Elevated levels of a growth protein in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients is linked to impaired neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons are generated, say researchers.
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September 16, 2010
August 17, 2010
Chasing the Genes for Cocaine Addiction
Brain protein MeCP2 in the spotlight.Dr. Edward Sellers, former director of the psychopharmacological research program at the University of Toronto's Addiction Research Foundation once said to me: "Every cell, every hormone, every membrane in the body has got genetic underpinnings, and while many of the genetic underpinnings are similar in people, in fact there are also huge differences. So on on
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June 12, 2010
Alzheimer’s brain protein may provide target for treating mental retardation
From the perspective of neuroscientists, Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome have at least one thing in common: patients with both diseases have an accumulation of ²-amyloid protein in their brains. Scientists now provide evidence that drugs which help reduce the level of ²-amyloid in the brains of Alzheimer's patients may also work to treat mental retardation in Down syndrome.
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January 30, 2010
Brain protein for synapse development identified
A new study identifies for the first time a brain protein called SynDIG1 that plays a critical role in creating and sustaining synapses, the complex chemical signaling system responsible for communication between neurons.
14 Vote(s)
14 Vote(s)
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December 11, 2009
Key Target Of Clinical Depression Missed By Most Antidepressants
A key brain protein called monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) - is highly elevated during clinical depression yet is unaffected by treatment with commonly used antidepressants, according to an important study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The study has important implications for our understanding of why antidepressants don't always work...
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August 11, 2009
Traffic Jam In Brain Causes Schizophrenia Symptoms; First Mouse To Develop Disease As Teenager, Just Like Humans
Northwestern researchers have discovered that schizophrenia symptoms -- which begin to develop in adolescents -- are caused by a low level of a brain protein necessary to build pathways between neurons. Without enough of the protein, there are too few roads for information to flow between neurons -- causing a traffic jam in the brain. This discovery provides a fresh target for treatment.
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8 Vote(s)
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April 29, 2009
Disrupting A Brain Protein Produces Antidepressant-like Effect In Mice
A brain protein involved in fear behavior and anxiety may represent a new target for depression therapies, according to new research. The study showed that disrupting the ASIC1a protein produced an antidepressant-like effect in mice. The effect was similar to that produced by currently available antidepressant drugs, but ASIC1a's effect appears to occur through a new and different biological mech
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14 Vote(s)
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