An Over-Worked, Under-Appreciated Brain Cell Finally Gets its DueTuesday, Mar 11, 2008
As the cells that generate the brain's electrical signals, neurons tend to grab the limelight when it comes to studies of
brain function. Until recently, brain cells called glia have been mostly ignored, and their roles remain poorly understood,
despite the fact that they outnumber neurons by about 10 to 1.
Is It Just a Headache? Study Links Migraine to Brain Damage in MiceFriday, Nov 16, 2007
Migraine headaches are a source of disabling pain for millions of people. Now, a study in mice suggests that these headaches
may be linked to tiny areas of stroke-like brain damage. The findings suggest that treatment to prevent migraines may also
prevent longer-term cognitive problems.
Imaging Neural Progenitor Cells in the Living Human BrainThursday, Nov 8, 2007
For the first time, investigators have identified a way to detect neural progenitor cells (NPCs), which can develop into neurons
and other nervous system cells, in the living human brain using a type of imaging called magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).
The finding, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), may lead to improved diagnosis and treatment for depression,
Parkinson's disease, brain tumors, and a host of other disorders.
NIH National Neurology Advisory Council Gains Five New MembersFriday, Oct 12, 2007
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) welcomes five new members to its National Advisory Neurological
Disorders and Stroke Council. The Council serves as the principal advisory body to the NINDS, a component of the National
Institutes of Health and the nation's primary supporter of basic, translational, and clinical research on the brain and nervous
system.
Disease May Push Nerve Cells to Their Breaking Point, LiterallyTuesday, May 8, 2007
In some neurological diseases, neurons might die in a surprising, yet relatively simple way: by breaking under mechanical
strain.
Manipulating A Single Gene Dramatically Improves Regeneration in Adult Neurons: Finding May Lead to New Approaches for Treating
Brain and Spinal Cord DamageSunday, Jul 1, 2001
Increasing the expression of a single gene that is important during development dramatically improves the ability of adult
neurons to regenerate, a new study shows. The finding suggests that intrinsic properties of neurons play an important role
in controlling neuronal regeneration and may lead to new approaches for treating damage from stroke, spinal cord injury, and
other neurological conditions.
Turning Blood into Brain: New Studies Suggest Bone Marrow Stem Cells Can Develop into Neurons in Living AnimalsThursday, Nov 30, 2000
For years, researchers studying stem cells have been intrigued by the possibility that these cells might be used to treat
brain diseases. Recent studies have suggested that neural stem cells transplanted into the brain can migrate throughout the
brain and develop into other types of cells. Now, two new studies show that bone marrow cells transplanted into mice can
migrate into the brain and develop into cells that appear to be neurons. The studies suggest that bone marrow may be a readily
available source of neural cells with potential for treating such neurological disorders as Parkinson's disease and traumatic
brain injury.
Doubling Up: Researchers Combine a Common Dietary Supplement with an Antibiotic to Treat Lou Gehrig's DiseaseFriday, Jan 31, 2003
A new study shows that combining the supplement creatine and the antibiotic minocycline significantly slows disease progression
and prolongs survival in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease.
Fact Sheet Minocycline Delays Onset and Slows Progression of ALS in MiceThursday, May 2, 2002
The antibiotic minocycline delays onset and slows progression of symptoms in a mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), a new study shows. The study also revealed that the drug may work by blocking release of a molecule that triggers
cell death. The findings may lead to new ways of treating ALS or other neurodegenerative disorders.
Fact Sheet
Turning Blood into Brain: New Studies Suggest Bone Marrow Stem Cells Can Develop into Neurons in Living AnimalsThursday, Nov 30, 2000
For years, researchers studying stem cells have been intrigued by the possibility that these cells might be used to treat
brain diseases. Recent studies have suggested that neural stem cells transplanted into the brain can migrate throughout the
brain and develop into other types of cells. Now, two new studies show that bone marrow cells transplanted into mice can
migrate into the brain and develop into cells that appear to be neurons. The studies suggest that bone marrow may be a readily
available source of neural cells with potential for treating such neurological disorders as Parkinson's disease and traumatic
brain injury.