RNA Molecule Is Behind Behavior Changes Cued by Environment
Quick changes in behavior, in worms, at least, can be triggered by a unique form of the molecule RNA acting within the nucleus of a cell, researchers at UCSF have discovered.
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Cocaine Use Leads to Rapid Growth of New Mouse Brain Structures
Mice given cocaine showed rapid growth in new brain structures associated with learning and memory, according to a research team from the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UCSF.
Effects of Parkinson’s Disease Mutation Reversed in Cells
UCSF scientists working in the lab used a chemical found in an anti-wrinkle cream to prevent the death of nerve cells damaged by mutations that cause an inherited form of Parkinson’s disease.
Global Team Identifies New Genes Behind Severe Childhood Epilepsy
An international study on epilepsy has uncovered 25 new mutations on nine key genes that could pave the way to develop precise therapies for a devastating form of the disorder during childhood.
Failure to Destroy Toxic Protein, Not Buildup of Protein Itself, Contributes to Progression of Huntington’s Disease
Scientists at the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institutes have discovered that the progression of neurodegenerative disease is not due to the buildup of brain toxins itself, but rather in the individual neurons’ ability to dissolve them.
Breakthrough Study Reveals Biological Basis for Sensory Processing Disorders in Kids
Sensory processing disorders are more prevalent in children than autism. In a groundbreaking new study, UCSF researchers have for the first time shown a biological basis for the disease in the brain structure.
High-Resolution Mapping Technique Uncovers Underlying Circuit Architecture of the Brain
Using an innovative brain-tracing technique, scientists have found a way to untangle the complex connections that influence specific brain functions.
Researchers Discover How Fruit Flies Know to Mate with Their Own Species
A UCSF-led team has discovered a sensory system in the foreleg of the male fruit fly that answers a central problem in evolution that is poorly understood: how animals of one species know not to mate with animals of other species.
Absence of Gene Leads to Earlier, More Severe Case of Multiple Sclerosis
A UCSF-led research team has identified the likely genetic mechanism that causes some patients with multiple sclerosis to quickly progress to a debilitating stage of the disease while other patients progress much more slowly.
Genes Involved in Birth Defects May Also Lead to Mental Illness
Gene mutations that lead to major birth defects may also cause subtle disruptions in the brain that contribute to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder, according to new research by UCSF scientists.
Human Brain Cells Developed in Lab, Grow in Mice
A key type of human brain cell developed in the laboratory grows seamlessly when transplanted into the brains of mice, UCSF researchers have found.
Epilepsy Cured in Mice Using Brain Cells
Epilepsy that does not respond to drugs can be halted in adult mice by transplanting a specific type of cell into the brain, UCSF researchers have discovered, raising hope that a similar treatment might work in severe forms of human epilepsy.
New Brain Cancer Treatment May be More Effective, Less Toxic
A Phase 2 clinical trial testing a new protocol for treating a relatively rare form of brain cancer, primary CNS lymphoma, may change the standard of care for this disease, according to UCSF doctors who led the research.
Secrets of Human Speech Uncovered
<p>A team of researchers at UCSF has uncovered the neurological basis of speech motor control, the complex coordinated activity of tiny brain regions that controls our lips, jaw, tongue and larynx as we speak.</p>
Identity Theft: The Destructive Course of Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia
William Seeley maps the path of frontotemporal dementia through the brain, correlating specific damage with behavioral change. By studying the disease from self to circuits to cells, this visionary neurologist searches for inroads to treatment.
