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St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

·May 21, 2025·5 min read

TEAD Proteins Switch Roles in Brain Development

New research shows that TEAD proteins, long known for promoting the growth of neural progenitor cells, also help those same cells mature into neurons and glia—depending on their molecular partners. In early development, TEAD proteins bind with YAP to drive cell proliferation, but later they switch to a different partner, INSM1, which promotes cell differentiation.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 17, 2025·6 min read

Babies Fight COVID Differently Than Anyone Else

Infants hospitalized with severe COVID-19 mount an immune response that looks entirely different from that of adults or older children. Researchers found both interferon responses and inflammation were elevated simultaneously—something never before observed in other viral infections.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 9, 2025·5 min read

Push-and-Pull Signals Direct Neuron Migration in the Developing Brain

Scientists have uncovered how developing neurons migrate from the germinal zone, a process critical for proper brain circuit formation. They identified a "push-pull" system where the guidance molecule Netrin-1 repels differentiated neurons, while the ubiquitin ligase Siah2 prevents premature migration by degrading essential proteins.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 23, 2024·5 min read

Mapping Brain-to-Spinal Cord Pathways for Motor Control

Researchers have created a 3D atlas mapping brain regions that connect to V1 spinal interneurons, which shape motor output. By using a genetically modified rabies virus, they pinpointed connections from the brain to these diverse "switchboard operator" cells in the spinal cord.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 28, 2024·5 min read

Revolutionary Tool Unveils Hidden Brain Cell Functions

Researchers developed ConVERGD, a tool for precise manipulation of specific cell subpopulations, enhancing studies of cellular diversity. The study demonstrated ConVERGD's utility by identifying a norepinephrine neuron subpopulation linked to anxiety. This innovative approach could impact research and treatment across various fields.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 2, 2024·6 min read

Cellular Messengers of Neural Development Identified

Researchers unveil the role of cytonemes, thin cell projections, in neural development. These hair-like structures facilitate direct signal transport across cells, impacting nervous system development. By visualizing cytonemes' function, the researchers discovered their role in establishing signaling gradients and the transport of critical molecules like sonic hedgehog during mammalian tissue development.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 28, 2021·2 min read

Signals From Muscle Protect From Dementia

Mimicking a muscular stress system can provide neuroprotection against aging in both the brain and retina. The signal helps prevent the buildup of misfolded protein aggregates.

Brain Cancer Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 1, 2020·4 min read

Inherited mutation can predispose children to a type of brain tumor

The ELP1 gene is abnormally mutated in the germline DNA of 15% of children with the Sonic Hedgehog subgroup of medulloblastoma brain cancer.

A doctor is seen talking to a young girl.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 6, 2019·5 min read

Radiation After Surgery Triples Survival for Ependymoma, a Type of Pediatric Brain Tumor

A study shows that postoperative radiation improves outcomes for children with ependymoma, even those with historically poor prognoses and the very young.

Featured Genetics Neurology

·August 19, 2017·6 min read

Fundamental ALS Pathology Discovered

Researchers have identified a genetic mutation associated with both ALS and frontotemporal dementia.

Image shows a little girl playing the piano.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience

·June 30, 2017·5 min read

Controlling a Single Brain Chemical May Help Expand Window for Learning Language and Music

Using mouse models, researchers restricted a key chemical messenger to extend efficient auditory learning until much later in life. Disrupting adenosine signaling in the auditory thalamus allowed researchers to extend the window for auditory learning well into adulthood and far beyond the current critical period.