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IMAGE: Stacked bar plot of the top nine most abundant fungal genera in controls and PD patients. Credit: Journal of Parkinson s Disease. view more
Credit: Parkinson Canada/Parkinson Society British Columbia
Amsterdam, NL, January 21, 2021 - The bacterial gut microbiome is strongly associated with Parkinson s disease (PD), but no studies had previously investigated he role of fungi in the gut. In this novel study published in the
Journal of Parkinson s Disease, a team of investigators at the University of British Columbia examined whether the fungal constituents of the gut microbiome are associated with PD. Their research indicated that gut fungi are not a contributing factor, thereby refuting the need for any potential anti-fungal treatments of the gut in PD patients.
Electrical trigger sites in neurons surprisingly change with experience; they are either becoming smaller with increasing number of experiences and, vice versa, they grow larger when less input arrives in the brain.
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IMAGE: Nirmal Verma, Ph.D., and several other researchers contributed to the recent study potentially linking low blood amylin levels to reduced progression of Alzheimer s disease. view more
Credit: Photo by Pete Comparoni | UKphoto
LEXINGTON, Ky. (January 20, 2021) - More than 5.7 million Americans live with Alzheimer s disease and that number is projected to triple by 2050. Despite the growing number there is not a cure. Florin Despa a professor with the University of Kentucky s department of pharmacology and nutritional sciences says, The mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases are largely unknown and effective therapies are lacking. That is why numerous studies and trials are ongoing around the world including at the University of Kentucky. One of those studies by University of Kentucky researchers was recently published in
Scientists discover mechanism for transient memory lapse
In a landmark neurobiology study, scientists from Scripps Research have discovered a memory gating system that employs the neurotransmitter dopamine to direct transient forgetting, a temporary lapse of memory which spontaneously returns.
The study adds a new pin to scientists evolving map of how learning, memory and active forgetting work, says Scripps Research Neuroscience Professor Ron Davis, Ph.D.
This is the first time a mechanism has been discovered for transient memory lapse. There s every reason to believe, because of conservation biology, that a similar mechanism exists in humans as well.
Ron Davis, Ph.D., Neuroscience Professor, Scripps Research
Credit: Flinders Foundation
Scientists have for the first time established a sensory neuron model able to mass-reproduce two key sensory neuron types involved in pain sensation, enabling the easy generation of large numbers of the cells to fast-track chronic pain research.
In research applications usually sensory neurons need to be isolated from animals. They represent a wide variety of different cell types, making it difficult to collect and isolate large quantities of pain sensing neurons.
Using a new technique, researchers at Flinders University have found a way to reproduce millions of the cells, providing ample resources for the simultaneous testing of thousands of samples or potential drug libraries.