Scientists detected Human Pegivirus (HPgV) in the brains and spinal fluid of Parkinson’s patients but not in controls, challenging assumptions that the virus is benign.
Category: neuroscience – Page 34
How pediatric brain tumors grow: Blocking a chemical messenger could offer new route to treatment
The most common type of brain tumor in children, pilocytic astrocytoma (PA), accounts for about 15% of all pediatric brain tumors. Although this type of tumor is usually not life-threatening, the unchecked growth of tumor cells can disrupt normal brain development and function.
Current treatments focus mainly on removing the tumor cells, but recent studies have shown that non-cancerous cells, such as nerve cells, also play a role in brain tumor formation and growth, suggesting novel approaches to treating these cancers.
Scientists have long known that a nerve cell signaling chemical called glutamate can increase the growth of cancers throughout the body, but despite years of investigation, they haven’t figured out exactly how this happens, or how to stop it.
Two distinct microglia populations linked to autism-like and depression-like behaviors in mice
The anterior insular cortex (aIC) is an important brain region known to contribute to the regulation of emotions, the integration of bodily sensations, decision-making and some other functions. Past studies have linked this brain region to some neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by unusual patterns of thinking and behavior, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and depression.
However, the precise cellular and neurobiological processes via which the aIC might contribute to ASD and depression have not yet been clearly elucidated. Some neuroscientists have been exploring the possibility that microglia, immune cells that play a role in eliminating damaged cells and pathogens, could play a role in some of the behaviors linked with these two neuropsychiatric disorders.
Researchers at Tsinghua University recently carried out a study involving mice, aimed at investigating the possibility that microglia in the aIC play a part in some of the symptoms of ASD and depression. Their paper, published in Molecular Psychiatry, identifies two distinct subtypes of microglia that appear to contribute to autism-like and depression-like behavior in mice.
Scientists create realistic brain-wide connection maps through digital modeling
EPFL researchers have developed a powerful method to generate brain-wide, biologically realistic wiring maps of the mouse brain. Their approach bridges experimental data with mathematical and computational modeling to simulate how neurons connect across the entire brain.
The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.
One of neuroscience’s greatest challenges is understanding how the brain is wired. Even with modern imaging tools, it has been a challenge to create detailed maps that show how the brain’s billions of cells (neurons) connect, not just with their local “neighbors” but also to other, more distant cells in the brain.
How the distinctive folds in the brain cortex, seen in humans, whales, other animals, form
One of the defining features of humans is our brain’s remarkable capacity for language, planning, memory, creativity, and more. These abilities stem not just from our large brain size, but also from the folded structure of the brain’s outer layer, the cerebral cortex.
A new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, offers insight into how these wrinkles form, pointing to a range of contributing factors—including the number of early-stage brain cells, how they migrate during development, and the specific types of cells involved.
These findings may help guide future research into brain development, evolution, and health.
