Schlagwort: brain
Proof for theory of visual perception
• 60-year-long scientific dispute resolved • Signal flow in the brain visualized at the synaptic level • New method applicable to various neuron types A scientific dispute spanning six decades about fundamental mechanisms of visual perception in mammals has now been settled. Researchers at TUM have succeeded in observing the visual information flow from neuron to neuron. Their findings confirm the validity of the 1981 Nobel Prize-winning model by David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel, which had remained controversial in some aspects. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …
Minister Clemens Hoch unterstützt die Brain Health School Challenge: „Gesundheit ist kein Thema nur für Erwachsene“
Die Deutsche Hirnstiftung und die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurologie (DGN) haben die Brain Health School Challenge ins Leben gerufen. Der Kreativwettbewerb unter der Fragestellung „Was kannst Du tun, damit Dein Gehirn fit bleibt?“ möchte junge Menschen für die Gesundheit des Gehirns sensibilisieren. Durch die Schirmherrschaft von Clemens Hoch, Minister für Wissenschaft und Gesundheit in Rheinland-Pfalz, erfährt die Initiative prominente politische Unterstützung. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …
Aggravated neuroimmune response, delayed wound healing – NF-κB in astrocytes critically affects traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injuries often lead to complications with long-lasting consequences on memory, concentration and movement control. Detrimental secondary inflammatory reactions at the injured tissue sites are often responsible for this. Researchers from Ulm have now shown in a Nature Communications study that the transcription factor NF-κB plays a key role in post-traumatic reactions to TBI. When this gene regulator is activated in astrocytes, i.e., in supporting cells of the brain, an elevated neuroimmune response promotes aberrant inflammation. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft Hier jetzt das aktuell Außergewöhnliche auswählen …
Angesichts der Meningitis-Fälle in England erinnert die DGN an die Bedeutung der Impfung
Die Meningitis ist eine bedrohliche und fulminant verlaufende Krankheit. Bei Auftreten ist eine sofortige Therapie notwendig, denn auch bei dieser neurologischen Krankheit gilt „Time is Brain“. Angesichts der aktuellen Meningitisfälle in Südengland erinnert die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurologie (DGN) an die Bedeutung der Impfung gegen Meningokokken: Diese schützt jeden einzelnen und kann bei einer hohen Impfquote auch dazu führen, den Erreger ganz auszuschalten. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Brain Diseases: Certain Neurons Are Especially Susceptible to ALS and FTD
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) belong to a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases with overlapping symptoms, characterized by muscle wasting, paralysis, dementia, and other serious impairments. There are currently no effective treatments. Many patients have a common hallmark: A protein called TDP-43 clumps together in the neurons of the brain to form tiny lumps. Researchers at DZNE and Ulm University Hospital, together with international experts, have now discovered that these pathological changes primarily affect certain cells. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Blood Marker for Alzheimer’s May also Be Useful in Heart and Kidney Diseases
A certain blood protein regarded as an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease also appears to play a role in other disorders. Researchers at DZNE and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH) at the University of Tübingen have found that elevated levels of phosphorylated tau protein (pTau) also occur in two lesser-known conditions that primarily affect the heart and kidneys. These findings open up new perspectives for improved diagnostics and were published this week in the journal “Nature Medicine”. They are based on data from 280 older individuals from Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Quelle: IDW Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Interview with Dr. Lieff about his New Book – The Secret Language of Cells
Why did you write The Secret Language of Cells? While studying signaling among brain cells, I became aware that all our cells—immune cells, gut cells, microbes, plant cells, etc. —are also constantly sending back and forth messages to each other in the same ways that neurons do. These conversations among cells outside of the brain […] Quelle: John Lieff, M.D
The Relation of Mind and Body as Understood by Interactions of the Immune System and the Brain
The Secret Language of Cells describes revolutionary findings about the interaction of the immune system and the brain and provides a new understanding of the relationship between mind and body. The immune system has a huge impact on the brain and mental health. Similarly, the brain strongly influences immune activity throughout the body. These interactions […] Quelle: John Lieff, M.D
Initial Praise for The Secret Language of Cells
The Secret Language of Cells takes us on an exciting journey into a world where we can visualize elaborate conversations among immune cells, brain cells, gut cells, bacteria, and even viruses. Dr. Lieff gives a wealth of examples for his thesis that this cellular signaling is the basis of life. It is a must read for anyone […] Quelle: John Lieff, M.D
A global assessment of cancer genomic alterations in epigenetic mechanisms
Muhammad A Shah, Emily L Denton, Cheryl H Arrowsmith, Mathieu Lupien and Matthieu Schapira Abstract Background The notion that epigenetic mechanisms may be central to cancer initiation and progression is supported by recent next-generation sequencing efforts revealing that genes involved in chromatin-mediated signaling are recurrently mutated in cancer patients. Results Here, we analyze mutational and transcriptional profiles from TCGA and the ICGC across a collection 441 chromatin factors and histones. Chromatin factors essential for rapid replication are frequently overexpressed, and those that maintain genome stability frequently mutated. We identify novel mutation hotspots such as K36M in histone H3.1, and uncover…
Three-dimensional super-resolution microscopy of the inactive X chromosome territory reveals a collapse of its active nuclear compartment harboring distinct Xist RNA foci
Daniel Smeets, Yolanda Markaki, Volker J Schmid, Felix Kraus, Anna Tattermusch, Andrea Cerase, Michael Sterr, Susanne Fiedler, Justin Demmerle, Jens Popken, Heinrich Leonhardt, Neil Brockdorff, Thomas Cremer1, Lothar Schermelleh and Marion Cremer Abstract Background A Xist RNA decorated Barr body is the structural hallmark of the compacted inactive X territory in female mammals. Using super-resolution three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) and quantitative image analysis, we compared its ultrastructure with active chromosome territories (CTs) in human and mouse somatic cells, and explored the spatio-temporal process of Barr body formation at onset of inactivation in early differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs)….
The carcinogenic effect of various multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) after intraperitoneal injection in rats
Susanne Rittinghausen, Anja Hackbarth, Otto Creutzenberg, Heinrich Ernst, Uwe Heinrich, Albrecht Leonhardt and Dirk Schaudien Abstract Background Biological effects of tailor-made multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) without functionalization were investigated in vivo in a two-year carcinogenicity study. In the past, intraperitoneal carcinogenicity studies in rats using biopersistent granular dusts had always been negative, whereas a number of such studies with different asbestos fibers had shown tumor induction. The aim of this study was to identify possible carcinogenic effects of MWCNTs. We compared induced tumors with asbestos-induced mesotheliomas and evaluated their relevance for humans by immunohistochemical methods. Methods A total of 500…
Schlaganfall-Patient kann dank neuartiger Therapie wieder räumlich sehen
Sehstörungen zählen mit zu den häufigsten Folgen eines Schlaganfalls. In seltenen Fällen tritt dabei der Verlust des räumlichen Sehens ein. Die Patienten nehmen die Welt um sich herum nur noch flach wie ein Bild wahr. Sie können keine Entfernungen mehr abschätzen, etwa wenn sie nach einer Tasse greifen oder sich ihnen auf der Straße ein Auto nähert. Diese Störung haben Forscher aus Saarbrücken um Professor Georg Kerkhoff und Anna-Katharina Schaadt mit Kollegen der Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin bei einem Patienten genauer untersucht. Sie haben nun erstmals ein wirksames Behandlungskonzept entwickelt und nachgewiesen, welches Hirnareal für diese Sehstörung verantwortlich ist. Die…