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The brain - serious diseases

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 1990 by 18%
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 intercellular communication, hence its role in this disease
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 reason for the accumulation of the defective proteins was unknown
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 of cognitive deterioration in Alzheimer's patients
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 the main cause of Alzheimer's was found to be partially fabricated. Long years of attempts to develop medicines were lost in vain * Twenty more articles by the same author 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, however, due to being a rare syndrome that was recently identified, it can be estimated that the number of patients in the world is greater than this 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
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