Researchers identify the trigger of key cellular change in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have identified the trigger of a key cellular change in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a type of motor neurons disease. The findings could help develop new treatments for many neurological diseases with the same change, including Parkinson s and Alzheimer s.
When the nervous system is injured, diseased or infected, star-shaped cells, called astrocytes, undergo reactive changes in their behavior. Whilst some of these reactive astrocytes become protective, others become harmful and damage surrounding motor neurons.
Reactive astrocytes are observed in various neurodegenerative diseases including ALS, but there is a lack of understanding about what causes astrocytes to undergo this change.
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Unlike MRI scans – the gold-standard for cancer detection – sheer wave scans can be carried out in theatre, with the information passed immediately to the surgeon to enable the removal of residual cancerous tissue without additional surgeries. In a study published in
Frontiers in Oncology, it was found the technique outperformed surgeons at detecting leftover cancerous tissue by sight alone, and could prove to be a vital technology in improving outcomes for brain tumour patients.
“Ensuring all of a brain tumour is removed without damaging healthy tissue is a major challenge in brain surgery,” said study lead Professor Jeffrey Bamber, Professor in Physics Applied to Medicine at The Institute of Cancer Research, London. “Using this new type of scan, surgeons could greatly increase confidence that no cancerous tissue is going to be left behind after surgery.”
A type of ultrasound scan can detect cancer tissue left behind after a brain tumour is removed more sensitively than surgeons, and could improve the outcome from operations, a new study suggests.
A type of ultrasound scan can detect cancer tissue left behind after a brain tumor is removed more sensitively than surgeons, and could improve the outcome from operations, a new study suggests.