Senescence is a response to cell damage and stress characterized by the arrest of the cell cycle. When aging, cells permanently stop dividing, thus preventing the propagation of damaged and dysfunctional cells. However, eventually, a massive quantity of senescent cells accumulate in tissues, resulting in the onset and progression of multiple disorders, including diabetes, cardiovascular […]
JNK protein triggers nerve cells to withdraw their synapses when stressed
Synapses are tiny cell protrusions where electrochemical impulses pass between nerves. Prolonged stress in the brain causes synapse withdrawal and maladaptive changes to circuits that are linked to the development of major depressive disorder. Postdoctoral Researcher Patrik Hollós and colleagues used a light-activated optogenetic tool to switch off the activity of a protein called JNK […]
Initial protective role of nervous system’s ‘star-shaped cells’ in sporadic motor neuron disease uncovered
Support cells in the nervous system help protect motor neurons in the early-stages of sporadic motor neuron disease, according to new research from the Crick and UCL. Motor neuron disease is a degenerative condition which destroys the nerve cells (motor neurons) in the brain and spinal cord, which control movement, speech, swallowing and breathing. The […]
Rejuvenating the brain: More stem cells improve learning and memory of old mice
The older we get the more our brains will find it difficult to learn and remember new things. The research group led by Professor Federico Calegari used a method to stimulate the small pool of neural stem cells that reside in the brain in order to increase their number and the number of neurons generated […]
Targeting stem cells that drive aggressive blood cancer
Peter Mac scientists have found a way to target acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at its source—a discovery that could yield a more effective treatment for this aggressive and often incurable blood cancer. Prof Mark Dawson and Dr. Laura MacPherson led the international research team, in collaboration with researchers in Europe and Australia including at the […]
Reprogramming inner ear to regrow hair cells promising target for hearing loss treatments
A new discovery from a team led by Massachusetts Eye and Ear researchers may bring scientists a step closer to developing treatments that regrow the missing cells that cause hearing loss. In a new study, published online December 4, 2019, in Nature Communications, scientists report a new strategy to induce cell division in the mature […]
Genetic alterations in skin stem cells can trigger psoriasis
Psoriasis is not a congenital disorder—it only occurs later on in life and has various causes, such as stress or UV irradiation, some of which have not yet been explored. In biomedical science, this frequently occurring inflammatory skin disease is usually associated with a disorder in the immune system, in which the body’s immune response […]
Killing brain cells believed to fight Alzheimer's could delay disease
Alzheimer’s could be halted with treatment which eliminates immune cells in the brain, scientists claim Tangled tau protein in the brain is a recognised tell-tale of an Alzheimer’s patient When tau becomes knotted, immune brain cells known as microglia attack it But in doing so, the microglia actually damages the neuron and causes damage Alzheimer’s […]
Targeting immune cells may be potential therapy for Alzheimer’s
Messy tangles of a protein called tau can be found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and some other neurodegenerative diseases. In Alzheimer’s, the tangles coalesce just before tissue damage becomes visible in brain scans and people start to become forgetful and confused. Now, a new study has found that brain immune cells […]
Scientists have identified the presence of cancer-suppressing cells in pancreatic cancer
A research team led by Nagoya University has revealed that cells containing a protein called Meflin have a role in restraining the progression of pancreatic cancer, a type of cancer that is hard to treat with traditional anti-cancer drugs. The team has also shown that cancer progression can be limited by artificially increasing the amount […]