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    Category Biology/Biotechnology

    1st Structural views of the NMDA receptor in action will aid Drug development

    May 2, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Furukawa and colleagues have obtained images showing for the first time how different domains of the NMDA receptor move when the receptor is in active, non-active, and inhibited states. Understanding how NMDA receptors activate is critical in designing novel therapeutic compounds for potential use in schizophrenia, depression and other disorders. Credit: Furukawa Lab, CSHL

    Furukawa and colleagues have obtained images showing for the first time how different domains of the NMDA receptor move when the receptor is in active, non-active, and inhibited states. Understanding how NMDA receptors activate is critical in designing novel therapeutic compounds for potential use in schizophrenia, depression and other disorders. Credit: Furukawa Lab, CSHL

    Researchers have obtained images of the NMDA receptor in active, non-active, and inhibited states. Understanding how NMDA receptors activate is critical in designing novel therapeutic compounds for schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer’s and other illnesses...

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    Adult Brain Prunes Branched Connections of New Neurons

    May 2, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    A new Salk study is the first to closely follow the development of new neurons in the adult brain, giving insight into neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. By genetically engineering new neurons to fluoresce green, researchers were able to see when the new cells grew and branched surrounded by other cell nuclei (blue) in the brain. Credit: Salk Institute

    A new Salk study is the first to closely follow the development of new neurons in the adult brain, giving insight into neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. By genetically engineering new neurons to fluoresce green, researchers were able to see when the new cells grew and branched surrounded by other cell nuclei (blue) in the brain. Credit: Salk Institute

    A new study is first to closely follow development of new neurons in the adult brain, giving potential new insight into neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. New brain cells began with a period of overgrowth, sending out a plethora of neuronal branches, before the brain pruned back the connections. “We were surprised by the extent of the pruning we saw,” says Prof. Rusty Gage.

    While most o...

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    High-Fat Diet Starves the Brain

    May 1, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Cross-section through the brain of a mouse: regions with reduced uptake of glucose after three days of a high-fat diet (blue: slightly reduced, white: greatly reduced). [less] © MPI f. Metabolism Research

    Cross-section through the brain of a mouse: regions with reduced uptake of glucose after three days of a high-fat diet (blue: slightly reduced, white: greatly reduced). © MPI f. Metabolism Research

    A high-fat diet of 3 days in mice leads to a reduction in the amount of glucose that reaches the brain. The mouse brain restored its sugar uptake after 4 weeks, albeit at the cost of the rest of the body. High-fat-content foods throw our bodies out of kilter. Obesity and diseases such as type 2 diabetes can be the result. But what does a high-fat diet actually do to our brain? Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne have looked into the brains of mice to understand how obesity and diabetes develop.

    “A high-fat diet reduces the uptake of blood glucose into the ...

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    1 in 6 infants and toddlers admitted to a Colorado hospital with Bronchiolitis tested +ve for Marijuana exposure

    May 1, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Image Bronchiolitis signs and symptoms

    Image Bronchiolitis signs and symptoms

    A new study is to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting The study, “Marijuana Exposure in Children Hospitalized for Bronchiolitis,” recruited parents of previously healthy children 1 month to 2 years old who were admitted to Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHC) between January 2013 and April 2014 with bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the smallest air passages in the lung. The parents completed a questionnaire about their child’s health, demographics, exposure to tobacco smoke, and as of October 2014, whether anyone in the home used marijuana. Marijuana became legal in Colorado on January 1, 2014.

    Of the children who were identified as having been exposed to marijuana smokers, urine samples showed traces of a metabolite of tetrah...

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