Higher levels of blood high-density lipoprotein (HDL) — or good cholesterol — may improve fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients, according to a new study. The pilot study, which investigated the effects of fat levels in blood on fatigue caused by multiple sclerosis, found that lowering total cholesterol also reduced exhaustion. The results, published recently in…

Researchers show that increased sensitivity in a specific region of the brain contributes to the development of anxiety and depression in response to real-life stress. Their study establishes an objective neurobiological measure for stress resilience in humans. Some people don’t seem to be too bothered when it comes to handling stress. For others, however, prolonged…

Patients who survive a cerebral hemorrhage may suffer delayed severe brain damage caused by free hemoglobin, which comes from red blood cells and damages neurons. Researchers have now discovered a protective protein in the body called haptoglobin, which prevents this effect. Bleeding in the narrow space between the inner and middle meninges is life threatening.…

Individuals with a history of early life adversity (ELA) are disproportionately prone to opioid addiction. A new study reveals why. The study examines how early adversities interact with factors such as increased access to opioids to directly influence brain development and function, causing a higher potential for opioid addiction. Published in Molecular Psychiatry, the study…

Researchers have discovered a new enzyme that inhibits the LRRK2 pathway. Mutations of the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of genetic Parkinson’s disease. The enzyme they found — called PPM1H — has been shown to possess remarkable properties to reverse the biology triggered by LRRK2. The team, based at the Medical Research Council…

In many neurodegenerative diseases, proteins clump in the brain, forming so-called amyloid fibrils. Yet there exists a cellular defence mechanism that counteracts this process and even dissolves fibrils already formed. The mechanism is based on the activity of molecular helpers, so-called chaperones of the heat shock protein 70 family. Proteins in all cells — from…

Resuming non-contact physical activity 72 hours after a concussion is safe, and may also reduce symptoms and the risk of delayed recovery, suggests the first and largest real-world, randomized clinical trial on the topic to be conducted with children and youth aged 10 to 18. Led by researchers at the CHEO Research Institute, the multi-site…

Researchers have identified 10 tumor-specific potential drug targets for the brain tumor glioblastoma. «We have found disease-related changes in the cells that line the tumour blood vessels, so called endothelial cells, which have long been considered a possible clinical target for cancer treatment,» says Lynn Butler, assistant professor at the Department of Molecular Medicine and…

Researchers have discovered a function for the protein missing in many types of ALS and FTLD, two neurodegenerative diseases. In neurons, the protein TDP-43 bound to messenger RNA that codes for pieces of ribosomes, the structures where proteins are made. Further tests showed that this allowed the RNA to be transported down to the axons,…

Researchers have discovered that dopamine D2 receptors (DRD2s) in cholinergic interneurons (ChINs) play a crucial role in cocaine addiction. The findings were published in Biological Psychiatry, a leading academic journal in the field of psychiatry. The title and authors of the paper are as follows: Title: Dopaminergic regulation of nucleus accumbens cholinergic interneurons demarcates susceptibility…