Archive for March 4th, 2013
What are the Brain’s Survival Skills? And Fear beyond the Amygdala
Can scientists use the brain’s inherent survival mechanisms to develop better stroke treatment?
Strokes are a major cause of death and disability worldwide, with 150,000 people affected in the UK every year.
Most strokes happen when a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain is blocked due to blood clots or fat deposits. Once blood is cut off from an area of the brain, brain cells are starved for oxygen and nutrients and start to die within minutes.
A new study in Nature Medicine, scientists at the University of Oxford reveal a novel way in which the brain protects itself in response to stroke.
Ranya Bechara posted on Feb. 27, 2013 “Stroke Vs Brain: Harnessing the Brain’s Survival Skills”
Other ways of protecting the brain against stroke damage are in high demand.
In this study, the research team from Oxford University (in collaboration with other researchers from Greece, Germany, and Canada, and the UK) decided to try a new approach. They investigated a phenomenon that has been known for years: some brain cells have an inherent defence mechanism that allows them to survive when deprived of oxygen.
These cells are located in the part of the brain responsible for forming memories: a pretty sea-horse shaped structure called the hippocampus.
The scientists analysed the proteins produced by these cells and found that the key to their survival is a protein called hamartin. This protein is released by the cells in response to oxygen deprivation, and when its production was supressed, the cells became more vulnerable to the effects of stroke.
Photo credit: http://www.vascularinfo.co.uk
Original article is available here
Fear beyond the Amygdala
Ranya Bechara posted on Feb. 6, 2013
Adonis Diaries 