For decades, multiple sclerosis research has focused on myelin, the insulation around the brain’s wiring. Scientists paid less attention to another loss that was happening in parallel: neurons in the cortex, the seat of higher thinking and cognition, were quietly dying. A team led by UC San Francisco, University of Cambridge, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center … Read more
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological disorder caused by malfunctioning immune responses that target the brain and spinal cord of the central nervous system (CNS). What makes our body turn against itself? Failure of the immune system to distinguish ‘self’ from ‘non-self’ entities leads to excessive autoimmune responses against self-proteins like myelin, which forms … Read more
A genetic mutation that helps animals like yaks and Tibetan antelopes survive at high altitudes may hold the key to repairing nerve damage in conditions such as cerebral paralysis and multiple sclerosis (MS). The finding, publishing March 13 in the Cell Press journal Neuron, reveals a naturally existing pathway that promotes regeneration after nerve damage and could open new doors for treating diseases like MS by leveraging molecules that are already present in the human body. … Read more
In experiments with mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists report new evidence that precursors of myelin-producing cells – one of the few brain cell types that continue to be produced in the adult brain – undergo differentiation widely and at a constant pace, rather than “as needed” in response to injury or advancing age. The findings, … Read more
Physical rehabilitation and symptom management still remain the mainstay of treatment for stroke, as clot removal or dissolution is effective only within a narrow time frame after the stroke. After that, many patients are left with long-term problems like difficulty in walking, speaking, and memory decline. Exercise has been beneficial in preventing strokes and improving … Read more
New research reveals that extended breastfeeding benefits infants and helps adolescents build stronger brains and sharper thinking, highlighting the long-term value of following global breastfeeding recommendations. Study: Sustained breastfeeding associations with brain structure and cognition from late childhood to early adolescence. Image Credit: Kittyfly / Shutterstock Breastfeeding’s neurocognitive benefits on infants and children are generally supported, although … Read more
NIH study reveals key players underlying disease onset and repair. Using an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have created a four-dimensional brain map that reveals how lesions similar to those seen in human MS form. These findings, published in Science, provide a window into the early … Read more
Archyde A Genetic Silencer Provides Protection Against a Devastating Neurological Disease A groundbreaking discovery by geneticists at the University of pittsburgh School of Public Health has shed new light on the mechanisms behind autosomal dominant leukodystrophy (ADLD), a fatal, progressive neurological disease that affects thousands worldwide. Published in Nature Communications, the research reveals the protective … Read more
A team led by University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health geneticists has shown, for the first time, that a gene “silencer” that resides in junk DNA is directly sparing people from a devastating and fatal progressive neurological disease. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, explains why not all people with the genetic mutation develop … Read more