Support Cells, Not Neurons, Lull the Brain to SleepWednesday, Jan 28, 2009
Brain cells called astrocytes help to cause the urge to sleep that comes with prolonged wakefulness, according to a study
in mice, funded by the National Institutes of Health. The cells release adenosine, a chemical known to have sleep-inducing
effects that are inhibited by caffeine.
Researchers Identify Mechanism, Possible Drug Treatment for Tumors in NeurofibromatosisThursday, Oct 30, 2008
Researchers studying neurofibromatosis type 1 – a rare disease in which tumors grow within nerves – have found that the tumors
are triggered by crosstalk between cells in the nerves and cells in the blood. They also found that a drug on the market
for treating certain kinds of blood cancer curbs tumor growth in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 1.
Scientists Restore Movement to Paralyzed Limbs through Artificial Brain-Muscle ConnectionsWednesday, Oct 15, 2008
Researchers in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have demonstrated for the first time that a direct
artificial connection from the brain to muscles can restore voluntary movement in monkeys whose arms have been temporarily
anesthetized.
Common Treatment to Delay Labor Decreases Preterm Infants' Risk for Cerebral PalsyThursday, Aug 28, 2008
Preterm infants born to mothers receiving intravenous magnesium sulfate — a common treatment to delay labor — are less likely
to develop cerebral palsy than are preterm infants whose mothers do not receive it, report researchers in a large National
Institutes of Health research network.
NIH Researchers Find That Rett Syndrome Gene is Full of SurprisesThursday, May 29, 2008
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has transformed scientists' understanding of Rett syndrome, a genetic
disorder that causes autistic behavior and other disabling symptoms. Until now, scientists thought that the gene behind Rett
syndrome was an "off" switch, or repressor, for other genes. But the new study, published today in Science1, shows that it
is an "on" switch for a startlingly large number of genes.
Researchers Develop First Transgenic Monkey Model of Huntington’s DiseaseFriday, May 23, 2008
Scientists have developed the first genetically altered monkey model that replicates some symptoms observed in patients with
Huntington's disease. This advance, reported in Nature, could lead to major breakthroughs in the effort to develop new treatments
for a range of neurological diseases.
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