Silicon ‘neurons’ may add a new dimension to computer processors
Research from the McKelvey School of Engineering shows that energy constraints on a system, coupled with an intrinsic property of systems, push silicon neurons to create a dynamic, at-a-distance communication that is more robust and efficient than traditional computer processors. And it may teach us something about biological brains.
Rethinking seizures associated with cardiac disease
Research from Washington University in St. Louis finds that mutations of a gene implicated in long QT syndrome in humans may trigger seizures because of their direct effects on certain classes of neurons in the brain — independent from what the genetic mutations do to heart function. The new work from Arts & Sciences was conducted with fruit flies and is published August 8 in PLOS Genetics.
VIP neurons hold master key to jet lag response
By activating a small subset of the neurons involved in setting daily rhythms, biologist Erik Herzog in Arts & Sciences has unlocked a cure for jet lag in mice, as reported in a July 12 advance online publication of Neuron.
Scientists get closer look at living nerve synapses
The brain hosts an extraordinarily complex network of interconnected nerve cells that are constantly exchanging electrical and chemical signals at speeds difficult to comprehend. Now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report they have been able to achieve — with a custom-built microscope — the closest view yet of living nerve synapses.
Scientists sniff out female mouse scents that make males frisky
Scientists have identified two chemical scents in the urine of female mice that arouse sexual behavior in males, a discovery that shines a spotlight on how mouse pheromones control behavior.
Heart drug may help treat ALS, mouse study shows
Digoxin, a medication that has been used to treat heart
failure, may be adaptable for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), a progressive, paralyzing disease, suggests new research at
the School of Medicine.
Human skin cells reprogrammed directly into brain cells
School of Medicine scientists have described a way to convert human skin
cells directly into a specific type of brain cell affected by
Huntington’s disease, an ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder.
Unlike other techniques that turn one cell type into another, this new
process does not pass through a stem cell phase, avoiding the production
of multiple cell types.
Mouse study offers new clues to cognitive decline
New research suggests that certain types of brain cells may be “picky eaters,” seeming to prefer one specific energy source
over others. The finding has implications for understanding the cognitive decline seen in aging and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis.
Three receive NIH awards to pursue innovative ideas
Andrew Yoo, Robert Gereau and Michael Bruchas have been awarded grants from the National Institues of Health Common Fund to pursue visionary research that has the potential to transform science and improve human health.
Disruption of nerve cell supply chain may contribute to Parkinson’s
New data offer hints to why Parkinson’s disease so selectively harms brain cells that produce the chemical dopamine, says Karen O’Malley, PhD, a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
View More Stories