PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Study reveals a protein called snail may play a role in healing brain injury

Discovery could pave the way toward better treatment for stroke and other brain injuries

Study reveals a protein called snail may play a role in healing brain injury
2023-12-11
(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON (Dec. 11, 2023)--A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nexus provides a better understanding of how the brain responds to injuries. Researchers at the George Washington University discovered that a protein called Snail plays a key role in coordinating the response of brain cells after an injury.

 

The study shows that after an injury to the central nervous system (CNS) a group of localized cells start to produce Snail, a transcription factor or protein that has been implicated in the repair process.The GW researchers show that changing how much Snail is produced can significantly affect whether the injury starts to heal efficiently or whether there is additional damage.

 

"Our findings reveal the intricate ways the brain responds to injuries,” said senior author Robert Miller, the Vivian Gill Distinguished Research Professor and Vice Dean of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. ”Snail appears to be a key player in coordinating these responses, opening up promising possibilities for treatments that can minimize damage and enhance recovery from neurological injuries."

 

Key findings:

 

This study identifies for the first time a special group of microglial-like cells that produce Snail. Microglial cells are found in the central nervous system. Lowering the amount of Snail produced after an injury results in inflammation and increased cell death. During this process the injury gets worse not better and there are fewer connections or synapses between brain cells. In contrast, when Snail levels are increased the outcome of brain injury improves–suggesting this protein can help limit the spread of injury-induced damage.  

The research raises questions about whether an experimental drug that affects Snail production could be used to limit the damage incurred after someone suffers a stroke or has been injured in an accident, Miller said. Additional studies must be done to show that increasing Snail production could curtail injury or even promote healing of the brain.

 

Miller and his team also plan to study the regulation of Snail in diseases like multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is a disease resulting in damage to myelin, the protective layer insulating nerve fibers in the brain. If drugs targeting Snail could be used to stop that damage, many of the future  symptoms of this disease could be eased, he says.

 

But researchers have years of work to do before new drugs targeting Snail can be tested in clinical trials. The payoff ultimately might be drugs that can lead to accelerated healing for stroke damage, head wounds and even neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. 

 

In addition to Miller and a team of researchers at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cheryl Clarkson-Paredes, a senior research scientist at the GW Nanofabrication and Imaging Center, served as the lead author of the paper, “A unique cell population expressing the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-transcription factor Snail moderates microglial and astrocyte injury responses,” 

 

The research was supported by Biogen and the National Institutes of Health.

 

-GW–


 

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Study reveals a protein called snail may play a role in healing brain injury Study reveals a protein called snail may play a role in healing brain injury 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Continued treatment with tirzepatide for maintenance of weight reduction in adults with obesity

2023-12-11
About The Study: In participants with obesity or overweight, withdrawing tirzepatide led to substantial regain of lost weight, whereas continued treatment maintained and augmented initial weight reduction in this randomized clinical trial that included 670 adults.   Authors: Louis J. Aronne, M.D., of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2023.24945) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict ...

Novel liquid biopsy of lymph fluid could guide precision treatment for head and neck cancer

Novel liquid biopsy of lymph fluid could guide precision treatment for head and neck cancer
2023-12-11
Lymphatic fluid from surgical drains, which is usually tossed in the trash, is a treasure in the hands of University of Pittsburgh and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis researchers who found that this liquid could inform more precise treatments for patients with head and neck cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The new study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, shows for the first time that HPV DNA in lymphatic fluid collected ...

LOINC® and Health Data Standards receives $4.4 million grant to expand efforts to address health inequities in EHRs

2023-12-11
INDIANAPOLIS -- LOINC® and Health Data Standards at Regenstrief Institute has received a $4.4 million grant from the Regenstrief Foundation to support expansion of work on a global initiative to categorize and standardize social determinants of health (SDOH) information into electronic health records (EHRs), an ambitious project to integrate social needs data into clinical care to more effectively address health inequities. The unequal distribution of income, food, safety and access to healthcare are recognized as root causes of health disparities. But, currently, data on these factors are rarely well documented within a patient’s ...

New study shows Transcendental Meditation significantly reduced PTSD and anxiety in frontline nurses during COVID-19 pandemic by more than half over a 3-month period

New study shows Transcendental Meditation significantly reduced PTSD and anxiety in frontline nurses during COVID-19 pandemic by more than half over a 3-month period
2023-12-11
Frontline nurses who learned the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique during the COVID-19 pandemic showed rapid and significant improvements in flourishing, PTSD, anxiety, and burnout over 3 months compared to controls, according to a study published today in the Journal of Nursing Administration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of Transcendental Meditation on nurses’ multidimensional well-being, conceptualized as the presence of flourishing and the absence of PTSD, anxiety, and burnout. A total of 104 nurses in three Florida hospitals participated. ...

New research identifies several warning signs that could predict intimate partner violence

2023-12-11
Intimate partner violence is widespread and can have severe physical and psychological health repercussions, but there is a shortage of research on reliable predictors of abuse before it occurs. New research, published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, identifies several warning signs that preceded and predicted intimate partner violence. “Although future research is required to fully understand the associations between warning signs and abuse, these red flags could eventually be used ...

Just say no to that invitation

2023-12-11
It may feel unforgivably rude to reject an invitation – even one to an event you would much prefer not to attend – but people often overestimate the social consequences of saying no, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “I was once invited to an event that I absolutely did not want to attend, but I attended anyways because I was nervous that the person who invited me would be upset if I did not – and that appears to be a common experience,” said lead author Julian Givi, PhD, an assistant professor at West Virginia University. “Our research shows, however, ...

Researchers compare mental illness, gun violence rates in U.S., Australia and U.K.

Researchers compare mental illness, gun violence rates in U.S., Australia and U.K.
2023-12-11
Considerable attention has focused on mental illness as a major contributor to homicides in the United States. Serious mental illness affects more than 14 million Americans ages 18 and older and nearly 58 million people reported having a mental illness. In 2021, 47,286 Americans died from gun violence – the highest ever – of which 46 percent were homicides and 54 percent were suicides involving firearms.  Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine and collaborators compared deaths from mental illness and gun violence in the U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom and their clinical ...

Science sheds light on shaking your holiday presents

Science sheds light on shaking your holiday presents
2023-12-11
As holidays near, people are sneaking shakes of their presents to try to figure out what they’re getting. But present shakers might be a little less sly than they think. New research shows it’s incredibly easy for people watching others shake boxes to tell what they’re up to. “There are few things more delightful than seeing a child’s eyes light up as they pick up a present and wonder what might be inside,” said author Chaz Firestone, a Johns Hopkins University assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences who investigates ...

Nanoparticle-delivered RNA reduces neuroinflammation in lab tests

Nanoparticle-delivered RNA reduces neuroinflammation in lab tests
2023-12-11
Some Covid-19 vaccines safely and effectively used lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver messenger RNA to cells. A new MIT study shows that different nanoparticles could be used for a potential Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapy. In tests in multiple mouse models and with cultured human cells, a newly tailored LNP formulation effectively delivered small interfering RNA (siRNA) to the brain’s microglia immune cells to suppress expression of a protein linked to excessive inflammation in Alzheimer’s ...

New insight on electrochemical reactions – advancing the green transition

New insight on electrochemical reactions – advancing the green transition
2023-12-11
Electrochemical reactions are central to the green transitions. These reactions use the electric current and potential difference to carry out chemical reactions, which enables binding and realizing electric energy from chemical bonds. This chemistry is the basis for several applications, such as hydrogen technology, batteries, and various aspects of circular economy.  Developments and improvement in these technologies require detailed insight into the electrochemical reactions and different factors impacting them. Recent studies have shown that besides the electrode material also the used solvent, its acidity, and ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Global trust in science remains strong

New global research reveals strong public trust in science

Inflammation may explain stomach problems in psoriasis sufferers

Guidance on animal-borne infections in the Canadian Arctic

Fatty muscles raise the risk of serious heart disease regardless of overall body weight

HKU ecologists uncover significant ecological impact of hybrid grouper release through religious practices

New register opens to crown Champion Trees across the U.S.

A unified approach to health data exchange

New superconductor with hallmark of unconventional superconductivity discovered

Global HIV study finds that cardiovascular risk models underestimate for key populations

New study offers insights into how populations conform or go against the crowd

Development of a high-performance AI device utilizing ion-controlled spin wave interference in magnetic materials

WashU researchers map individual brain dynamics

Technology for oxidizing atmospheric methane won’t help the climate

US Department of Energy announces Early Career Research Program for FY 2025

PECASE winners: 3 UVA engineering professors receive presidential early career awards

‘Turn on the lights’: DAVD display helps navy divers navigate undersea conditions

MSU researcher’s breakthrough model sheds light on solar storms and space weather

Nebraska psychology professor recognized with Presidential Early Career Award

New data shows how ‘rage giving’ boosted immigrant-serving nonprofits during the first Trump Administration

Unique characteristics of a rare liver cancer identified as clinical trial of new treatment begins

From lab to field: CABBI pipeline delivers oil-rich sorghum

Stem cell therapy jumpstarts brain recovery after stroke

Polymer editing can upcycle waste into higher-performance plastics

Research on past hurricanes aims to reduce future risk

UT Health San Antonio, UTSA researchers receive prestigious 2025 Hill Prizes for medicine and technology

Panorama of our nearest galactic neighbor unveils hundreds of millions of stars

A chain reaction: HIV vaccines can lead to antibodies against antibodies

Bacteria in polymers form cables that grow into living gels

Rotavirus protein NSP4 manipulates gastrointestinal disease severity

[Press-News.org] Study reveals a protein called snail may play a role in healing brain injury
Discovery could pave the way toward better treatment for stroke and other brain injuries