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Brain organoids, also known as mini-brains, are tiny clumps of brain cells grown from stem cells that researchers are using to investigate the neural underpinnings of autism and other neurological disorders. But the organoids typically grow in culture for only a few months before they die, limiting their usefulness as models of real brains.  OrganoidsRead more

    A specific signaling circuit in the brain is deeply involved in morotr activity, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found.  Their new findings could have an impact on the development of therapies for a number of currently untreatable brain disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases.         TheRead more

    A cold shudder would radiate down most anyone’s spine when thinking about a parasitic organism residing within the cells of their brain. Yet, roughly 15–30% of the U.S population and up to a staggering 80% of the populations in France and Brazil are infected with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii.       Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoanRead more

    Researchers have shown for the first time that the protein BRCA1 is required for normal learning and memory and is depleted by Alzheimer’s disease. BRCA1 is a key protein involved in DNA repair, and mutations that impair its function increase the risk for breast and ovarian cancer. The new study demonstrates that Alzheimer’s disease isRead more