neurons
Coverage of neurons in the Nexus archive.
- Scientists may have finally found how Alzheimer's spreads through the brain
Scientists may have discovered that a common brain protein facilitates the spread of Alzheimer's by transporting toxic Tau proteins from damaged neurons to healthy ones. Blocking these proteins could potentially slow the disease's progression.
- Jeff Bezos Is Funding a Wild Hunt for the Brain’s ‘Core Algorithm’
Jeff Bezos is funding a neuroscience initiative called Flourish with $500 million in funding and a reported $2.5 billion valuation. The project aims to reinvent AI by studying real neurons under the microscope to uncover the brain’s 'core algorithm'.
- Caffeine reversed memory problems caused by sleep deprivation
Scientists found that sleep deprivation damages a brain circuit responsible for social memory, impairing recognition of familiar individuals. Caffeine restored neuronal communication in this pathway, reversing memory deficits without overstimulating normal brain function.
- Human organoids reveal how to reverse “irreversible” nerve damage
Cambridge researchers developed lab-grown brain-and-spinal-cord systems that send signals and trigger muscle contractions. They discovered human neurons lose regrowth ability after developmental damage but can be reactivated via a gene network, with an existing hormone drug enhancing nerve fiber regrowth.
- Researchers block key protein that helps Parkinson’s spread through the brain
Researchers identified GPNMB, a protein released by immune cells in response to damaged neurons, which accelerates brain cell degeneration in Parkinson’s. Blocking GPNMB with antibodies halted the disease’s spread in early experiments.
- In the brain, objects seen and imagined follow the same neural path
New research indicates that both visual perception and imagination utilize identical neural pathways and coding mechanisms in the brain. The study highlights shared neuronal activity for sight and imagination, suggesting a unified neural code. (Image credit: Marco Bottigelli)
- Scientists map the brain’s hidden wiring using RNA barcodes in major breakthrough
Scientists have developed a new technique using RNA barcodes to map neuron connections in mice brains with single-synapse precision, revealing previously unknown connections that could aid in earlier detection and treatment of neurological diseases.