Scientists who research genetic disorders might want to reconsider the way they transfer therapeutic genes to cells in the central nervous system. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are the most common way to transfer DNA into neural cells because of their nonpathogenic nature and long-term transduction abilities. Specifically, researchers most frequently use AAV serotype 2 (AAV2). But scientists at the Yale University School of Medicine believe that...
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How do you find the volume of a sphere? It is a question that you’ve answered on math exams stretching all the way back to the sixth grade, but the formula eludes your brain. What is it that causes you to forget something that has been ingrained in your brain Dr. John Morrison of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Peter R. Rapp, PHD and other...
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History is being made at George Washington University’s Laboratory for Evolutionary Neuroanatomy, and Stereo Investigator is playing a part. Using Stereo Investigator to count neurons, estimate axon fiber length, and quantify cellular volumes, Dr. Chet C. Sherwood and his team are carrying out "detailed comparisons of neural phenotypes between humans and our closest relatives, the great apes." A recent focus at the lab is the emergence...
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Myelin, which insulates axons in the central nervous system is produced by oligodendrocytes. But not all oligodendrocytes are equal. Led by Dr. Jonathan Vinet of the Université Laval in Quebec, scientists have identified three different types of oligodendrocytes in the mouse hippocampus: "ramified," "stellar," and "smooth." Each type displayed varying morphological characteristics, mainly in shape, volume, and branching behavior, which led the researchers to believe that the...
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There may be more evidence that schizophrenia results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. One of these hereditary influences may be an impaired ability to synthesize the antioxidant glutathione (GSH), which results in oxidative stress, according to a study conducted by scientists at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. By observing mice with a GSH deficit, Dr. Kim Q. Do and her team determined...
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University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have used Neurolucida since it was in its embryonic stages in the 1960s. Now, nearly a half-century later, the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology continues using Neurolucida in their research, as outlined in a recent study concerning the organization of the olfactory system. Dr. Michael Shipley and his team collaborated with scientists from Hungary and Japan on the paper...
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Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Most cases occur in people over 65, and are not genetically inherited. Roughly five percent of Alzheimer's patients suffer from familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD), an uncommon form that tends to strike sooner, and is related to a genetic predisposition - most commonly, a mutation in the presenilin 1 gene (PS1). A recent study, led by Dr. Miguel...
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Birds and mammals hear binaurally, hearing sounds through two ears. Binaural hearing allows them to determine which direction a sound came from—a pivotal element of survival. Doctors Armin H. Seidl, Edwin W. Rubel, and David M. Harris of Seattle’s Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center at the University of Washington recently published a study in the Journal of Neuroscience that may encourage scientists to think in...
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If you start smoking as a teen, it’s much harder to quit. University of Vermont Neurobiologist Rae Nishi wants to find out why. And thanks to a $1 million Challenge Grant, Nishi and her team will be able to further study the way adolescent brains react to nicotine. The grant is one of 200 National Institute of Health grants allocated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment...
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The developing and adult central nervous system of the mouse is complex and large. NIH Neuroscientist Dr. Charles Gerfen uses Neurolucida and NeuroInfo to collect, display, and share virtual slides with the research community. Recently, Dr. Gerfen requested software enhancements to better allow him to categorize and use his virtual slide data in mouse brain testing. We were happy to comply. Dr. Gerfen explains how he uses...
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