Category Archives: Regenerative Medicine News and General Information

Neuropathic Pain: The Underlying Mechanism and a Potential Therapeutic Target Are Revealed in Mice

Neuropathic pain — abnormal hypersensitivity to stimuli — is associated with impaired quality of life and is often poorly managed. In a paper published in the journal Neuron, researchers report that a mechanism involving the enzyme Tiam1 in dorsal horn excitatory neurons of the spinal cord both initiates and maintains neuropathic pain.  Moreover, they show […]

Scientist Uncovers Roots of Antibiotic Resistance

Bacteria naturally adapt to various environmental stimuli and as they mutate, these changes can make them resistant to drugs that would kill or slow their growth. In a recent article published in PLoS Genetics, UCF College of Medicine microbiologist Dr. Salvador Almagro-Moreno uncovers the evolutionary origins of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria. His studies on […]

Drug Alleviates Autism-Associated Behavior

The behavioral disorders observed in autism are associated with a multitude of genetic alterations. Scientists from the Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR) have now found another molecular cause for this condition. The transcription factor MYT1L normally protects the molecular identity of nerve cells.  Disorders from the autism spectrum (ASD, autism spectrum disorders) are […]

Researchers Develop Blood Test for Anxiety

Researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine have successfully developed a blood test for anxiety. The test examines biomarkers that can help them objectively determine someone’s risk for developing anxiety, the severity of their current anxiety and which therapies would likely treat their anxiety the best. “Many people are suffering from anxiety, which can be […]

Countering Depression: Key Brain Rhythm

Led by researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine and University of Szeged in Hungary, a new study in mice and rats found that restoring certain signals in a brain region that processes smells countered depression. Publishing in the journal Neuron online May 9, the study results revolve around nerve cells (neurons), which “fire” — […]

TB and HIV Antibody Response in People With HIV

New research from Boston Medical Center, published in iScience, suggests that concomitant tuberculosis disease has a significant impact on HIV immune responses and the viruses circulating in people living with HIV. Tuberculosis infects more than 2 billion people in the world, and although tuberculosis is the most common co-infection in people living with HIV, previous […]

Almost Half of People with Concussion Still Show Symptoms of Brain Injury Six Months Later

Even mild concussion can cause long-lasting effects to the brain, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge.  Using data from a Europe-wide study, the team has shown that for almost a half of all people who receive a knock to the head, there are changes in how regions of the brain communicate with each […]

T Cells Can Activate Themselves to Fight Tumors

Scientists at University of California San Diego have discovered a property of T cells that could inspire new anti-tumor therapeutics. Through a previously undescribed form of cell auto-signaling, T cells were shown to activate themselves in peripheral tissues, fueling their ability to attack tumors. The study was published May 8, 2023 in Immunity. T cells […]

Study Explains Link Between Diabetes and UTIs

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now show that the immune system of people with diabetes has lower levels of the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin, which compromises the urinary bladder’s cell barrier, increasing the risk of urinary tract infection.  Diabetes is a common disease that affects health in many ways, one effect is that it compromises […]

Scientists Discover Surprising Link Between Immune System and Hair Growth

Salk scientists have uncovered an unexpected molecular target of a common treatment for alopecia, a condition in which a person’s immune system attacks their own hair follicles, causing hair loss.  The findings, published in Nature Immunology on June 23, 2022, describe how immune cells called regulatory T cells interact with skin cells using a hormone […]