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Immune protein STING key for repairing, generating lysosomes
– The STING protein, known for helping cells fight viral infections by generating inflammation, also appears to function as a quality control sensor for organelles that serve as cellular waste disposal systems, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found. Their study, published in Molecular Cell, helps explain critical features of diseases called lysosomal storage disorders and could eventually lead to new treatments for these and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers create ‘wiring diagram’ for key songbird brain region
Much like human beings, songbirds learn how to vocalize from their parents. Males imitate songs from their fathers and then sing to attract mates. Although the circuits that generate human speech are more complicated to decipher, the brains of songbirds offer a viable model for better understanding how humans learn to speak and what goes wrong in communication disorders such as autism.
Grant worth up to $5 million aids research for cerebellar disorders
A multidisciplinary team of UT Southwestern Medical Center specialists, led by Nader Pouratian, M.D., Ph.D., and Peter Tsai, M.D., Ph.D., has received a grant worth up to $5 million from the Raynor Cerebellum Project to develop neuromodulation therapies for patients with cerebellar disorders of the brain.
UTSW Research: Mosquito saliva and malaria, brain tumors, and more
Malaria, responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year worldwide, is caused by a parasite transmitted through the salivary glands of female Anopheles mosquitoes. Understanding the biology of these tissues is critical to developing new treatments for the disease, found mostly in tropical countries.
Social media may heighten depression severity in youth
An emotional overattachment to social media may be associated with increased severity of mental health symptoms among young people being treated for depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, according to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Faster clot-busting drug works as well as traditional drug for stroke
– A “clot-busting” drug recently approved to treat acute ischemic strokes (AIS) that can be delivered quickly works as well as a decades-old medication used by most hospitals in the U.S. and could hold significant advantages for some patients, a study led by a UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher shows. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, could encourage more hospitals to use the newer drug, tenecteplase.
Neurostimulation shows promise as potential Alzheimer’s treatment
Repeated sessions of electrical stimulation to brain networks associated with memory improved verbal learning in some Alzheimer’s disease patients for up to eight weeks in a preliminary trial led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers. The findings, published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, indicate that while future trials are needed, neurostimulation shows early promise as a treatment for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders, such as Lewy body dementia.
UTSW researchers use focused ultrasound to identify stroke biomarkers
A molecule called glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) rose significantly in the blood of patients who underwent high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a procedure that is used to treat tremors and causes damage similar to a small stroke, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists discovered in a new study. Their findings, published in Brain Communications, reveal a potential biomarker for stroke and could eventually lead to blood tests that quickly diagnose brain injuries.
Researchers make molecular connection between blindness, dementia
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have linked blindness in animal models to a brain-wide cellular stress response that’s a common risk factor for dementia. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, could help explain the connection between vision or hearing loss and dementia.
Why do women have more trouble after knee injuries? UTSW model explains
A computer model of the cellular environment inside the knee developed by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers sheds light on why women tend to have worse outcomes after knee injuries than men. Their findings, published in Scientific Reports, could facilitate research into new therapies for knee inflammatory disorders and personalized treatments for patients with these conditions.