Parkinson's: Initial steps to show nerves their growth direction magnetically
2021-01-19
(Press-News.org) The team led by Professor Rolf Heumann, Senior Researcher for Molecular Neurobiochemistry at RUB, is hoping that this will allow the effects of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's to be alleviated over the long term. The results of the work were published on 31 December 2020 in the journal Scientific Reports.
Neurites do not know the way
Restoring brain function following an injury or due to neurodegenerative diseases remains an unresolved problem in neuroscience and medicine. Regeneration in the central nervous system is only possible to a very limited degree as the regenerating neurite, the axon, comes into contact with proteins that have growth-inhibiting properties. "The regenerating axon also does not initially know in which direction it needs to grow to reach and functionally connect the denervated target tissue," explains Rolf Heumann.
Signalling pathway allows nerve fibres to grow
The team in Bochum was previously able to show that the activation of a central signalling pathway within neurons, which is triggered by the Ras protein attached to the cell membrane, protects the cells from degeneration and also brings about fibre growth. The researchers wanted to control the direction of fibre growth in the current project. To do this, they used magnetic nanoparticles, which they implanted inside model neurons. The activation of the Ras signalling pathway is triggered by permanently active Ras protein or by a Ras-regulating switch protein.
Controlling nanoparticles with magnetic tips
"We initially showed that we were able to move the ferrous nanoparticles within neurons in a controlled manner using magnetic tips," explains Fabian Raudzus. The group then also succeeded in binding the Ras-regulating switch protein inside the cell to the nanoparticles and magnetically transporting them to the cell membrane. The researchers were then able to implant these functionalised nanoparticles into the neurite and allow them to accumulate at its tip, where the direction of growth is determined. The binding of the nanoparticles and Ras switch protein was demonstrated using light scattering measurements and by microscopic procedures such as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.
The research team sees therapeutic potential in the ability to magnetically control the functionalised nanoparticles in nerve fibres: "The Japanese researcher Professor Jun Takahashi recently started a clinical trial based on the transplantation of customised neurons, to replace certain dopaminergic neurons that are lost due to Parkinson's " explains Heumann. "The long-term goal of our study is to promote the regeneration of transplanted dopaminergic neurons using functionalised magnetic nanoparticles in the brain."
Supplying several million neurons
To achieve this, the nanoparticles must be introduced into several million neurons. The team was able to show using model cells that large cell populations were simultaneously loaded with these magnetic nanoparticles using a simple method based on mechanical pressure. This did not disrupt the induction of the growth of nerve fibres.
"Although we are still far from a clinical application, we hope that our experiments represent a first step towards supporting the regeneration of transplanted dopaminergic neurons in the treatment of Parkinson's," says Rolf Heumann.
INFORMATION:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2021-01-19
Durable, high-performing perovskite solar cells also require durable, high-performing charge-transporting layers. Scientists have developed the first organic hole transporter that does not need a dopant to attain high charge mobility and stability. According to the study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, this novel hole-transporting layer outperforms reference materials and protects the perovskite organic cell from air humidity.
In perovskite solar cells, the perovskite light absorption layer is sandwiched between two charge-transporting layers, which collect the generated holes and electrons and transport them to the electrodes. These charge transportation ...
2021-01-19
ATLANTA - JANUARY 19, 2021 - Despite increases in overall suicide rates in the United States during the past two decades, cancer-related suicides declined by 2.8% per year, according to a new study by the American Cancer Society. The study, appearing in JNCI: The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that the largest declines in cancer-related suicide rates were among high-risk populations, suggesting an evolving role of psycho-oncology and palliative and hospice care for cancer patients and survivors during this period.
To examine the trends in cancer-related suicides compared to overall suicides in the U.S., investigators led by Xuesong Han, PhD, calculated average annual percentage change of suicide rates stratified by risk factors including ...
2021-01-19
Just like on Earth, water on other planets, satellites, and even comets comes in a variety of forms depending on multiple factors such as pressure and temperature. Aside from the gaseous, liquid, and solid states we are accustomed to, water can form a different type of crystalline solid called clathrate hydrate. Although they look similar to ice, clathrate hydrates have actually small water-based cages in which smaller molecules are trapped. These trapped "guest" molecules are essential for preserving the crystalline structure of clathrate hydrates, which would otherwise "collapse" into regular ice or water.
Clathrate hydrates play a crucial role in the evolution of a planet or satellite's ...
2021-01-19
Washington, DC - January 19, 2021 - Viral genome sequencing of wastewater can detect new SARS-CoV-2 variants before they are detected by local clinical sequencing, according to a new study reported in mBio, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The ability to track SARS-CoV-2 mutations in wastewater could be particularly useful for tracking new variants, like the B.1.17 strain that is now widespread in the U.K. and has already been introduced in the U.S.
"SARS CoV-2 virus is excreted by individuals that are infected by COVID -19and the fecal waste ends up in the wastewater systems. By sampling wastewater, we can get information on infections for a whole population. Some wastewater systems serve several thousand people. ...
2021-01-19
A small pilot study suggests that early administration of ivermectin can reduce viral loads and symptom duration in patients with mild COVID-19, which in turn could help reduce viral transmission. The study, which is part of the SAINT project and has been led by the University of Navarra Clinic and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, warrants further exploration in larger clinical trials. The findings of the pilot study have been published in EClinicalMedicine, a clinical journal published by The Lancet.
We ...
2021-01-19
A new study from North Carolina State University shows that the inflammation caused by Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection gives the pathogen a two-fold advantage: by both creating an inhospitable environment for competing bacteria and providing nutrients that enable C. diff to thrive.
C. diff is a bacterium that causes diarrhea, often with severe or even fatal consequences. As part of its growth cycle, C. diff produces two toxins which cause inflammation and damage the lining of the gut.
"C. diff thrives when other microbes in the gut are absent - which is why it is more prevalent following antibiotic ...
2021-01-19
As the air continues to dry and temperatures drop, the yearly battle against dry hands and skin has officially begun. New research from Northwestern University has found new evidence deep within the skin about the mechanisms controlling skin repair and renewal.
Skin's barrier function gives it the unique ability to fight winter woes and retain water for our bodies. The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is constantly turning over to replace dead or damaged cells, creating new cells to reinforce the barrier function and heal damage. The gene regulatory mechanisms that control epidermis turnover remain incompletely understood.
"Every month we're covered with a new layer of epidermis," said Northwestern's Xiaomin Bao, who led the study. "The next question is what does that process ...
2021-01-19
The United States incarcerates more residents than any other country, however there is limited research that examines how people view such punishment, and whether views about punishment change with development. Previous research on this topic raises two very different possibilities: 1) children are typically more optimistic than adults, making them more likely to report that people's moral character improves following punishment, and 2) children are more likely than adults to report that others' characteristics - including moral traits - are unchangeable, making them less likely than adults to report that punishment affects moral growth. Researchers probed these contrasting possibilities further in two studies exploring children's and adults' views about the impact of ...
2021-01-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents have been faced with challenging circumstances to balance work, household, care of children and support of distance learning for school-age children without help from their regular support systems such as schools, childcare, and often other family members as well. A new longitudinal study in Germany examined day-to-day parenting behavior during the restrictions and closures caused by the pandemic from the end of March until the end of April 2020. Research showed that autonomy-supportive parenting (offering meaningful choices when possible) contributed to positive well-being for both children and parents.
The findings were published in a Child Development article ...
2021-01-19
AUGUSTA, Ga. (Jan. 19, 2021) - A look at RNA tells us what our genes are telling our cells to do, and scientists say looking directly at the RNA of brain tumor cells appears to provide objective, efficient evidence to better classify a tumor and the most effective treatments.
Gliomas are the most common brain tumor type in adults, they have a wide range of possible outcomes and three subtypes, from the generally more treatable astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas to the typically more lethal glioblastomas.
Medical College of Georgia scientists report in the journal Scientific Reports that their method, which produces what is ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Parkinson's: Initial steps to show nerves their growth direction magnetically
