Category archives: Neurobiology

Young blood and old brain rejuvenation

Young blood and old brain rejuvenation

Neurobiology

By Jaime de Juan Sanz

We all have heard stories about young blood-consuming vampires remaining eternally youthful. Although lots of literary fictions have become true with scientific progress, no one would ever believe that young blood could have rejuvenative effects on the elderly. Surprisingly, this is recently becoming true with the increasing evidence in biomedical research showing that old mice […]

Alzheimer’s disease: 3D culture system brings hope to drug discovery

Alzheimer’s disease: 3D culture system brings hope to drug discovery

NeurobiologyNeuroscience

By Raúl Delgado-Morales

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most devastating human pathologies. AD is the leading cause of age-related dementia and currently afflicts more than 44 million persons worldwide (World Alzheimer Report 2014). It is characterized by a cognitive decline and memory loss and by the appearance of two pathological hallmarks: beta amyloid plaques and cytoskeletal […]

A new type of spontaneous activity in the brain identified

A new type of spontaneous activity in the brain identified

NeurobiologyNeuroscience

By Jorge Mejías

The study of the spontaneous activity in the brain –and its origin– is one of the major puzzles in modern neural science. In many situations, the same neurons which behave smoothly and in an easily predictable way in in vitro experimental conditions, turn into unpredictable units, firing spikes irregularly and even chaotically, when they are […]

Grasshopper mouse mighty powers against evil bark scorpion: a molecular tale

Grasshopper mouse mighty powers against evil bark scorpion: a molecular tale

BiochemistryBiomedicineMolecular biologyNeurobiology

By Sergio Laínez

Natural selection has been sculpturing living organisms for millions of years, enabling them to get adapted to an ever-changing environment. Gradually, certain traits are selected over others based on the advantage they confer to the population. Natural selection is not a random process and it relies on genetic variation. Random mutations serve as the substrate […]

Chasing painful channels

Chasing painful channels

Neurobiology

By Sergio Laínez

Most people have experienced how does it feel when dipping a finger into boiling water or swallowing while having tonsil inflammation. Pain may be annoying, but it is an essential protective mechanism because it warns us against potential tissue damage. This necessary role in survival is illustrated by the shortened life expectancy seen in individuals […]