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regenerative medicine

A man is standing with the help of a walker in front of a tower of electronics as a woman sits nearby.

·February 5, 2013·5 min read

Reflex Control Could Improve Walking After Incomplete Spinal Injuries

A training regimen to adjust the body's motor reflexes may help improve mobility for some people with incomplete spinal cord injuries. During training, the participants were instructed to suppress a knee jerk-like reflex elicited by a small shock to the leg. Those able to calm hyperactive reflexes saw improvements in their walking.

The image shows multi-colored jigsaw pieces around a dictionary definition of autism.

Autism Featured

·February 4, 2013·3 min read

Children with Autism at Significant Risk for Feeding Problems and Nutritional Deficits

A comprehensive analysis of feeding behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders indicates that these children are five times more likely to have a feeding problem, including extreme tantrums during meals, severe food selectivity and ritualistic mealtime behaviors.

Featured Neurology

·February 4, 2013·2 min read

Chemical Reaction Keeps Stroke Damaged Brain from Repairing itself

When the brain produces too much nitric oxide, it contributes to the severity and progression of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Researchers recently discovered that nitric oxide not only damages neurons, it also shuts down the brain’s repair mechanisms.

The image shows an oligodendrocyte transfected with GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein).

Featured Neuroscience

·January 30, 2013·2 min read

New Drug Target Identified for Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers report that the protein Klotho plays an important role in the health of myelin, the insulating material allowing for the rapid communication between nerve cells. These findings may lead to new therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

The image shows a sketch of a heart with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD).

Featured Neurology

·January 30, 2013·3 min read

Two Brothers with Muscular Dystrophy Live with Heart Pumps that Help Keep them Alive

Doctors implant left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to help stop the progression of heart disease and improve the quality of life in brothers with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy.

The image shows a microscopic view of a typical neuroblastoma with rosette formation.

Brain Cancer Featured

·January 29, 2013·2 min read

Dendritic Cell Vaccine for Relapsed Neuroblastoma Patient Induces Complete Remission

Cancer treatment vaccine research leads to remission in a child with a relapsed neuroblastoma.

Featured Neurology

·January 24, 2013·3 min read

Doctors Perform First FDA Approved Schwann Cell Transplant in Patient with New Spinal Cord Injury

Doctors performed the first-ever FDA approved Schwann cell transplantation in a patient with a new spinal cord injury. The procedure is a Phase 1 clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of transplanting the patient’s own Schwann cells.

Featured Neurology

·January 22, 2013·4 min read

Discovering the “Needle in a Haystack” for Muscular Dystrophy Patients

Scientists identified a sequence in the dystrophin gene that is essential for helping muscle tissues function, a breakthrough discovery that could lead to treatments for the deadly hereditary disease.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 26, 2012·2 min read

Stimulating Brain Cells with Light

The work will be conducted on laboratory rats modelling Parkinson’s disease. The transplanted cells will be derived from skin from an adult human and will have been “reprogrammed” as nerve cells. The light-sensitive protein is obtained from a bacterium, which uses light to gain energy.

Featured Genetics Neurology

·October 25, 2012·4 min read

Researchers at the Doorstep of Stem Cell Therapies for MS, Other Myelin Disorders

Scientists report researchers are now on the threshold of human application of stem cell therapies for a class of neurological diseases known as myelin disorders – a long list of diseases that include conditions such as multiple sclerosis, white matter stroke, cerebral palsy, certain dementias, and rare but fatal childhood disorders called pediatric leukodystrophies.

Neurons are shown. Caption describes it well.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology

·October 22, 2012·3 min read

Aggressive Brain Tumors Can Originate from a Range of Nervous System Cells

Scientists have long believed that glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive type of primary brain tumor, begins in glial cells that make up supportive tissue in the brain or in neural stem cells. Researchers found that the tumors can originate from other types of differentiated cells in the nervous system, including cortical neurons.

Featured Neurology

·October 21, 2012·5 min read

Natural Process Activating Brain’s Immune Cells Could Point Way to Repairing Damaged Brain

The brain’s key “breeder” cells secrete substances that boost the numbers and strength of critical brain-based immune cells believed to play a vital role in brain health. This finding adds a new dimension to our understanding of how resident stem cells and stem cell transplants may improve brain function.