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

Communication breakdown: Early defects in sensory synapses in motor neuron disease

2011-02-10
(Press-News.org) New research using a mouse model of the motor neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) reveals an abnormality in the way that sensory information is relayed to motor neurons in the spinal cord. Importantly, this disruption in communication occurs very early in disease progression and precedes the neuronal death and muscle weakness that are the hallmark of the disease. The study, published by Cell Press in the February 10 issue of the journal Neuron, suggests that therapeutic strategies designed to improve communication at these spinal synapses might help to slow or prevent the progression of the disease and should be further explored.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and SMA are human motor neuron diseases characterized by degeneration and death of motor neurons and the muscles that they innervate. Most research on motor neuron diseases has focused on the communication, or synapse, between the neuron and the muscle. However, because these motor neurons originate in the spinal cord and rely on inputs from sensory neurons as well as other neurons from different regions of the brain and spinal cord, it is possible that upstream events might contribute to disease pathology. "There is some evidence that spinal circuit abnormalities might occur in human motor neuron disease," explains the principal author of the study, Dr. George Z. Mentis, who moved last year to the Motor Neuron Center at Columbia University from the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, where the study was initiated. "However, little is known about the response of these synapses to the factors that trigger disease."

Using a mouse model of SMA that exhibits many of the features of human SMA, including a stereotypical pattern of progressive muscle weakness, Dr. Mentis and colleagues studied synaptic connections between sensory and motor neurons in the spinal cord. "We found that communication between the sensory and motor neurons that make up the stretch reflex, which is known to be important for motor function, showed massive and progressive failure early in the disease process," says Dr. Mentis. The functional deficit mirrored the pattern of muscle weakness in human SMA patients. The researchers went on to show that a drug that has been shown to improve motor function and increase survival of SMA mice improved the sensory-motor circuitry.

"Collectively, our findings suggest that spinal circuit dysfunction is one of the earliest and most pronounced pathological features of the disease and therefore may contribute significantly to the loss of motor function that characterize both mouse models and human SMA patients," concludes Dr. Mentis. "Our data also support the potential therapeutic use of drugs to improve synaptic function, which is likely to be a key factor in the restoration of normal motor function in this disease."

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Treating mild strokes with clot-busting drug could save $200 million annually, study shows

2011-02-10
CINCINNATI—Treating mild strokes with the clot-busting drug approved for severe stroke could reduce the number of patients left disabled and save $200 million a year in disability costs, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC). The study led by Pooja Khatri, MD, an associate professor in the department of neurology, examined the public health impact of treating mild strokes with the clot-busting drug intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). It is being presented Wednesday, Feb. 9, in Los Angeles at International Stroke Conference 2011, the ...

Sharp rise in street drug usage among stroke patients, study shows

2011-02-10
CINCINNATI—While smoking and alcohol use remained relatively stable over a 13-year study period, street drug use among stroke patients rose more than nine-fold, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC). The findings are being presented Wednesday, Feb. 9, in Los Angeles at International Stroke Conference (ISC) 2011, the annual meeting of the American Stroke Association, by Felipe De los Rios, MD, of the UC Department of Neurology and the UC Neuroscience Institute. De los Rios is a fourth-year resident in the neurology department. The research is ...

Poorer patients have more severe ischemic strokes, study indicates

2011-02-10
CINCINNATI—Poorer patients have more severe ischemic strokes, or strokes resulting from blockages in blood vessels in the brain, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC). A study led by Dawn Kleindorfer, MD, an associate professor in the department of neurology, found that increasing poverty in the neighborhood where the stroke patient lived was associated with worse stroke severity at presentation, independent of other known factors associated with stroke outcomes. The study is being presented Wednesday, Feb. 9, in Los Angeles at International ...

Omega 3's -- more evidence for their benefit

2011-02-10
Omega-3 fatty acids –fats commonly found in fish oil – were shown several years ago to prevent retinopathy, a major form of blindness, in a mouse model of the disease. A follow-up study, from the same research team at Children's Hospital Boston, now reveals exactly how omega-3's provide protection, and provides reassurance that widely used COX-inhibiting drugs like aspirin and NSAIDs don't negate their benefit. The findings, published in the February 9th issue of Science Translational Medicine, also suggest that omega-3's may be beneficial in diabetes. Retinopathy – an ...

Researchers at Harvard and MITRE produce world's first programmable nanoprocessor

Researchers at Harvard and MITRE produce worlds first programmable nanoprocessor
2011-02-10
Cambridge, Mass. – February 9, 2011 – Engineers and scientists collaborating at Harvard University and the MITRE Corporation have developed and demonstrated the world's first programmable nanoprocessor. The groundbreaking prototype computer system, described in a paper appearing today in the journal Nature, represents a significant step forward in the complexity of computer circuits that can be assembled from synthesized nanometer-scale components. It also represents an advance because these ultra-tiny nanocircuits can be programmed electronically to perform a number ...

Searching for the soul of the genome

2011-02-10
VIDEO: Kelly Frazer, PhD, describes genome-wide association studies and the new CAD risk findings. Click here for more information. The discovery that a "gene desert" on chromosome 9 was a hotspot for coronary artery disease (CAD) risk was among the highlights of findings produced recently by genome-wide association studies, which compare the genomes of many people for genetic variations and have been broadly used in the past few years to study hundreds of diseases and complex ...

Skin cells help to develop possible heart defect treatment in first-of-its-kind Stanford study

2011-02-10
STANFORD, Calif. — Using skin cells from young patients who have a severe genetic heart defect, Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have generated beating heart cells that carry the same genetic mutation. The newly created human heart cells — cardiomyocytes — allowed the researchers for the first time to examine and characterize the disorder at the cellular level. In a study to be published online Feb. 9 in Nature, the investigators also report their identification of a promising drug to reverse the heart malfunction — for which there are currently no decent ...

Human and mouse studies sharpen focus on cause of celiac disease

2011-02-10
Blocking a factor that can activate the human immune response against intestinal bacteria or certain foods could prevent the development of celiac disease in those most at risk, researchers report in the journal Nature. The study, to be published early online Feb. 9, points to two chemical signals—interleukin 15 and retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A—as triggers for the inflammatory response to gluten, a protein found in many grains that causes celiac disease. "We found that having elevated levels of IL-15 in the gut could initiate all the early stages of celiac ...

Researchers find public sector research responsible for many new drug discoveries

2011-02-10
(Boston) - Researchers from Boston University School's of Medicine (BUSM), Management (SMG) and Law (LAW), along with collaborators from the National Institutes of Health, believe that public-sector research has had a more immediate effect on improving public health than was previously realized. The findings, which appear as a Special Article in the February 10th issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, have economic and policy implications. Historically, public sector research institutions (PSRI) have not participated in any major way in the downstream, applied ...

Scientists discover gene regulation mechanism unique to primates

2011-02-10
Scientists have discovered a new way genes are regulated that is unique to primates, including humans and monkeys. Though the human genome – all the genes that an individual possesses – was sequenced 10 years ago, greater understanding of how genes function and are regulated is needed to make advances in medicine, including changing the way we diagnose, treat and prevent a wide range of diseases. "It's extremely valuable that we've sequenced a large bulk of the human genome, but sequence without function doesn't get us very far, which is why our finding is so important," ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Circle versus rectangle: Finding ‘Earth 2.0’ may be easier using a new telescope shape

Metformin changes blood metal levels in humans

Long-term anticoagulation discontinuation after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation

Fractional flow reserve–guided complete vs culprit-only revascularization in non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease

Participation of women in cardiovascular trials from 2017 to 2023

Semaglutide and tirzepatide in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Changes in biology of internal fat may be the leading cause of heart failure

Transcatheter or surgical treatment of patients with aortic stenosis at low to intermediate risk

Promising new drug for people with stubborn high blood pressure

One shot of RSV vaccine effective against hospitalization in older adults for two seasons

Bivalent RSV prefusion F protein–based vaccine for preventing cardiovascular hospitalizations in older adults

Clonal hematopoiesis and risk of new-onset myocarditis and pericarditis

Risk of myocarditis or pericarditis with high-dose vs standard-dose influenza vaccine

High-dose vs standard-dose influenza vaccine and cardiovascular outcomes in older adults

Prevalence, determinants, and time trends of cardiovascular health in the WHO African region

New study finds that, after a heart attack, women have worse prognosis when treated with beta-blockers

CNIC-led REBOOT clinical trial challenges 40-year-old standard of care for heart attack patients

Systolic blood pressure and microaxial flow pump–associated survival in infarct-related cardiogenic shock

Beta blockers, the standard treatment after a heart attack, may offer no benefit for heart attack patients and women can have worse outcomes

High Mountain Asia’s shrinking glaciers linked to monsoon changes

All DRII-ed up: How do plants recover after drought?

Research on stigma says to just ‘shake it off’

Scientists track lightning “pollution” in real time using NASA satellite

Millions of women rely on contraceptives, but new Rice study shows they may do more than just prevent pregnancy

Hot days make for icy weather, Philippine study finds

Roxana Mehran, MD, receives the most prestigious award given by the European Society of Cardiology

World's first clinical trial showing lubiprostone aids kidney function

Capturing language change through the genes

Public trust in elections increases with clear facts

Thawing permafrost raised carbon dioxide levels after the last ice age

[Press-News.org] Communication breakdown: Early defects in sensory synapses in motor neuron disease