Neuroscience

Proteases help nerve cells to navigate

Our ability to move relies on the correct formation of connections between different nerve cells and between nerve and muscle cells. Growing axons of nerve cells are guided to their targets by signposts expressed on the surface ...

Genetics

Disease gene discovered for frequent epilepsy in childhood

More than 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, with a third of these being children. The most common forms of epilepsy in children occur without any apparent trigger and only affect certain regions of the brain. This ...

Medical research

Inactivation of taste genes causes male sterility

Scientists from the Monell Center report the surprising finding that two proteins involved in oral taste detection also play a crucial role in sperm development.

Medical research

A path to lower-risk painkillers

For patients managing cancer and other chronic health issues, painkillers such as morphine and Vicodin are often essential for pain relief. The body's natural tendency to develop tolerance to these medications, however, often ...

Medical research

Study uses Botox to find new wrinkle in brain communication

National Institutes of Health researchers used the popular anti-wrinkle agent Botox to discover a new and important role for a group of molecules that nerve cells use to quickly send messages. This novel role for the molecules, ...

Medical research

Moving cells with light holds medical promise

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown they can coax cells to move toward a beam of light. The feat is a first step toward manipulating cells to control insulin secretion or heart rate ...

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