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Could measuring protein clumps in our cells be a new way to find out our risk of getting age-related diseases? Professor Dorothee Dormann and Professor Edward Lemke of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), who are also adjunct directors at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz, propose the concept of a “protein aggregation clock” …
What happens in the body when we are hungry and see and smell food? A team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research has now been able to show in mice that adaptations in the liver mitochondria take place after only a few minutes. Stimulated by the activation of a group of …
Key takeaways: A new study from UCLA researchers is the first to discover food-seeking cells in a part of a mouse’s brain usually associated with panic – but not with feeding. Activating a selective cluster of these cells kicked mice into “hot pursuit” of live and non-prey food, and showed a craving for fatty foods …
Certain RNA molecules in the nerve cells in the brain last a lifetime without being renewed. Neuroscientists from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have now demonstrated that this is the case together with researchers from Germany, Austria, and the USA. RNAs are generally short-lived molecules that are constantly reconstructed to adjust to environmental conditions. With their findings …
Single-cell gene expression patterns in the brain’s motor and frontal cortex, and evidence from follow-up experiments, reveal many shared cellular and molecular similarities that could be targeted for potential treatment. On the surface, the movement disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and the cognitive disorder frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), which …
Image Credit: National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health The accumulation of protein in discrete populations of brain cells and the degeneration of these cells characterize the early stages of neurodegenerative disorders. However, this selective vulnerability pattern is unexplained for most diseases, yet could hold insight into pathological mechanisms. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is defined …
Oxytocin (OXT) is a hormone that is known for its effects on psychological well-being and emotional bonding in animals. Interestingly, research has shown that this natural chemical in the brain plays a crucial role in other cognitive processes as well, including learning and memory. Now, scientists may have discovered exactly how OXT influences memory in …
Why we continue to overindulge in unhealthy foods remains somewhat of a longstanding mystery. We know that food has a strong power to influence our choices, but the precise circuitry in our brains behind those choices is unclear. While the vagus nerve is known to send internal sensory information from the gut to the brain …
Image Caption: When placed on the surface of the brain, this thin, flexible implant enables researchers to capture high-resolution information about neural activity deep inside the brain without damaging its delicate tissue. Photo Credit: David Baillot/University of California-San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a neural …
In recent years, research has begun to reveal that the lines of communication between the body’s organs are key regulators of aging. When these lines are open, the body’s organs and systems work well together. But with age, communication lines deteriorate, and organs don’t get the molecular and electrical messages they need to function properly. …