A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, has identified the biological mechanism underlying premature ovarian failure (POF): a mutation in the Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene. The FMR1 mutation is most commonly associated with Fragile X Syndrome, a leading genetic cause of intellectual impairment and autism spectrum disorder. But …
Targeting Astrocytes for Alzheimer’s Treatment
A team of South Korean scientists at the Institute for Basic Science have made a groundbreaking discovery about the role that astrocytes may play in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The team of researchers, led by Director C. Justin Lee, uncovered a mechanism by which astrocytes in the brain absorb high levels of acetates, which in turn …
Targeting Microglia to Reverse Damage from Aging
Researchers at Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) have discovered a link between the presence of specialized immune cells, called microglia, and age-related neurological diseases. In their study, the scientists from TBSI and the University of Maryland School of Medicine observed that as the brain ages, cellular debris accumulates inside autofluorescent microglia, slowing their functioning and …
Study Challenges Assumptions About Female Mouse Behavior
Neuroscience research has long relied on the use of mouse models as a controllable way to study the brain, model human diseases and disorders, research behavior, and develop new therapies. And this research has historically and significantly favored male mice over female mice due to the belief that female mice’s hormonal cycles made their behavior …
Huntington’s Disease and the Striatum: A Breakthrough
Huntington’s disease is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by a genetic mutation that destroys brain cells in the basal ganglia, resulting in progressive motor, cognitive, and emotional impairments. Recent research breakthroughs out of MIT are shedding light on how this disease affects the striatum, a crucial part of the basal ganglia responsible for …