Study reveals the immune system constantly communicates with the brain during the early developmental phase of Parkinson's disease. Changes in the immune system influence the condition of neurons.
While the amount of antibodies generated varies widely in patients who have recovered from coronavirus, most people generate at least some antibodies which are intrinsically capable of neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Compared to the virus that caused the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has evolved new strategies to bind to cell receptors, resulting in tighter binding. A new study identifies key mutations that potentially enabled the animal-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The study mapped out important binding sites on SARS-CoV-2 for antibody drugs to act on. If new drugs can bind to the sites on SARS-CoV-2, they will block the virus out of cells.
MIT researchers have identified a protein fragment that may inhibit COVID-19's ability to enter human lung cells. The new peptide can bind to the viral protein and potentially disarm it.
21% of veterans who experience PTSD or traumatic brain injury suffer from a rare sleep condition that affects less than 1% of the general population. The condition, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), is characterized by an impairment of sleep-related muscle paralysis, causing people to act out dreams during REM sleep. The uncontrolled actions often cause harm to the sufferer of their partners.
People who suffer from REM sleep behavior disorder are at increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease and dementia as they age, a new study reports. Researchers report RBD causes a lack of dopamine in the brain, and this can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers have identified a population of neurons that appear to be responsible for muscle paralysis during REM sleep.
RBD, a sleep disorder which causes people to act out their dreams, could predict the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.
