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Nerve cell labelled with different colours
Psychedelics Slip Past Cell Membranes When Treating Depression
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Feb 24, 2023 | 4 min read
The antidepressant properties of hallucinogenic drugs may stem from their ability to bind to intracellular serotonin receptors, a study suggests.
Artist’s rendition of neural connections, with inactive neurons in the background
Ketamine Flips a “Switch” in Mice’s Brain Circuitry: Study
Andy Carstens | Dec 9, 2022 | 6 min read
After injecting moderate doses of the dissociative anesthetic into the animals, previously “awake” brain cells go dark, and those that had been dormant suddenly light up.
?Sci Philo
Starting with Human Cell Systems 
The Scientist | 1 min read
Xitiz Chamling shares how advances in human stem cell and gene editing technologies fuel his drive for better multiple sclerosis drug screening platforms.
magic mushrooms on a while background
Psilocybin Relieves Some Treatment-Resistant Depression Cases: Trial
Shawna Williams | Nov 3, 2022 | 2 min read
The research has caveats, including side effects and a lack of durability in the benefits of a single dose.
Circular clusters of <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> drift on a blue background.
Retching Mice Reveal the Brain Circuit Behind Vomiting
Katherine Irving | Nov 2, 2022 | 2 min read
The discovery could one day lead to the development of better antinausea medications.
Illustration of light blue neurons with white amyloid plaques accumulating on their axons.
New Alzheimer’s Drug Slows Cognitive Decline in Clinical Trial
Dan Robitzski | Sep 28, 2022 | 2 min read
The Biogen-developed treatment, called lecanemab, appears to have a more clear-cut effect on slowing the disease than the company’s previous Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm.
A 3D rendering of a neuron
Independent FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Approving ALS Drug
Amanda Heidt | Sep 8, 2022 | 4 min read
The group’s 7-2 ruling in favor of the therapeutic represents a shift from previous deliberations, in which data on its effectiveness was deemed insufficient.
A pregnant woman gets her blood pressure checked by a doctor
U.K. Health Authority Investigates Epilepsy Drug’s Link to Autism
Peter Hess, Spectrum | Aug 30, 2022 | 3 min read
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s investigation comes after a study showed prenatal exposure to topiramate roughly triples a child’s likelihood of having autism or intellectual disability.
thin, rubbery-looking band with squiggly black channels running through it
Tiny Nerve-Cooling Implant Relieves Pain in Rats
Shafaq Zia | Jul 1, 2022 | 3 min read
The device can chill nerves as small as a few millimeters across, but more testing and modifications are necessary before it could relieve pain in humans.
A conceptual 3D illustration of motor neurons degrading
Canada Approves Experimental ALS Therapy
Andy Carstens | Jun 14, 2022 | 3 min read
The country’s provisional go-ahead could increase pressure already being exerted on the US Food and Drug Administration to approve the therapy.
3D illustration showing neurons inside the brain
Experimental Pill to Treat Parkinson’s Is Safe, Trial Finds
Andy Carstens | Jun 10, 2022 | 2 min read
Testing in animals and lab-grown cells suggests the experimental drug could enhance the function of lysosomes within cells.
Ramified cells in a lilac background
Could Vitamin Supplementation Help Alzheimer’s Patients?
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Apr 11, 2022 | 8 min read
Niacin, a form of vitamin B3 used to treat cardiovascular disease, helps immune cells in the brain fight neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s in mice models, according to recent studies. Researchers hope that human clinical trials will swiftly follow.
Image of brain cells showing pyramidal neurons in green, astrocytes in red, and microglia in blue
Replacing Microglia Treats Neurodegenerative Disease in Mice
Shawna Williams | Mar 17, 2022 | 2 min read
Researchers find a way to wipe out the brain’s immune cell corps and send in new and improved versions.
Illustration of neurons in white with myelin in blue
Repurposed Drug Reverses Signs of Alzheimer’s in Mice, Human Cells
Jef Akst | Oct 12, 2021 | 2 min read
Researchers say they hope to launch a clinical trial to test bumetanide, a diuretic approved in 2002, but how it might improve neural functioning is unclear.
Brain cells with electrical firing. 3D rendering.
Microglia as Therapeutic Targets in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Sruthi S. Balakrishnan | Oct 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Pharmaceutical companies ramp up efforts to get the brain’s immune cells to help treat Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions, but not everyone agrees the approach will be effective.
two doctors looking at a medical monitor showing electrodes being inserted near a person's spinal cord
Low Frequency Electric Stimulation Can Treat Back Pain: Study
Emma Yasinski | Sep 2, 2021 | 3 min read
Patients in a small trial said their chronic pain improved an average of 90 percent over the course of 15 days, but returned shortly after the electrical stimulation sessions ended.
An artistic rendering of blue neurons against a white background
Participant’s Diagnosis Halts Gene Therapy Clinical Trial
Amanda Heidt | Aug 12, 2021 | 3 min read
The FDA pauses the research program on a lentivirus-based treatment for a rare neurological condition after a patient developed a bone marrow disorder that could presage leukemia.
A stamp with a checkmark and the word FDA approved lying on its side on a white background.
Biogen Defends Newly Approved Alzheimer’s Drug
Jef Akst | Jul 27, 2021 | 3 min read
The US Food and Drug Administration has called for a federal investigation of its own regulatory review process after widespread criticism of its decision on Aduhelm.
Updated
blue and white sign for the entrance to the FDA that says U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration
Biogen’s Alzheimer’s Drug Gets FDA Approval, Mixed Reviews
Kerry Grens | Jun 7, 2021 | 2 min read
A lackluster performance in clinical trials of the monoclonal antibody aducanumab has left some experts unconvinced of its benefit.
A microscopy image of a mouse brain that shows the lymphatic system in bright purple and pink
Brain’s Lymphatic System Tied to Alzheimer’s Symptoms in Mice
Amanda Heidt | May 4, 2021 | 5 min read
A dysfunctional lymphatic system, described as a clogging of the brain’s sink, may explain why immunotherapies fail in some Alzheimer’s patients.
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