News tagged with neurodegenerative diseases

Silk moth's antenna inspires new nanotech tool with applications in Alzheimer's research

By mimicking the structure of the silk moth's antenna, University of Michigan researchers led the development of a better nanopore---a tiny tunnel-shaped tool that could advance understanding of a class of ...

Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine

created Feb 28, 2011 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists find a key to maintaining our DNA

DNA contains all of the genetic instructions that make us who we are, and maintaining the integrity of our DNA over the course of a lifetime is a critical, yet complex part of the aging process. In an important, albeit early ...

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Mar 18, 2011 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (12) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Researchers engineer adult stem cells that do not age

(PhysOrg.com) -- Biomedical researchers at the University at Buffalo have engineered adult stem cells that scientists can grow continuously in culture, a discovery that could speed development of cost-effective treatments ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Sep 22, 2010 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (16) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

Genome of marine organism reveals hidden secrets

An international team of researchers led by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has deciphered the genome of a tropical marine organism known to produce substances potentially ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created May 09, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists solve long-standing mystery of protein 'quality control' mechanism

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have solved a long-standing mystery of how cells conduct "quality control" to eliminate the toxic effects of a certain kind of error in protein production. The findings may lead ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Sep 12, 2010 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (8) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

Molecular mechanism triggering Parkinson's disease identified

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a molecular pathway responsible for the death of key nerve cells whose loss causes Parkinson's disease. This discovery not only may explain how a genetic ...

Medicine & Health / Medical research

created Jul 28, 2010 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 6 | with audio podcast

Red wine, fruit compound could help block fat cell formation

(PhysOrg.com) -- A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential ...

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Apr 04, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

How cells running on empty trigger fuel recycling

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered how AMPK, a metabolic master switch that springs into gear when cells run low on energy, revs up a cellular recycling program to free ...

Medicine & Health / Medical research

created Dec 23, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Seeking superior stem cells: 100-fold increase in efficiency in reprogramming human cells to induced stem cells

Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have today announced a new technique to reprogramme human cells, such as skin cells, into stem cells. Their process increases the efficiency of cell reprogramming by one ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Oct 10, 2011 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (8) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

URI scientist discovers 54 beneficial compounds in pure maple syrup

University of Rhode Island researcher Navindra Seeram has discovered 34 new beneficial compounds in pure maple syrup and confirmed that 20 compounds discovered last year in preliminary research play a key role in human health.

Chemistry / Other

created Mar 30, 2011 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (8) | comments 10 | with audio podcast

Scientists shed light on what causes brain cell death in Parkinson's patients

Just 5 percent of Parkinson's disease cases can be explained by genetic mutation, while the rest have no known cause. But a new discovery by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio may begin ...

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Jan 07, 2011 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Cellular stress can induce yeast to promote prion formation

It's a chicken and egg question. Where do the infectious protein particles called prions come from? Essentially clumps of misfolded proteins, prions cause neurodegenerative disorders, such as mad cow/Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Jul 23, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists discover how molecular motors go into 'energy save mode'

The transport system inside living cells is a well-oiled machine with tiny protein motors hauling chromosomes, neurotransmitters and other vital cargo around the cell. These molecular motors are responsible ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Aug 11, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study suggests another avenue for detecting Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have determined that a well-known chemical process called acetylation has a previously unrecognized association with one of the biological processes ...

Medicine & Health / Medical research

created Apr 01, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Huntington's disease breakthrough equals hope for patients

A huge leap forward in understanding Huntington's disease may give patients hope for a cure.

Medicine & Health / Medical research

created Feb 22, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (8) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Neurodegenerative disease

Neurodegenerative disease (Greek νέυρο-, néuro-, "nerval" and Latin dēgenerāre, "to decline" or "to worsen") is a condition in which cells of the brain and spinal cord are lost. The brain and spinal cord are composed of neurons that do different functions such as controlling movements, processing sensory information, and making decisions. Cells of the brain and spinal cord are not readily regenerated en masse, so excessive damage can be devastating. Neurodegenerative diseases result from deterioration of neurons or their myelin sheath which over time will lead to dysfunction and disabilities resulting from this.

Some sources limit the term "degenerative" to conditions primarily affecting gray matter that are not associated with a obvious inciting event.

For more information about Neurodegenerative disease, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Related topics: brain , nerve cells , brain cells , cells , protein