Researchers have shown in mice how immune cells in the brain target and remove unused connections between brain cells during normal development. This research, supported by the National Institutes of Health, sheds light on how brain activity influences brain development, and highlights the newly found importance of the immune system in how the brain is wired, as well as how the brain forms new connections throughout life in response to change.

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  1. Medicare, Study of MicroRNA, Helps NIH Scientists, Unlock Secrets of Immune Cells With the rapid and continuous advances in biotechnology, scientists are better able to see inside the nucleus of a cell to unlock the secrets of its genetic material. However, what happens outside of the nucleus has, in many ways, remained a mystery. Now, researchers with the National Institutes of Health are closer to understanding how […]...
  2. Scientists Identify Brain Circuits Related to the Initiation and Termination of Movement Sequences in NIH-Supported Study In humans, throwing a ball, typing on a keyboard, or engaging in most other physical activities involves the coordination of numerous discrete movements that are organized as action sequences. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health and the Gulbenkian Institute in Portugal have identified brain activity in mice that can signal the initiation and termination […]...
  3. Scientists find approach to enhance and prolong immune attack against tumor cells Investigators have identified a new class of human immune cells that behave like stem cells. These cells, a subtype of T lymphocytes, which comprise a small fraction of white blood cells, may prove more effective than any previously reported type of T cell for treating tumors. The study, by scientists at the National Cancer Institute […]...
  4. Medicare Mouse study shows effect of blood pressure drug on Alzheimer’s disease A drug used decades ago to treat high blood pressure has been shown to improve learning and memory in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study found that the drug, diazoxide, acted on nerve […]...
  5. Study identifies gene that suppresses cell’s immune activation A new study of prostate tumors has shown that a gene, FOXO3, suppresses activation of cells related to immunity and thus leads to a reduced immune response against a growing cancer. One of the main problems in treating cancer by vaccine or immunotherapy is that tumors often evade the body’s immune response — and one […]...
  6. Researchers develop mouse with ‘off switch’ in key brain cell population NIH-funded scientists have developed a strain of mice with a built-in off switch that can selectively shut down the animals’ serotonin-producing cells, which make up a brain network controlling breathing, temperature regulation, and mood. The switch controls only the serotonin-producing cells, and does not affect any other cells in the animal’s brains or bodies....
  7. Funded study shows pre-birth brain growth problems linked to autism Children with autism have more brain cells and heavier brains compared to typically developing children, according to researchers partly funded by the National Institutes of Health....
  8. Medicare, NIH-Supported Study, Looks for Earliest Changes, in the Brain That May Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease Volunteers are being sought for a clinical study examining the subtle changes that may take place in the brains of older people many years before overt symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appear. Researchers are looking for people with the very earliest complaints of memory problems that affect their daily activities. The study will follow participants over […]...
  9. NIH-funded study shows early brain effects of HIV in mouse model A new mouse model closely resembles how the human body reacts to early HIV infection and is shedding light on nerve cell damage related to the disease, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health....
  10. Researchers trace early journey of modulating cells in brain Key cells in the brain region known as the hippocampus are formed in the base of the brain late in fetal life and undertake a long journey before reaching their final destination in the center of the brain shortly after birth, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health....
  11. Medicare: Researchers produce detailed map of gene activity in mouse brain A new atlas of gene expression in the mouse brain provides insight into how genes work in the outer part of the brain called the cerebral cortex. In humans, the cerebral cortex is the largest part of the brain, and the region responsible for memory, sensory perception and language....
  12. MedicareCard.com, Experimental Immune, Boosting Drug Worsens TB in Mice An experimental drug that boosts production of the immune system protein interferon worsens tuberculosis (TB) in mice, according to scientists from the National Institutes of Health. The drug acts indirectly by drawing certain immune cells, in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) bacteria thrive, to the lungs. The findings may have potential implications for the care of people infected with TB, the authors note. The research is reported in the May 3 issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation, now available online....
  13. Study shows 32 million Americans have autoantibodies that target their own tissues More than 32 million people in the United States have auto antibodies, which are proteins made by the immune system that target the body’s tissues and define a condition known as autoimmunity, a study shows....
  14. Medicare, Novel Therapeutic Approach, Shows Promise Against Multiple Bacterial Pathogens A team of scientists from government, academia and private industry has developed a novel treatment that protects mice from infection with the bacterium that causes tularemia, a highly infectious disease of rodents, sometimes transmitted to people, and also known as rabbit fever. In additional experiments with human immune cells, the treatment also demonstrated protection against […]...
  15. Brain electrical activity spurs insulation of brain’s wiring Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered in mice a molecular trigger that initiates myelination, the process by which brain cell networks are reinforced with an insulating material called myelin that speeds their ability to transmit messages....