News & Commentaries

Philadelphia, PA, USA – It was once believed that mammals were born with the entire supply of neurons they would have for a lifetime. However, over the past few decades, neuroscientists have found that at least two brain regions – the centers of the sense of smell and the hippocampus, the seat of learning and memory – grow new neurons throughout life. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have shown, in mice, that one type of stem cell that makes adult neurons is the source of this lifetime stock of new cells in the hippocampus. Published in Cell, these findings may help neuroscientists figure out how to maintain youthful conditions for learning and memory, and repair and regenerate parts of the brain after injury and aging.

Birmingham, AL, USA – Most patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia can be treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These drugs are highly effective and lead to deep remission and prolonged survival. Yet quiescent leukemic stem cells persist in these patients, and they therefore must continue inhibitor treatment to maintain remission.

Washington, DC, USA – According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half of all Americans will have periodontal disease at some point in their lives. Characterized by inflamed gums and bone loss around teeth, the condition can cause bad breath, toothache, tender gums and, in severe cases, tooth loss. Now, in ACS Nano, researchers report development of a membrane that helps periodontal tissue regenerate when implanted into the gums of rats.

New York, NY, USA – Increases in chronic inflammation – not the passage of time – is the main reason why injured bones do not heal as well with age. This is the finding of a study in mice and humans published online March 18, 2019 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.