blood brain barrier
Researchers find reduced levels of an important neurotransmitter in MS
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have shown for the first time that damage to a particular area of the brain and a consequent reduction in noradrenaline are associated with multiple sclerosis.
The study is available online in t…
Hope for stroke victims
Much of the devastation of stroke and head trauma is due to damage caused the overproduction of a substance in the brain called glutamate. Preventing this damage has been impossible, until now, as many drugs don’t cross the so-called blood-brain bar…
Targeted particle fools brain’s guardian to reach tumors
HOUSTON — A targeted delivery combination selectively crosses the tight barrier that protects the brain from the bloodstream to home in on and bind to brain tumors, a research team led by scientists from The University of Texas MD Anderson Ca…
Drug reduces the increase in fear caused by previous traumatic experiences in mice
Mice previously exposed to traumatic situations demonstrate a more persistent memory of fear conditioning – acquired by associating an acoustic stimulus with an aversive stimulus – and lack the ability to inhibit this fear. This phenomenon is simila…
The pericyte becomes a player in Alzheimer’s, other diseases
Cells in the brain called pericytes that have not been high on the list of targets for treating diseases like Alzheimer’s may play a more crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases than has been realized.
The findings, published…
Trojan Horse ploy to sneak protective drug into brains of stroke patients
Scientists are reporting development of a long-sought method with the potential for getting medication through a biological barrier that surrounds the brain, where it may limit the brain damage caused by stroke. Their approach for sneaking the nerve…
Brain bleeding is common with aging, UCI study finds
Irvine, Calif., Nov. 8, 2010 — A small amount of bleeding in the brain seems to be common among older individuals, according to a UC Irvine study.
Neurologist Dr. Mark Fisher and neuropathologist Dr. Ronald Kim found that cerebral microbleeds a…
Key to blood-brain barrier opens way for treating Alzheimer’s and stroke
While the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from harmful chemicals occurring naturally in the blood, it also obstructs the transport of drugs to the brain. In an article in Nature scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska In…