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Genetics

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 13, 2024·6 min read

Parkinson’s Progression Linked to New Protein Pathway

Researchers have identified a protein, TMEM16F, that appears to aid the spread of Parkinson’s pathology in the brain. They found that a mutation in this protein promotes the secretion of a harmful form of α-synuclein, which moves through nerve cells, forming toxic Lewy bodies.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 13, 2024·3 min read

Could Targeting Genetics Reduce Our Cravings for Sugary Foods?

A new study has revealed how genetic variations in the SI gene, which affects sucrose digestion, influence dietary preferences and intake of sugary foods. Researchers found that individuals with limited sucrose-digesting ability, due to specific genetic variations, showed reduced sugar cravings and consumption. This discovery opens up the potential to develop targeted treatments to reduce sugar intake on a population level, potentially reducing the incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·November 12, 2024·5 min read

CAR T-Cell Therapy Recruits Brain’s Defenses Against Glioblastoma

Researchers have developed an innovative CAR T-cell therapy to combat glioblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. This approach not only attacks tumor cells directly but also reprograms the tumor's microenvironment, enabling immune cells to fight the cancer rather than protect it.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 12, 2024·6 min read

Glial Cells May Influence Depression and Schizophrenia

New research highlights neuroglia (or glia cells) as critical players in mental health, potentially influencing conditions like depression and schizophrenia. Glia cells, long considered "support cells" in the brain, have now been shown to communicate through unique calcium signaling, impacting neuronal function and stress responses. Studies suggest that compromised astrocyte function, a glial cell type, may relate to depressive symptoms and schizophrenia.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 11, 2024·4 min read

Targeting Enzyme TYK2 Could Reduce Tau in Alzheimer’s Disease

Scientists have discovered that the enzyme TYK2 modifies tau proteins, leading to their accumulation in the brain—a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. By reducing TYK2 activity in animal models, researchers found tau buildup was decreased, suggesting TYK2 inhibitors could be a potential therapeutic pathway.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 10, 2024·3 min read

Reprogrammed Brain Cells Could Restore Damaged Circuits

Scientists have successfully reprogrammed astroglia, a type of brain support cell, into neurons that mimic specific interneurons critical for brain function. By modifying the Ascl1 protein, they increased its efficiency in converting astroglia to neuron-like cells, opening new possibilities for regenerative treatments for brain disorders such as epilepsy.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 9, 2024·4 min read

Cells Beyond the Brain Show Surprising Memory Abilities

New research reveals that cells outside the brain can store and process memories, challenging the view that memory is limited to neurons. Scientists found that non-brain cells, when exposed to spaced chemical signals, activated a "memory gene" similarly to neurons.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·November 8, 2024·6 min read

Pathway Identified for Early Intervention in ALS Progression

Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that may trigger ALS’s earliest stages, identifying proteins that mislocalize, causing neuron degeneration. By targeting the RNA-binding protein SmD1, scientists were able to prevent key ALS proteins from leaving their protective cellular zones, preserving neuron function. The findings may lead to ALS therapies capable of halting progression before significant neurodegeneration occurs, offering potential new strategies against the disease.

This shows a man's face and broken bottles.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 5, 2024·5 min read

Gene Study Links Alcohol Addiction to Accelerated Alzheimer’s Progression

Researchers discovered alcohol use disorder (AUD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibit similar patterns of gene dysregulation, hinting that alcohol consumption may hasten Alzheimer’s progression. By analyzing gene expression across individual brain cells, the team found shared disruptions in inflammation, cell signaling, and blood vessel functions in both disorders.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 3, 2024·3 min read

RNA Structures Linked to Parkinson’s Protein Aggregates

Researchers have identified unique RNA structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s) that promote harmful α-synuclein protein aggregation linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. Elevated calcium levels trigger these G4s, acting as "scaffolds" for α-synuclein clumping. Administering 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) to model mice prevented aggregation and reduced motor symptoms. This breakthrough suggests that G4-targeted therapies could offer early intervention for neurodegenerative diseases.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 1, 2024·4 min read

Honeybee Behavior Genetically Programmed

The doublesex (dsx) gene in honeybees determines specific worker bee behaviors like foraging and brood care. By modifying this gene, they found dsx directly affects neural pathways, encoding behaviors essential to colony survival.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 1, 2024·5 min read

Study Identifies Neural Crest Stem Cells as Reprogramming Drivers

Neural crest stem cells, a rare type found in skin and other tissues, are uniquely capable of reprogramming into different cell types, challenging the prevailing belief that any mature cell can be reprogrammed. The study reveals that cellular reprogramming is likely limited to these specialized stem cells rather than all mature cells. Neural crest stem cells are present in skin, bone, and connective tissue, with a natural predisposition for transformation due to their origin in embryonic development.

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Genetics

Parkinson’s Progression Linked to New Protein Pathway

Could Targeting Genetics Reduce Our Cravings for Sugary Foods?

CAR T-Cell Therapy Recruits Brain’s Defenses Against Glioblastoma

Glial Cells May Influence Depression and Schizophrenia

Targeting Enzyme TYK2 Could Reduce Tau in Alzheimer’s Disease

Reprogrammed Brain Cells Could Restore Damaged Circuits

Cells Beyond the Brain Show Surprising Memory Abilities

Pathway Identified for Early Intervention in ALS Progression

Gene Study Links Alcohol Addiction to Accelerated Alzheimer’s Progression

RNA Structures Linked to Parkinson’s Protein Aggregates

Honeybee Behavior Genetically Programmed

Study Identifies Neural Crest Stem Cells as Reprogramming Drivers

AI Chip Mimicking Brain’s Reflex Center Developed

Study Overturns Decades of External Axon Growth Theory

Study Shatters Assumptions About Brain Connectome Dynamics

Earliest Evidence of Right-Handedness Found

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