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Archive for the ‘neuroscience’ category

Dec 22, 2024

Killer T Cells Programmed for Tissue- and Tumor-Specific Targeting

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

Cancer immunotherapy strategy equips T cells with molecular GPS that lets them home in on brain tumors and sites of neuroinflammation.

Dec 22, 2024

Unlocking the Brain: Peptide-Guided Nanoparticles Deliver mRNA to Neurons

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, nanotechnology, neuroscience

Penn Engineers have modified lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) — the revolutionary technology behind the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines — to not only cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) but also to target specific types of cells, including neurons. This breakthrough marks a significant step toward potential next-generation treatments for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

In a new paper in Nano Letters, the researchers demonstrate how peptides — short strings of amino acids — can serve as precise targeting molecules, enabling LNPs to deliver mRNA specifically to the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels of the brain, as well as neurons.

This represents an important advance in delivering mRNA to the cell types that would be key in treating neurodegenerative diseases; any such treatments will need to ensure that mRNA arrives at the correct location. Previous work by the same researchers proved that LNPs can cross the BBB and deliver mRNA to the brain, but did not attempt to control which cells the LNPs targeted.

Dec 22, 2024

Potential breakthrough as scientists claim two people communicated in their DREAMS in world first

Posted by in categories: innovation, neuroscience

Scientists achieve two-way communication in lucid dreams, unlocking new possibilities in therapy and skill learning.

Dec 22, 2024

Simulation and assimilation of the digital human brain

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

The Digital Brain platform is capable of simulating spiking neuronal networks at the neuronal scale of the human brain. The platform is used to reproduce blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals in both the resting state and action, thereby predicting the visual evaluation scores.

Dec 22, 2024

Cognitive flexibility: How neural variability shapes decision-making in different brains

Posted by in category: neuroscience

Research published in Nature has revealed that neural computations in different individuals can be implemented to solve the same decision-making tasks, even when the behavioral outcomes appear identical.

Cognitive flexibility is the ability of a brain to adapt its response to the same , like light or sound, based on different contexts. For example, if someone calls your name in a crowded room, you must focus on the sound’s location or the voice characteristics to identify the person. This flexibility in selecting and processing while ignoring irrelevant information is crucial for survival and effective interaction with our environment.

While previously studied, the individual in neural computations yielding the same outcomes is poorly understood and lacks a comprehensive framework. The researchers in the Nature study aimed to understand these mechanisms.

Dec 22, 2024

Unlock the Science of Deep Sleep and Memory Formation

Posted by in categories: neuroscience, science

Slow-wave sleep plays a crucial role in strengthening memory by enhancing synaptic connections in the brain, with new findings suggesting potential methods for boosting memory through targeted stimulation.

For nearly two decades, scientists have known that slow, synchronized electrical waves in the brain during deep sleep play a key role in forming memories. However, the underlying reason remained unclear — until now. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin propose an explanation. They found that these slow waves make the neocortex, the brain’s long-term memory center, especially receptive to new information. This discovery could pave the way for more effective memory-enhancing treatments in the future.

How Memories Form During Sleep

Dec 22, 2024

The Protective Role of Vitamin K in Aging and Age-Related Diseases

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension, neuroscience

Aging is an inevitable aspect of life, but age-related diseases are not an inseparable part of the aging process, and their risk can be reduced through a healthy lifestyle. Vitamin K has a broader impact than just blood clotting, and yet it remains overshadowed by other vitamins and underestimated by both doctors and consumers. Vitamin K (VK) is a multifunctional micronutrient with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, whose deficiency may cause age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and osteoporosis. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the role of vitamin K as a protective nutrient in aging and inflammation. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the molecular aspects of the protective role of vitamin K in aging and age-related diseases and its clinical implications.

Dec 22, 2024

Salt-seeking behavior traced to specific brain neurons

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, evolution, health, neuroscience

Salt, or more precisely the sodium it contains, is very much a “Goldilocks” nutrient. Low sodium levels cause a drop in blood volume, which can have serious, sometimes deadly, health consequences. Conversely, too much salt can lead to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

In modern America, where most people consume a , almost no one is in danger of having too little salt. However, given the critical importance of sodium for body and brain functions, evolution has developed a powerful drive to consume salt in situations where there is a deficiency.

Understanding the brain circuitry that controls salt appetite has proved elusive, but now a new study by University of Iowa researchers has identified the first and, thus far, only neurons necessary for salt appetite.

Dec 22, 2024

Up to 13% of Dementia Cases Could Be a Misdiagnosed Treatable Condition

Posted by in categories: health, neuroscience

As the global population ages, more of us face frightening cognitive decline, personally or in our loved ones. There are over 10 million new cases of dementia globally each year.

But a study published this year suggests up to 13 percent of people diagnosed with dementia in the US may have a misdiagnosis and are instead left struggling with a condition that can be treated.

“Health care providers [must be] made aware of this potential overlap between dementia and hepatic encephalopathy, which is treatable,” said Virginia Commonwealth University hepatologist Jasmohan Bajaj in July.

Dec 21, 2024

Neuroscience: Non-personalized content and ads are influenced by things like the content you’re currently viewing and your location (ad serving is based on general location)

Posted by in category: neuroscience

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