The brain - serious diseases

A unique figure in a puzzle icon for autism.

Scientists debunk a key myth about autism

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A new study refutes the belief that the mother's health during pregnancy causes autism.
Prof. Ilana Gozes. Photo: Tel Aviv University spokesperson

Women respond differently than men to drug treatment for Alzheimer's

"In women, the experimental drug delayed the deterioration significantly, protected the brain and even reduced symptoms of depression, all in accordance with the mechanism of action," says Prof. Ilana Gozes, who headed the study
Alzheimer's. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Women respond differently than men to drug treatment for Alzheimer's

Significant differences were found between the reactions of the two sexes to an innovative drug for brain degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease
Professor Hussam Haiq. Photo: Technion spokespeople

Towards an early diagnosis of schizophrenia: a consortium led by Prof. Hussam Hayek of the Technion won a grant of 8 million euros

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The VOLABIOS group, which combines advanced technologies and multi-omic analysis, is expected to improve the accuracy in diagnosing mental illnesses and provide innovative tools for the treatment and monitoring of schizophrenia worldwide
Illustration of the relationship between air pollution and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Credit: Dr. Rahaitham Amal

Research at the Hebrew University links common pollutants in the air to autism

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"Different types of neurological disorders, including disorders on the autism spectrum, may be related to this environmental factor," explains Prof. Haitham Amal from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, senior author of the study
Prof. Boaz Barak and PhD student Inbar Fisher from the Segol School of Neuroscience and the School of Psychological Sciences at Tel Aviv University. Photo credit: Shahar Shahar, spokeswoman for Tel Aviv University

A new discovery from Tel Aviv University reveals brain mechanisms involved in genetic autism

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The researchers revealed vulnerabilities in the brain support system. The research offers hope for new gene therapies to improve brain cell function
The beta amyloid protein. Image: depositphotos.com

Breakthrough: Freezing the progression of Alzheimer's disease by stopping amyloid fibers

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Researchers from Japan have discovered a way to stop the development of amyloid β fibers, which are associated with Alzheimer's disease, using an antibody that makes it possible to stop or delay the development of the fibers. This breakthrough may help develop new treatments
Color medical imaging reviews of anatomical structures with bilateral symmetry.

Gene therapy in an improved recipe

An innovative treatment for Gaucher's disease shows promising results in mice and gives hope to patients after decades of research
Alzheimer's. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The combined vaccine for shingles: a breakthrough in reducing the risk of dementia

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While the live shingles vaccine has already shown signs of protection against dementia, the new combined vaccine offers even more promising results, with far-reaching public health implications
Parkinson's disease. Illustration: depositphotos.com

New insights about Parkinson's disease - and the meaning for medicine

In recent years it turned out that long before the first symptoms of Parkinson's appear, it is possible to find a change in the population of intestinal bacteria of the patients
Dr. Patricia Mora-Raymondo receiving the award. Credit: EuroTech Universities Alliance

The Trojan Horse of the Hamlin Piper

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Dr. Patricia Mora-Raymondo of the Technion won a prestigious European award for developing a method to treat Parkinson's disease with the help of music
Link to the image of the spinal cords (photo: Dr. Linor Alfahal, from the journal Cell (Reports Medicine. On the left - a section of the spinal cord of a mouse expressing the disease without treatment, and on the right a section of the spinal cord of a mouse expressing the disease and treated with MIF:

An innovative approach to ALS disease: increasing MIF protein levels in nerve cells

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An international study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in collaboration with colleagues from Germany, the USA and Canada, delved into the potential of increasing protein levels (MIF) as a new approach to dealing with muscular dystrophy (ALS). The findings of the innovative study have been published
Brain diseases. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Neurological morbidity is the world's number 1 cause of morbidity and disability, with over 3 billion people with brain diseases

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Neurological morbidity is the world's number 1 cause of morbidity and disability, with over 3 billion people with brain diseases * according to an article published this weekend in the Lancet. The scope of morbidity and disability has grown since then
Prof. Shani Stern. Photo - Haifa University Spokesperson

A new study at the University of Haifa found for the first time a connection between Parkinson's disease and the extracellular matrix in the brain

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Extracellular matrix is ​​the part of the tissue that surrounds the cells and provides them with structural support. Beyond the structural function of the matrix, it is used for a variety of roles, such as separating tissues from one another and controlling
A man implanted with a brain chip and started walking. The image was created by the artificial intelligence software DALEE and is presented as an illustration only and is not a scientific image.

First brain chip that treats epilepsy and OCD at the same time

Implanting a chip in the brain as recently done by Elon Musk's company Neurolink can, if done correctly, save patients with severe brain diseases, and that the patients no longer respond to drug treatment
Prof. Uri Rasovsky and his team. Self-portrait

through the body

Researchers are examining whether aerobic physical activity, which increases the level of oxytocin, the hormone of love and connection in the body, may improve the social functioning of those suffering from schizophrenia
scientific picture. A XNUMXD model system of human neurons in a dish. In green and purple: nerve cells expressing a protein that is defective in the ubiquitin system. As a result of this expression, the pathology that characterizes Alzheimer's patients is created - the formation of amyloid clusters (in red) outside the cells

Technion researchers have identified the mechanism leading to the formation of protein aggregates involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease

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Toxic proteins accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. In the familial Alzheimer's patients, the accumulation mechanism is clear since there is a circumstantial relationship between the mutations and the identity of the defective proteins. In the random disease, on the other hand, the cause of the accumulation of proteins
On the right: sperm cell of a healthy mouse. On the left: the product (protein) of the SCAPER gene (colored in red). The photograph shows that SCAPER is located at the head of the sperm cell, including in the nucleus

Between the retina, brain and fertility

On the spectrum of disorders caused by a defect in one gene
Cellular "garbage bags" are built using optineurin (in green) around damaged mitochondria (in red). Credit: WEHI

An old mystery solved: New findings change our understanding of the course of Parkinson's disease

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Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne have solved a long-standing mystery regarding the role of a protein in removing damaged mitochondria from the body. These findings may pave the way for potential new treatments for Parkinson's disease
The molecule that carries with it a message of regeneration You are here Homepage > Publications > Science news in a friendly language > There is something new under the nerve Share tags Michael Feinzilbermike Feinzilber molecular neurobiology biomolecular sciences nervous system nerve cells communication between nerve cells Like geckos regrowing their tails, the nerve cell extensions in the peripheral nervous system also know how to regenerate after an injury. Unfortunately, the nerve cells of the central nervous system, i.e. the brain and spinal cord, have a much more limited ability to regenerate. Accordingly, diseases that lead to the degeneration and death of nerve cells in the brain, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS, are irreversible and incurable. What exactly gives the peripheral system - the one that connects the brain and the spinal cord to the body's organs - an increased capacity for regeneration? A new study by Weizmann Institute of Science scientists reveals that a protein, which until now has only been observed during embryonic development, has a key role in the regeneration of mature nerve cells of the peripheral nervous system. When embryonic cells differentiate into adult cells, the composition of the proteins they produce changes. In the case of nerve cells, it was common to think that a decrease in the levels of a protein called PTBP1 in embryonic cells is a key part of their transformation into mature cells of the nervous system. Previous studies have even shown that upon completion of the differentiation process and the transformation of the embryonic cells into mature nerve cells of the central nervous system, the production of the protein stops altogether. In recent years, these findings have led research groups to try to reproduce this process in the laboratory: to lower the PTBP1 protein levels in cells that are not nerve cells and thus produce mature nerve cells from them. The hope was that it would be possible to apply this method to patients with neurodegenerative diseases and to produce new nerve cells for them. From the right: Dr. Rinat Nebo, Dr. Natalya Okladnikov, Dr. Agustina Di Physio, Philip Freund, Dr. Ida Rischel, Prof. Michael (Mike) Feinzilber and Pierluigi Di Matteo However, in a new study, led by the researcher PhD candidate Dr. Stephanie Alber and doctoral student Pierluigi Di Matteo from the research group of Prof. Michael (Mike) Feinzylver in the Departments of Biomolecular Sciences and Molecular Neurobiology at the institute, it was surprisingly discovered that the PTBP1 protein is expressed not only in embryonic cells that have not yet undergone differentiation, but also in mature nerve cells - although not nerve cells of the central nervous system, but yes of the peripheral one. The researchers discovered this completely by accident, while studying processes in the sciatic nerve of mice, nerves that leave the spine and reach the foot. The original experiment carried out by the researchers was aimed at finding molecules that regulate the rate of production of another protein called KPNB1 - "postcarriage" - responsible for carrying most of the messages transmitted from the distant extensions of the nerve cells to the cell nucleus. Among its other functions, the KPNB1 protein is responsible for signaling to the cell nucleus that a nerve branch is injured, so that the cell can regenerate it. However, before the mail car can set off and carry messages from the branches to the nucleus, the cell is required to launch messenger RNA molecules that contain the "recipe" for the production of the mail car in the opposite path (from the nucleus to the branches). On the way or when arriving at the destination, other molecules may bind to the messenger, delaying or speeding it up and thus controlling the rate of production of the mail car. The surprising discovery in the new study was that not only was PTBP1 present in the mature cells, but it also bound tightly to the messenger RNA of the mail car. But does and how does it affect its production and the regeneration of nerve cells? "Tens of millions of people around the world suffer from diseases that lead to the degeneration and death of nerve cells in the brain. In order to understand why the central nervous system fails in its attempt to regenerate after an injury, we must first understand how the peripheral nervous system succeeds in doing so." To answer this question, the scientists followed the nerve cells' response to the injury and noticed that after three days the levels of PTBP1 in the cell began to rise and within A week they reached record levels. With the increase in PTBP1 levels, the researchers noticed that the nerve cell extensions begin to regenerate. Sequencing the messenger RNA molecules that bound to PTBP1 after the injury revealed that the protein binds not only to the messenger RNA molecules of the mail car, but also to other proteins that play a role in nerve regeneration. Dr. Stephanie Alber To continue investigating the activity of PTBP1 in adult cells, the researchers removed it from the cells through genetic engineering, and showed that as a result, the regeneration of nerve cells of the "alarm receptor" type - cells whose role is to transmit a sensation of pain in response to a harmful stimulus that could damage the tissue - was impaired. The scientists also examined whether silencing the gene had additional effects and discovered that it increased the sensitivity to mechanical stimuli and heat. In an attempt to deepen the understanding of how PTBP1 affects the regeneration of nerve cells, the researchers examined whether it also affects another protein, RHOA - an important "control switch" in the process of differentiation and regeneration of nerve cells. When the RHOA protein is produced at high levels, it acts as a sort of off switch that inhibits cell growth. The researchers discovered that PTBP1 suppresses the production of the control switch in the extensions of the nerve cells, thus enabling their growth and regeneration. These findings strengthen the possibility that the production of PTBP1 in peripheral nerve cells is what enables their efficient regeneration, unlike in the central nervous system. Sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system in culture.

There is a new one under the sadness

The molecule that carries with it a message of regeneration
Brain stimulation using electrodes. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Electrical recording from deep within the brain

Abnormal electrical activity in the brain triggers OCD and Parkinson's symptoms
Left: cells with a mutant FUS protein that causes accumulations (in green) and leads to ALS disease. Right: the cells with the protein/chaferon (in pink) that manages to prevent the accumulations

fight degenerative diseases

The proteins and mechanisms required to fight the protein accumulations that lead to neurodegenerative diseases have been identified
Epilepsy in children. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Innovative gene therapy may help a severe and fatal developmental epilepsy syndrome that affects children

The research team hopes that the tools developed in this study will pave the way for the development of similar treatments for other rare diseases
Prof. Hermona Sorek (right). Photo: Yosef Edst, courtesy of the Hebrew University

Breakthrough in Alzheimer's research among women

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Professor Hermona Sorek, one of the world's leading researchers of gene expression in the brain, was able to find, in collaboration with her research colleagues, a molecular mechanism that occurs in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, which does not occur in men and which explains the acceleration
Clusters of microglial cells (in green) and T cells (in red) in the brain of a mouse with MS-like disease (left: general view, right: close-up)

Deaf people with sclerosis

The scientists of the institute have identified the cells in the brain that are responsible for the grace periods of the multiple sclerosis patients. The findings may pave the way for new treatments
Illustration of eye-hand connection. Photo: Nitzan Zohar Technion barges

Electricity flows in the palms of your hands: biomedical research findings may lead to new rehabilitation technologies for brain injuries

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The brain's control of subtle movements is based on complex mechanisms that challenge many researchers from different fields. Research conducted at the Technion sheds light on this issue and may lead to the development of innovative, personalized rehabilitation strategies
Link to the figure with a diagram showing the pathophysiological changes of Alzheimer's disease which the VBIT-4 molecule prevents by binding to the VDAC1 protein

A new approach to treating Alzheimer's

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The research carried out at Ben Gurion University focused on the VDAC1 protein that controls mitochondrial activity and controls cell life and death
The different types of cells in the brain. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Trying to penetrate the brain - the National Science Foundation

The beta amyloid protein. Image: depositphotos.com

Alzheimer's theory undermined by allegations of manipulated data - but does not bring dementia research to its knees

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A seminal 2006 article in Nature claiming that beta-amyloid protein was primarily responsible for Alzheimer's was found to be partially fabricated. Long years of attempts to develop medicines were lost in vain * Twenty more articles are now being examined
Prof. Ilana Gozes. Photo: Tel Aviv University

A mechanism shared by mutations in various genes that cause, among other things, autism and schizophrenia has been revealed

An experimental drug developed in a laboratory may be suitable for the treatment of a variety of rare syndromes that impair brain function
Dr. Gad Vatin. Photo: Danny Machlis, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev:

Improving motor and cognitive abilities for rare syndrome patients

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AHDS patients are unable to walk or sit independently and do not even develop the ability to speak. So far, about 300 patients have been diagnosed in the world, but due to the fact that it is a rare syndrome that was recently identified, it can be estimated that a number
Challenges in brain research. Illustration: depositphotos.com

What is the connection between brain and memory?

At the Multidisciplinary Center for Brain Research at Bar-Ilan University, researchers investigate, among other things, the effect of age, brain injuries or neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease on memory
Microglial cells that were "ripened" in the laboratory from stem cells derived from ALS patients (in green), the cell nuclei - in blue. Photographed using a confocal microscope

The good mutation

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have discovered a new pathway that may protect nerve cells in the brain and slow down the development of degenerative brain disease
A boy with a head injury. Photo: depositphotos.com

To be taken seriously: the chronic effects of concussion

Due to incorrect diagnosis and treatment: 4 in XNUMX children who have suffered a minor head injury may suffer from chronic post-concussion syndrome
ALS disease. Image: shutterstock

The toolbox for fighting ALS proteins

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Technion researchers have discovered proteins in our bodies that are able to prevent processes that cause neurodegenerative diseases
Brain scan. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Is the ALS disease reversible?

Researchers from Tel Aviv University identified for the first time the biological mechanism that causes the destruction of nerves in the muscular dystrophy disease ALS
An elderly man with Parkinson's disease. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The factor responsible for the disruption of the motor system in Parkinson's patients has been revealed

A study from the Hebrew University published in the journal "Nature Communications" reveals the connection between a decrease in the frequency of beta waves and the disease and opens up the possibility of a more targeted and effective treatment for Parkinson's
Neurological disorders and memory loss. Illustration: depositphotos.com

An existing drug will be substituted for the treatment of an orphan disease

A large-scale international study led by Tel Aviv University found that an experimental drug that received orphan drug status from the FDA for the future treatment of a rare developmental syndrome, may also cure a variety of related symptoms
neurological diseases. Illustration shutterstock

A main mechanism in the development of muscular dystrophy is deciphered

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Mutations causing S1R dysfunction are one of the causes of ALS (muscular dystrophy) and hereditary motor neuropathy. In another context, this receptor is a target site for the drug cocaine
The puzzle - the symbol of autism. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A surprising link between autism and Alzheimer's

A new study led by Dr. Haitam Amal reveals a common molecular mechanism for autism and Alzheimer's, which will help in understanding the pathological mechanism in both disorders
Nerve cells of a healthy person (above) compared to a similar cell of a Parkinson's patient. The lack of dopamine causes neurological disorders. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Pioneering Israeli development will facilitate surgeries for Parkinson's patients

Researchers at the Hebrew University and the Hadassah Medical Center have developed a method of anesthesia that will allow Parkinson's patients to undergo surgery that significantly alleviates the disease even in a state of confusion. Prof. Hagai Bergman: "This is a significant development for patients up to this day
Hippocampal dentate gyrus in HSHA mice, showing significant activation of astrocytes (GFAP: white) and oxidative stress (8OHdG: green) surrounding brain capillaries (laminin-a4: reddish). Nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue). Credit: John Charles Lewis Mammo, Lam V et al., 2021, PLOS Biology. Credit: John Charles Louis Mamo, Lam V et al., 2021, PLOS Biology

Protein from the liver may cause Alzheimer's disease in the brain

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Summary: Amyloid-beta proteins formed in the liver are carried in the bloodstream by lipoproteins to the brain. This causes neurodegradation, brain degeneration and inflammation, common features of Alzheimer's disease.
both halves of the brain. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The sac that connects the two parts of the brain has a role in communication between them in different behavioral situations

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Surgeries to sever a lobe of the brain were the solution to epilepsy, but it turned out that we did more harm than good. Now researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science explain the mechanism that links the two parts of the brain, and why damage to it endangers the
wakefulness and sleep cycle. Illustration: depositphotos.com

You should sleep before an exam: lack of sleep sabotages the storage of new memories in the hippocampus

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Mice that suffered from a lack of sleep increased the activity of inhibitory neurons in the hippocampus, thereby disrupting the processing and storage of new memories.
Three-week-old organoids from a patient with WOREE syndrome. The organoids are expected to grow significantly and reach up to about 4 mm in diameter. The laboratory of Prof. Akilan, Hebrew University.

"Mini Brain" helps to treat a rare and incurable brain disease in childhood

The research is based on technological breakthroughs of the last decade, which enable the study of human diseases in a personalized model for the patient
Figure: A novel molecular mechanism of a messenger of death that travels from the end of the axon to the cell body and kills the spinal motor neurons after exposure to stress in ALS disease. This finding constitutes a new target for drug development and future treatment.

Why do nerve cells die?

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For the first time: a mechanism has been revealed that damages the nerve cells in the terminal muscular dystrophy (ALS) * CRMP4 serves as a "messenger of death" that moves along the nerve extension and kills motor nerve cells in the ALS disease * Save cells
diseases of old age. Photo: depositphotos.com

The organization of the quality control system of proteins affects the onset of neurodegenerative diseases

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Brain deletion in Parkinson's patients. Photo: depositphotos.com

A new direction for drugs that will slow down the development of Parkinson's

Researchers from the Hebrew University and Penn State University revealed for the first time the structures of the central protein in the early stages of Parkinson's disease. Dr. Eitan Lerner: "The findings may help in the development of drugs that will help slow down the rate
Prof. David Sheprincek and research student Udi Binstock from the School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics at Tel Aviv University. PR photo

A new study on the brain of zebrafish has proven that new neurons are formed in the brain in an orderly and coordinated manner

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The researchers found that the activation process of stem cells in the brain responsible for the production of neurons (nerve cells) is not random but ordered and coordinated. According to them, the findings are of great importance for understanding the normal development of the brain.
Dr. Deborah Tober. Photo: Danny Machlis, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Scientists have been able to identify the genes that influence a healthier aging process

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Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev are leading innovative research on understanding the molecular processes in the aging process and have found genes that can predict healthy aging and help prevent diseases