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破坏运动神经元病中的免疫传感器
运动神经元病一般指肌萎缩侧索硬化症，是一种不治之症。患者大脑中那些负责控制各种肌肉的神经元不再能正常运作，致使全身肌肉逐渐萎缩，最终可导致呼吸衰竭。在确诊后，病患的平均预期寿命仅为2年。而最新的一项研究却找到了能延缓该病发病进程的方法。在对运动神经元病中所出现的炎症反应的起因进行调查后，实验人员发现了可激活大脑内免疫通路的一种蛋白。该蛋白简称为STING，能起到类似于免疫传感器的作用。只要对STING的活动进行抑制，就能有效阻止炎症反应的产生，从而使运动神经元获得更长的存活时间。虽然这种治疗手段不能彻底根治运动神经元病，但却能有效的提高患者的生活质量，并在一定程度上延长患者的寿命。
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Taking the STING out of MND
The research team have uncovered how inflammation in MND is triggered. Pinpointing the molecules involved in this pathway could be a first step towards a new treatment for MND. They found that by blocking an immune sensor called STING, they could dramatically prevent inflammation from MND patient cells, paving the way for a new class […]
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研究发现最受癫痫影响的脑细胞
在所有患有癫痫的人群中，约有30%-40%无法使用任何已有的抗癫痫药物进行有效的治疗。鉴于癫痫症状的持续会为患者及其家属的身心带去重大的负担，我们急切的需要一种更为有效的靶向药用以治疗这部分的患者群体。在对117,000个神经元中的基因表达进行一一分析后，来自哥本哈根大学的研究人员成功找到了最受癫痫影响的神经细胞，这些新发现的细胞大多与癫痫的产生具有直接的联系，将成为新型癫痫药物的理想靶点。不同与以往将大量神经元作为一个整体进行研究的方法，这种单个细胞的研究手段能帮助实验人员找到与癫痫关联性最强的神经元，而基于该发现所研发出的药物将比那些只能降低整体神经活跃性的既有药物具有更强的针对性和疗效。
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Study identifies brain cells most affected by epilepsy and new targets for their treatment
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. It is caused by a malfunction in brain cells and is usually treated with medicines that control or counteract the seizures. Scientists from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet have now identified the exact neurons that are most affected by […]
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一种可抗神经变性的新型抑制剂
N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸受体（NMDAR）是一种离子通道蛋白，可被神经递质谷氨酸所激活，与突触可塑性的形成息息相关，对维持大脑的记忆和学习功能至关重要。但这一受体在某些情况下亦具有一定的损害作用，会通过关闭一些转录通路造成神经细胞的死亡。这些有害的NMDAR蛋白大多存在于突触结构外围，而通过小鼠研究，实验人员发现，这些突触结构外的NMDAR蛋白会导致神经元死亡的原因在于其与另一离子通道蛋白TRPM4进行了结合，从而构成了一种可传递毁灭信号的“致死复合物”。在对这两种蛋白的接触面进行仔细研究后，该团队成功研发出了能将两者进行分离的抑制剂，并证实了其对神经细胞具有较强的保护作用，可用于治疗各种类型的神经退行性疾病。不同于那些直接阻断NMDAR蛋白功能的药物，这一新型抑制剂可在保有有益NMDAR蛋白的前提下，针对性的对可传递细胞毒性的有害NMDAR蛋白进行干预。
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New Class of Highly Effective Inhibitors Protects Against Neurodegeneration
Neurobiologists at Heidelberg University have discovered how a special receptor at neuronal junctions that normally activates a protective genetic programme can lead to nerve cell death when located outside synapses. Their fundamental findings on neurodegenerative processes simultaneously led the researchers at the Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN) to a completely new principle for therapeutic agents. […]
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Could Loss of Interest be Sign of Dementia Risk?
Older adults with severe apathy, or lack of interest in usual activities, may have a greater chance of developing dementia than people with few symptoms of apathy, according to a study published in the October 14, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Apathy can be very distressing […]
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Nerves that Sense Touch May Play Role in Autism
Autism is considered a disorder of the brain. But a new study suggests that the peripheral nervous system, the nerves that control our sense of touch, pain and other sensations, may play a role as well. “More than 70% of people with autism have differences in their sensory perception,” said study author Sung-Tsang Hsieh, M.D., […]
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STAT3 identified as important factor in emotional reactivity
Numerous scientific studies indicate that inflammatory processes play a key role in the development of psychiatric disorders. One of the areas of particular interest is the interleukin 6/STAT3 signal transduction pathway, which is associated with depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. In a study published in leading journal Molecular Psychiatry, MedUni Vienna researchers led by Daniela […]
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The Effect of Ventral Globus Pallidus on Arousal and Motivational Behavior
TCCI® researcher and President of the Chinese Sleep Research Society, Professor Huang Zhili’s research group at Huashan Hospital recently published research focused on the effect of ventral globus pallidus on wakefulness and motivational behaviors in the journal “Molecular Psychiatry.” The paper, entitled “Ventral pallidal GABAergic neurons control wakefulness associated with motivation through the ventral tegmental […]