Controlling molecular glue protects connections between brain cells

A way in which some connections between brain cells can resist degeneration – a hallmark of traumatic brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases — has been discovered by researchers at The University of Queensland. Dr Sean Coakley and Professor Massimo Hilliard from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research uncovered a way in which cells control the … Read more

Sleep deprived? Study finds losing a night of sleep may increase Alzheimer’s biomarker

A preliminary study has found that when young, healthy men were deprived of just one night of sleep, they had higher levels of tau, a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease, in their blood than when they had a full, uninterrupted night of rest. The study is published in the January 8, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the … Read more

Findings on education, malnutrition ‘deeply disturbing’ with United Nations’ goals 10 years away

Despite progress toward global education targets, a new study reveals that 1 in 10 women ages 20-24 in low- and middle-income countries had zero years of schooling in 2017, and 1 in 6 had not completed primary school. For the first time, researchers have mapped years of education and child malnutrition across all low- and … Read more

New imaging system and artificial intelligence algorithm accurately identify brain tumors

Published in Nature Medicine on January 6, the study examined the diagnostic accuracy of brain tumor image classification through machine learning, compared with the accuracy of pathologist interpretation of conventional histologic images. The results for both methods were comparable: the AI-based diagnosis was 94.6% accurate, compared with 93.9% for the pathologist-based interpretation. The imaging technique, stimulated Raman … Read more

Oregon scientist shows possible path to improved bone-repair procedures

Researchers are moving closer to a new approach for improving spinal fusion procedures and repairing broken or defective bones that avoids an over-production of bone that commonly occurs in current treatments. In a preclinical study, researchers significantly reduced undesired bone growth outside of targeted repair areas in rat femurs by delivering a potent bone-forming protein … Read more

How the brain balances pleasure and pain

As our brains take in information about the world and use it to steer our actions, two key principles guide our choices: seek pleasure and avoid pain. Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have zeroed in on an information-processing hub in the brains of mice to discover how neurons there divide the labor to … Read more

New gel boosts cell survival in damaged brain tissue

A novel way to transplant cells using a ‘hydrogel’ offers new hope for people with brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease and stroke patients, according to researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) and Deakin University. The team’s new hydrogel significantly boosts stem cell treatments that target and regenerate damaged brain tissue. The hydrogel – a gel … Read more

Simple steps to avoid food poisoning this Christmas

Summer is a ‘danger period’ for food poisoning in Australia, but there are simple steps we can take to reduce the risk, say researchers at The Australian National University (ANU). Hot weather promotes the growth of foodborne bacteria, so it’s important to avoid leaving food out in the heat for extended periods, particularly meat. Dr … Read more