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astrocytes

Featured Genetics Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 15, 2021·3 min read

Stem Cells Model Genetic Risk for Developing Alzheimer’s Disease

Stem cell study reveals astrocytes carrying the Alzheimer's associated APOE4 gene release more cholesterol than those carrying the APOE3 gene. Findings shed light on how different versions of the APOE gene in astrocytes influence amyloid-beta production and how the oversupply of cholesterol associated with APOE4 astrocytes may promote amyloid-beta formation in Alzheimer's patients.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 14, 2021·4 min read

Cholesterol Drives Alzheimer’s Plaque Formation

Cholesterol produced by astrocytes in the brain is required for the production of amyloid-beta. The findings shed light on how and why amyloid-beta forms, and may explain why genes associated with cholesterol have been implicated as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 2, 2021·5 min read

Many of the Fastest-Evolving Human Genes Linked to Evolutionary Changes in Brain Development

Almost half of the identified human accelerated regions of the genome appear to act as neurodevelopment enhancers, researchers say. The findings shed new light on the genetic basis of human evolution.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 14, 2021·5 min read

Brain Cholesterol Regulates Alzheimer’s Plaques

A new advanced imaging technique shows how cholesterol regulates the production of Alzheimer's associated amyloid beta proteins in astrocytes.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·July 8, 2021·4 min read

ALS: Study Shows Role of Brain’s Immune Cells

Hyperactive microglia immune cells may play a significant role in the development of ALS, researchers report.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 6, 2021·4 min read

Rejuvenating Mouse Brains With Ketamine or Flickering Light

Ketamine and exposure to 60-hertz flickering light show promise as a potentially new, non-invasive therapy to help rejuvenate the aging brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 1, 2021·3 min read

The Key Role of Astrocytes in Cognitive Development

Study reveals the role astrocytes play in the crucial closing period of brain plasticity following birth. The findings could help in the development of strategies to reintroduce plasticity in the adult brain.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 27, 2021·3 min read

Differences in Human, Mouse Brain Cells Have Important Implications for Disease Research

A new study reveals humans and mice have significant differences in how oxidative stress and inflammation trigger immune response genes in astrocytes. Researchers suggest lab models of neurodegeneration should incorporate specially engineered mouse models with lower resistance to oxidative stress, rendering them more human-like.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 26, 2021·4 min read

Researchers Find the Adhesions That Build the Brain’s Networks

The hepaCAM protein plays a critical role in the communication and coordination of astrocytes as they build synapses. The findings shed new light on potential biological mechanisms behind ASD and epilepsy.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 3, 2021·2 min read

Secondary Infections Inflame the Brain, Worsening Cognition in Alzheimer’s Disease

Secondary infections and novel inflammatory events, even ones that occur external to the brain, amplify the brain's immune response and detrimentally impact cognition in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 14, 2021·4 min read

Study Maps Brain Regions Responsible For Intoxicating Effects of Alcohol

The effects of intoxication, such as slurred speech and poor coordination, are a result of the breakdown of alcohol products in the brain and not the liver.