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Study reveals link between changes of neuronal activities and dyskinesia Many people with Parkinson's 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. Parkinson's disease (PD) is the common age-related neurological disorder affecting 7 - 10 million people worldwide. It is caused by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain region called the substantia nigra, and indu...

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 cell's biochemical reactions. Mitochondrial processes, such as fission and fusion, therefore play a central role in the balance, function and viability of cells. When things go wrong, it is often a...

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% of the patients will have a five-year life expectancy. It reduces to 13% with a late or delayed diagn...

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 healthy individual, GnRH and gonadotropins are released in pulses, while typically in individuals w...