Page 10 - Physiological Sciences News Today

Study reveals link between changes of neuronal activities and dyskinesia Many people with Parkinsons disease develop abnormal movements called L-DOPA induced dyskinesia, a major side effect of long-term medication. The mechanism underlying this side effect has been unknown. In this study, researchers have revealed relation between changes of neuronal activities and dyskinesia. Parkinsons disease (PD) is the common age-related neurological disorder affecting 7 - 10 million people worldwide. It i...

News Author: Bob Mash & Resia Pretorius Published: 08/04/2021 Wednesday (7 April) was World Health Day. In opinion pieces for the media, Profs Bob Mash (Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care) and Resia Pretorius (Department of Physiological Sciences) focus on health issues that should receive attention during and after the pandemic. Click on the links below to read the articles. ​Prof Bob Mash (

News Author: Wiida Fourie-Basson Published: 06/04/2021 ​Engineers and scientists from Stellenbosch University have developed a visualisation tool that can automatically localise and quantify specific cellular processes such as mitochondrial fission and fusion – and that in three-dimensional space and time. Mitochondria are organelles that generate most of the chemical energy needed to power the cells biochemical reactions. Mitochondrial processes, such as fission and fusion, therefore play ...

News Author: Wiida Fourie-Basson Published: 06/04/2021 A PhD student from Stellenbosch University has established that the early detection of colorectal cancer risk would be greatly enhanced by a holistic approach that takes into account the complex interplay between chronic inflammation, abnormal blood clotting and the involvement of a bacterial presence. Colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, is currently the third most diagnosed cancer in the world. When diagnosed early, about 90% o...

New approach could treat infertility caused by abnormal GnRH secretion Reports suggest that at least 25% of ovarian disorders are due to dysfunction of the brain mechanism in the hypothalamus that controls the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is a molecule that governs the reproductive function in men and women by regulating the release of a range of reproductive hormones into the body, particularly gonadotropins, from the pituitary gland, which is located underneath the brain. In a...

Loading video... VIDEO: A low-resolution time-lapse of a mitochondrial network (cells powerhouse) inside a cancer cell (left) is enhanced using artificial intelligence (right). Inset at bottom left highlights a fission (splitting) event that... view more  Credit: Salk Institute/Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Core LA JOLLA--(March 8, 2021) Deep learning is a potential tool for scientists to glean more detail from low-resolution images in microscopy, but its often difficult to gather enough b...

In this scenario, the present study aimed to evaluate a possible association of estrogen receptor α polymorphisms with dementia in a Brazilian cohort. The genotyping for the ERα PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms were performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The ERα PvuII pp genotype was associated with a higher odds ratio for dementia (OR = 3.42, 95% CI = 1.33-8.77, p = 0.01, in a model including covariates. A linear regression model identified significant ...

Neurons are the primary cells of the nervous system, and the signals that are transmitted between them are responsible for all our actions and our cognitive ability.

Optogenetics, or genetically engineering neurons to respond to light, is an important technique for studying how neurons work. However, manipulating individual synapses (gaps between neurons), where signaling transmission occurs, has been challenging until now. Researchers at National Institute of Physiological Sciences, Japan, have now generated a light-activated signaling protein that can help study signaling-related physiological changes in single neurons--a breakthrough that will be valuable...

News Author: Anna-Mart Engelbrecht Thursday (4 February) is World Cancer Day. In an opinion piece for Health24, Prof Anna-Mart Engelbrecht (Department of Physiological Sciences) writes about how advances in personalised medicine and biotechnology offer new hope for cancer patients. Re​ad the article below or click Anna-Mart Engelbrecht* Each year on February 4 th, World Cancer Day raises awareness about cancer as a critical health issue that we cannot dare to neglect. The global cancer bur...