This post is adapted from an MIT News story. *** Four MIT faculty members are among 23 world-class researchers who have been awarded the nation’s highest honors for scientists and innovators, the White House announced today. Angela Belcher and Emery Brown were each presented with the National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony… Continue reading Feng Zhang awarded 2024 National Medal of Technology
Tag: Neuroanatomy and Structure
Experimental CAR T-Cell Therapy Shrinks Tumors in Children with Deadly Brain Cancer
In a small clinical trial, an experimental CAR T-cell therapy that targets the protein GD2 on cancer cells shrank tumors—for 2 years or more in several cases—in children and young adults with diffuse midline glioma, an aggressive brain and spinal cord cancer.
Optogenetic Control of Dopamine Receptor 2 Reveals a Novel Aspect of Dopaminergic Neurotransmission in Motor Function
Dopaminergic neurotransmission plays a crucial role in motor function through the coordination of dopamine receptor (DRD) subtypes, such as DRD1 and DRD2, thus the functional imbalance of these receptors can lead to Parkinson’s disease. However, due to the complexity of dopaminergic circuits in the brain, it is limited to investigating the individual functions of each… Continue reading Optogenetic Control of Dopamine Receptor 2 Reveals a Novel Aspect of Dopaminergic Neurotransmission in Motor Function
Oscillatory Brain Activity in the Canonical Alpha-Band Conceals Distinct Mechanisms in Attention
Brain oscillations in the alpha-band (8–14 Hz) have been linked to specific processes in attention and perception. In particular, decreases in posterior alpha-amplitude are thought to reflect activation of perceptually relevant brain areas for target engagement, while alpha-amplitude increases have been associated with inhibition for distractor suppression. Traditionally, these alpha-changes have been viewed as two facets… Continue reading Oscillatory Brain Activity in the Canonical Alpha-Band Conceals Distinct Mechanisms in Attention
Nonresolving Neuroinflammation Regulates Axon Regeneration in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) lesions retain increased densities of microglia and macrophages. In acute SCI, macrophages induce growth cone collapse and facilitate axon retraction away from lesion boundaries. Little is known about the role of sustained inflammation in chronic SCI or whether chronic inflammation affects regeneration. We used the colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor inhibitor, PLX-5622,… Continue reading Nonresolving Neuroinflammation Regulates Axon Regeneration in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Activity Regulates White Matter Response and Locomotor Function after Neonatal Hypoxia
Neonatal hypoxia (Hx) causes white matter (WM) injury, particularly in the cerebellum. We previously demonstrated that Hx-induced reduction of cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) activity results in locomotor deficits. Yet, the mechanism of Hx-induced cerebellar WM injury and associated locomotor abnormalities remains undetermined. Here, we show that the cerebellar WM injury and linked locomotor deficits are… Continue reading Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Activity Regulates White Matter Response and Locomotor Function after Neonatal Hypoxia
Role of the Medial Posterior Parietal Cortex in Orchestrating Attention and Reaching
The interplay between attention, alertness, and motor planning is crucial for our manual interactions. To investigate the neural bases of this interaction and challenge the views that attention cannot be disentangled from motor planning, we instructed human volunteers of both sexes to plan and execute reaching movements while attending to the target, while attending elsewhere,… Continue reading Role of the Medial Posterior Parietal Cortex in Orchestrating Attention and Reaching
Gantenerumab in Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Disease
To the Editor Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a cell surface receptor of microglia, and its stimulation enhances the phagocytic activity of microglia and modulates inflammatory signaling. The activation of TREM2 in response to the presence of amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and tau tangles plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis… Continue reading Gantenerumab in Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Disease
Chemogenetic activation reveals male-female differences in stress resistance neural circuits
Subtle activation of a small subset of neurons in one region of the brain can make male mice resilient to, and even reverse, the detrimental effects of chronic stress. The same is true for female mice, but in a totally different region of the brain. Researchers at Penn State reported these findings in two studies… Continue reading Chemogenetic activation reveals male-female differences in stress resistance neural circuits
[Comment] Progress and future directions in spinal cord injury trials
Despite recent advances in medical, surgical, and rehabilitation therapy for people with spinal cord injury, regenerative treatments for this condition are lacking. Inhibitory molecules expressed in the spinal cord, including Nogo-A, the repulsive guidance molecule RGMa, chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans, and Rho inhibit neural regeneration and plasticity.1–3 Given the absence of effective regenerative therapies for spinal… Continue reading [Comment] Progress and future directions in spinal cord injury trials