Study reports in the short term, astrocytes regulate caloric intake by controlling the signaling pathway between the gut and brain. Eating high-fat or high-calorie diets disrupts this pathway.
In rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation in one joint is transmitted to other joints via the sensory neuron connections in the spinal cord, leading to inflammation in the other joints. Inflammation in one joint led to an increase in ATP in other joints, which triggered an increase of a signaling molecule that resulted in inflammation. Blocking the pathway reduced the spread of inflammation.
A once-weekly three-minute exposure to long-wave deep red light activates mitochondria in the retina, helping to naturally boost declining vision.
Too much salt can disrupt the energy balance of immune cells and prevent them from functioning correctly.
The sense of taste in female mosquitoes is specially tuned to detect at least four different substances in blood.
The retrieval of mitochondria via a feedback loop is vital to sustaining synaptic transmission.
Researchers have identified a bio-chemical circuit that supports neuron-microglia communication. When neurons are active, they release ATP. Microglia sense extracellular ATP and the compound draws the immune cell toward the neuron.
Glial cells known as tanycytes deliver signals to neurons in the brain to activate appetite. Optogenetic stimulation of tanycytes increases appetite.
Microscopy study sheds light on the function of two calcium homeostasis modulators.
When a motor neuron-specific pool of heat shock protein 90 (Hps90) was inhibited, motor neuron apoptosis was triggered.
Using zebrafish models, researchers detected genes with altered levels of expression. The genetic variations were associated with abnormalities with mitochondrial function and the production of ATP.
Researchers have developed small molecules that inhibit one of the main enzymes implicated in autoimmune response. The research could lead to potential new medications for a range of autoimmune diseases.