Latest Microglia Stories

A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have developed nano-devices that  successfully cross the brain-blood barrier and deliver a drug that tames brain-damaging inflammation in rabbits with cerebral palsy. A report on the experiments, conducted at Wayne State University in collaboration with the Perinatology Research Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, before the lead and senior investigators moved to Johns Hopkins, is published in the...

Microglia are the first line defence of the brain and are constantly looking for infections to fight off. Overactive microglia can cause uncontrolled inflammation within the brain, which can in turn lead to neuronal damage. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Journal of Neuroinflammation shows that, honokiol (HNK) is able to down-regulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory enzymes in activated microglia via Klf4, a protein known to...

Results emphasize immune component of autism spectrum disorder A paper published online today in Nature describes the results of using bone marrow transplant (BMT) to replace faulty immune system cells in models of Rett Syndrome. The procedure arrested many severe symptoms of the childhood disorder, including abnormal breathing and movement, and significantly extended the lifespan of Rett mouse models. Exploring the function of microglia deficient in methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (Mecp2),...

Results Emphasize Immune Component of Autism Spectrum Disorder TRUMBULL, Conn., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A paper published online in Nature describes the results of using bone marrow transplant (BMT) to replace faulty immune system cells in models of Rett Syndrome. The procedure arrested many severe symptoms of the childhood disorder, including abnormal breathing and movement, and significantly extended the lifespan of Rett mouse models. Exploring the function of...

(Ivanhoe Newswire)— Pill for spinal injury? A new study shows an oral drug that has shown promise in trials for human multiple sclerosis, significantly improves locomotor recovery in mice with spinal cord injury (SCI). Researchers uncover how a new pill that has shown positive results in mice with multiple sclerosis suffering from deterioration of the spinal cord, may help humans. Aside from the initial tissue damage, a great deal of the degradation of the spinal cord in SCI is the...

Results reported in the American Journal of Pathology A new study suggests that administering FTY720, an oral drug that has shown promise in trials for human multiple sclerosis, significantly improves locomotor recovery in mice with spinal cord injury (SCI). The research suggests a possible new avenue to counteract the degeneration of the spinal cord in human SCI. The study will be published in the April 2012 issue of The American Journal of Pathology. Beyond the initial tissue damage,...

Bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDCs) have been recognized as a source for transplantation because they can contribute to different cell populations in a variety of organs under both normal and pathological conditions. Many BMDC studies have been aimed at repairing damaged brain tissue or helping to restore lost neural function, with much research focused on BMDC transplants to the cerebellum at the back of the brain. In a recent study, a research team from Spain has found that BMDCs, can...

Research at Wayne State University, Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins offers potential treatment for macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa Hitching a ride into the retina on nanoparticles called dendrimers offers a new way to treat age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. A collaborative research study among investigators at Wayne State University, the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that steroids attached to the dendrimers targeted the damage-causing...

Research at Wayne State University, Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins offers potential treatment for macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa DETROIT, Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hitching a ride into the retina on nanoparticles called dendrimers offers a new way to treat age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. A collaborative research study among investigators at Wayne State University, the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that steroids...

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – According to a recent study, two proteins conspire to promote a lethal neurological disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in progressing loss of motor function and ultimately death. More than 90 percent of ALS cases have no known genetic cause or family history. However, in some patients, spinal cord cells contain unusual accumulations of a protein called TDP-43. Jean-Pierre...