As we learn, the structure of individual neurons in our brains change to strengthen important connections and weaken less important ones, a process known as structural plasticity. In Ryohei Yasuda's laboratory at Max Planck ...
Mar 16, 2017
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The fundamental task of the immune system is discrimination—discrimination between the tissues of its host ('self') and invasive pathogens ('non-self'). In order to turn its destructive powers on the proper targets, it ...
Mar 10, 2017
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A new UCLA study could change scientists' understanding of how the brain works—and could lead to new approaches for treating neurological disorders and for developing computers that "think" more like humans.
Mar 9, 2017
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Learning and memory are crucial aspects of everyday life. When we learn, our neurons use chemical and molecular signals to change their shapes and strengthen connections between neurons, a process known as synaptic plasticity. ...
Mar 9, 2017
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Chronic inflammation after a heart attack can promote heart failure and death. University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have now shown that activated T-cells—part of the immune system's inflammatory response—are ...
Feb 28, 2017
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Immunological sentinels known as dendritic cells (DCs) help the body eliminate a wide variety of potential threats, from pathogens to cancer—but they are not all created equal. Some DCs are better at fighting bacteria, ...
Feb 22, 2017
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If you've ever wondered how a vaccine given decades ago can still protect against infection, you have your plasma cells to thank. Plasma cells are long-lived B cells that reside in the bone marrow and churn out antibodies ...
Feb 21, 2017
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Memories are formed at structures in the brain known as dendritic spines, which communicate with other brain cells through "synapses." The number of these brain connections decreases by half after puberty in a process termed ...
Feb 21, 2017
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A few days after a viral infection, countless killer cells swarm out to track down and kill infected body cells. In this way, they are highly effective at preventing pathogens from being able to spread further. An international ...
Feb 9, 2017
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When humans and animals learn and form memories, the physical structures of their brain cells change. Specifically, small protrusions called dendritic spines, which receive signals from other neurons, can grow and change ...
Feb 6, 2017
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