzheimer’s. In mouse models, deleting Tim-3 reprogrammed microglia to remove plaques … Read more
Tim-3 is an immune checkpoint molecule involved in immunity and inflammation recently linked to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but its role in the brain was unknown until now. In a paper published in Nature, researchers from Mass General Brigham used preclinical models to uncover Tim-3’s role in microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, and have … Read more
As aging bodies decline, the brain loses the ability to cleanse itself of waste, a scenario that scientists think could be contributing to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, among others. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report they have found a way around that problem by … Read more
A groundbreaking peer-reviewed Thought Leaders Invited Review article in Brain Medicine (Genomic Press, New York) explores how CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) contributes to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), one of the most devastating neurodegenerative disorders affecting millions worldwide. CD2AP, initially identified for its role in cellular transport and cytoskeletal architecture, has now emerged as a crucial factor in … Read more
Brain metastases are one of the most severe complications of melanoma, the most aggressive type of skin cancer. Researchers at the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) in Elche, have identified a strategy to slow their progression, which could improve the … Read more
Sex-Based Differences in Microglia: A Game-Changer for Neurodegenerative Disease Research When a brain injury occurs, a hidden team of responders springs into action. These are the microglia, the brain’s immune cells, tasked with clearing toxins and repairing damaged tissue. But new research reveals that these cells don’t behave the same way in men and women—a … Read more