An increase in high-fat, high-fructose foods in people’s diets has contributed to a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes. This, in turn, has led to an increase in peripheral neuropathy—nerve damage, typically in the hands and feet—that causes weakness,…
The brain of humans and other animals is known to contribute to the protection of the body from infections. Past studies have unveiled the existence of the so-called conditioned immune response (CIR), which is a form of Pavlovian conditioning that enta…
Immune cells called regulatory T cells have long been known for their role in countering inflammation. In the setting of infection, these so-called Tregs restrain the immune system to ensure it doesn’t go into overdrive and mistakenly attack the body’s…
Inflammation is triggered by the immune system and is part of the body’s natural response to injuries or disease. However, abnormal inflammation has recently been established as a hallmark for pathologies that were previously not inherently considered …
A collision happens. Someone is hurt, a head injury, a concussion. Just as the first responders arrive to help the person, inside the brain, another “crew” of responders is busy clearing debris and repairing injured tissue.
Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a key molecule involved in inflammation and plays an important role in both healthy and diseased states. In disease, high levels of IL-1 in the brain are linked to neuroinflammation, which can disrupt the body’s stress response,…
The brain constantly engages in dialogue with the body’s immune system. Such communication appears aimed at ensuring a delicate balance between defending against injury and infection and guarding healthy tissue.
Few autoimmune disorders are more challenging for patients than multiple sclerosis, a progressive condition that can affect vision, impair the ability to walk, cause extreme bouts of neuropathic pain, and tends to strike women at three times the rate o…
A collaborative effort between engineers and biologists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has uncovered a neuroprotective mechanism in spinal cord injury (SCI), shedding new light on therapeutic approaches to potentially ben…
A study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity reports the findings of a study by researchers based in Brazil, the United States and South Korea who set out to understand how viral infections cause pain and to contribute to the search f…
