Imaging study shows how brain remembers details of life
New research from a group at Hopkins has pinpointed the area of the brain that allows us to detect subtle differences in our environment and store that information in our memory.
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New research from a group at Hopkins has pinpointed the area of the brain that allows us to detect subtle differences in our environment and store that information in our memory.
A group of researchers, led by Gregory Ball of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, has uncovered evidence for an intriguing kind of chemical crosstalk in the brain. Their finding - that the neurotransmitter dopamine interacts with a class of receptors normally associated with a different neurotransmitter - provides an exception to a basic principle of neuroscience.
The composer sits at his piano, an irked grimace on his face. He scribbles a few lines on some messy parchment. He stops, shakes his head and crosses out the lot of what he's written, the tip of his quill scratching angrily.
A team of Hopkins researchers has created a device that effectively mimics the complex biochemical environment present in the developing brain. The group, headed by Andre Levchenko at the Whiting School of Engineering, published their findings in the miniaturization-oriented journal Lab on a Chip.
Hopkins scientists have reported a novel method of killing specific populations of cells that could have important applications to cancer and virus therapies.
Using methamphetamine may have long-lasting consequences on brain chemistry, impairing memory function even after the habit is kicked, according to a new report from scientists at the Hopkins School of Medicine.
Naturally occurring strands of a special type of RNA may silence cancer-suppressing genes, according to a report by Hopkins scientists published this month in Nature. Once turned off, the genes - called tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) - no longer keep cell growth in check, often resulting in the development of cancerous tumors.
High blood pressure in the U.S. has reached epidemic proportions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 percent of adult Americans have it, 277,000 Americans died from it in 2002 and 90 percent of middle-aged adults will develop it before they die.
Mental retardation was once only spoken of in hushed voices, usually suffused with pity and, in some cases, shame. Often, mentally retarded children were thought of as their parents' divine punishment.
Mutation in a single gene contributes to the abnormal build-up of protein present in the neurons of people with Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a new study by Hopkins researchers. Alterations in the gene's protein product, alpha-synuclein, appear to render neurons more susceptible to the damaging effects of age-related stress and, ultimately,?may lead to their premature death. PD is a degenerative disease of the nervous system, usually characterized by tremors, muscle rigidity and a general slowing of movement. While the exact cause of PD remains unclear, most scientists agree that both genes and environment play a role. Evidence in support of the genetic hypothesis is not hard to find. A study in 1997, for example, showed an unusually high prevalence of PD in?the small Italian village of Contursi Terme; one family had 60 cases spread over only six generations. By studying DNA samples from the affected villagers, researchers?pinpointed a mutation of?the alpha-synuclein gene as a factor?causing the?higher-than-expected?number of PD cases. Since then, two more kinds of mutations to the gene have been discovered in other families.Further research found that mutant alpha-synculein?is a major component of Lewy bodies, accumulations of protein in neurons that have classically been associated with?PD. Moreover, mutated copies of the alpha-synculein gene were shown to be passed down in an autosomal dominant fashion, meaning that one copy of the gene is sufficient to induce the formation of Lewy bodies and increase an individual's risk of acquiring PD. There's also some evidence to suggest that normal variation in levels of alpha-synculein between individuals contributes to this risk - even in people lacking the rare genetic mutations that cause heritable forms of PD, as in Contursi.Nonetheless, the molecular pathways by which alpha-synuclein operates on the molecular level to produce the startling physical impairments seen in PD has been uncertain. The Hopkins group, led by Wanli Smith and colleagues at the School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, sought to settle the case about alpha-synuclein's role in the diseased cells of PD. Specifically, the group wanted to see how turning on genes that produce alpha-synculein would affect a cell's development. To this end, they chose a special line of easily modifiable cells into which they inserted either the mutated or normal copy of the alpha-synculein gene. The gene was then, by means of a specialized genetic tool, "turned on." After a week of growing in a medium that mimicked the environmental conditions present in the brain, the team collected the cells and evaluated them.Contrary to the researchers' expectations, cells with the mutated gene did not die at a higher rate than those with a normal copy. Nonetheless, the team observed marked biochemical changes in the mutated group, with noticeable decreases in the activity of the proteasome, the cell's garbage disposal. As in your kitchen sink, build-up of waste isn't a good thing in cells. Inside a brain cell, banana peels and chicken fat are replaced by various proteins, such as alpha-synculein, which a malfunctioning proteasome is unable to degrade. Accumulating proteins usually lead to cell death. Within the mutant group, the team also observed increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS). While normally critical to proper intercellular signaling, abnormally high ROS levels have been linked to many age-related neurological diseases. When in abundance, ROS wreaks general havoc on the cell, damaging DNA and degrading amino acids. Because ROS levels tend to increase as an individual gets older, many scientists theorize that ROS activity is the basis for aging and age-related diseases, including Parkinson's. Further research is required to determine exactly how mutated alpha-synculein leads to proteasome malfunction and how that impairment converges with the harmful effects of ROS to give rise to Parkinson's.
A rare and complex genetic disorder has provided Hopkins researchers with an unprecedented glimpse into how we sense temperature and texture. Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team, led by Nicholas Katsanis at the School of Medicine, identified the primary cilium, a feature of nearly all cells, as playing a critical role.
How is that you can remember, in detail, your first day of school, but can't recall what you ate for breakfast this morning? New research from a group at Hopkins may provide the answer. Their study, published last month in Cell, shows that emotion enhances memory by means of a single molecule, norephineprhine, whose concentration in the brain increases during stressful situations.
A simple eye scan may provide an accurate diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, according to a study published last week by Hopkins researchers in the journal Neurology. Less expensive and more easily administered than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - the currently favored diagnostic tool - the authors report that the test is an effective identifier of neuronal deterioration, the disease's most damaging and distinctive aspect.
Hopkins researchers have identified nine proteins that can be used to deliver a lethal dose of radiation specifically to cancerous cells in the colon. While similar compounds for treating other types of cancer are already on the market, the new proteins are the first to preferentially target colon cancer.
The biological checks and balances that keep fruit flies small and make blue whales big are the same in all animal species, according to a study by Hopkins researchers published last week in Cell. The study's results also demonstrate that disregulation of these processes likely plays a role in the growth of tumors.
Vitamin C can help stop the growth of cancerous tumors - just not how most scientists thought. In a significant finding, researchers led by Chi V. Dang of the Hopkins School of Medicine have uncovered a novel pathway by which antioxidants (for example, vitamin C) may limit tumor growth.
Hopkins researchers have pinpointed a genetic mutation that appears to underlie many symptoms associated with schizophrenia, according to a report published last week in Molecular Psychiatry. The affected gene, disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), has long been implicated as one of several possible genetic components of the disease.
Joanna Newsom
While they are by no means the first band to use the Internet as a stepping-stone to success, the members of Voxtrot have certainly perfected the art. The indie foursome from Austin, Texas -- who have garnered praise from SPIN.com and Pitchfork, among others -- maintain a MySpace page, and their frontman, Ramesh Srivastava, regularly updates his blog, cleverly titled "The Voxtrot Kid."
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