What is myasthenia gravis, the rare disease tennis great Monica Seles lives with?
Former tennis star Monica Seles recently revealed she is living with the rare disease myasthenia gravis, which affects 12 in 100,000 people globally.
Neuroscience
Nerve injuries can affect the entire immune system, study finds
Nerve injuries can have long-lasting effects on the immune system that appear to differ between males and females, according to preclinical research from McGill University.
Chemotherapy nerve damage linked to immune cell stress pathway activation
Scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in collaboration with researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, have made a breakthrough in understanding why many cancer patients develop nerve damage after chemotherapy. Their new study reveals th…
How multiple sclerosis harms a brain long before symptoms appear
By the time patients start seeking care for multiple sclerosis (MS), the disease has already been damaging their brains for years. But until recently, scientists didn’t understand which brain cells were being targeted or when the injury began.
Immune cell subtype in multiple sclerosis patients may enable targeted treatment
Multiple sclerosis, which affects around one in 500 people in Switzerland, is an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack the central nervous system, causing irreversible damage. Current treatments involve blocking the immune system to prevent i…
Tiny treatment system helps fight back against neuroinflammation in the brain
Neuroinflammation is linked to a host of detrimental brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. A collaborative research team from Houston Methodist and Rice University has developed a way to fight back with a tiny, bioengineered s…
These cells have hidden powers that could heal brain injuries
Healing from any injury involves a delicate balance between scarring and inflammation—two processes that can wreak havoc as well as make repairs.
Immune molecule long tied to inflammation may benefit the aging brain
Inflammation in the brain is usually seen as harmful in the aging process—it’s thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia. But a new study in mice suggests that inflammation, led by an immune molecule called STING (stimulator of interferon genes…
Can immune cells stave off devastating neurodegenerative diseases? Scientists aim to find out
An evolving form of therapy to treat devastating neurodegenerative disorders by injecting fresh immune cells—microglia—directly into the brain, promises a new lease on health by slowing the progression of mind-robbing conditions.
Replacing brain immune cells in mice slows neurodegeneration: Technique may help with diseases like Alzheimer’s
Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases, genetic disorders affecting the brain, have no effective treatment and are typically fatal within the first years of life.