Tag

Neuroinflammation

All articles tagged with #neuroinflammation

health-and-science12 hours ago•20 min saved

Creatine May Shield Hippocampal Neurons from Gut Inflammation in Male Rats

A new study in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity finds that creatine supplementation prevents brain inflammation and neuronal damage in rats with chronic colitis. The protective effects were most pronounced in males, who suffered significant hippocampal cell loss and electrical dysfunction, while females remained largely unaffected at the cellular level. Although creatine is known as a workout supplement, it acts as a cellular energy reserve that may buffer the brain against inflammatory signals from the gut. The findings suggest a potential neuroprotective role for creatine in gut-related brain changes, though the study was conducted in rats and does not confirm efficacy in humans.

via PsyPost|

#creatine #gut-brain-axis #health-and-science

health26 days ago•3 min saved

Decade-long Japanese study links severe gum disease to 61% higher Alzheimer's risk

A ten-year observational study of nearly 1,400 adults in Japan found that individuals with the most severe gum bleeding and receding gums had a 61% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and a 56% higher risk of all-cause dementia compared to those with the least gum issues. Published in The Journal of Clinical Periodontology, the research suggests that chronic oral inflammation may contribute to neurodegeneration, though it does not prove causation. While the findings highlight a potential link between periodontal health and brain function, experts note that the study's observational nature and limited sample size for specific dementia types require further validation in diverse populations.

via ScienceAlert|

#alzheimers-disease #dementia #health

science27 days ago•3 min saved

Placental Nasal Spray Reduces Alzheimer's Markers in Mice

A new study in mice shows that a nasal spray containing extracellular vesicles derived from human placental tissue can reduce neuroinflammation and improve cognitive performance in animals engineered to develop Alzheimer's disease. The treatment, administered twice weekly for six months, significantly lowered amyloid-beta deposits and restored neuroplasticity-related proteins, though it did not affect tau phosphorylation. While the results are promising, researchers emphasize that these are preclinical findings and do not yet constitute a human therapy.

via ScienceAlert|

#alzheimers-disease #extracellular-vesicles #neuroinflammation

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Skull Bone Marrow Linked to Chronic Pain Through Immune Signaling

A Harvard-led study in Science Translational Medicine found elevated TSPO levels in skull bone marrow that correlate with chronic pain. PET/MRI scans showed higher TSPO signals across skull regions in chronic pain patients (especially knee pain) and greater reported pain impact, with postmortem skull tissue from a chronic pain donor showing more TSPO-positive cells. The results suggest skull bone marrow participates in neuroimmune signaling tied to pain, offering a potential therapeutic target, though causality remains unproven and further research is needed.

via ScienceAlert|

#chronic-pain #neuroinflammation #science

health1 month ago•17 min saved

Peripheral Immune Signals Drive Alzheimer's Brain Damage, Study Finds

In a mouse model of Alzheimer's, researchers found that immune cells outside the brain, specifically dendritic cells in peripheral lymph nodes, activate T cells that accumulate in the brain and drive inflammation and neurodegeneration. When the researchers blocked these peripheral dendritic cells, brain T cell levels dropped and cognitive function improved, even though tau pathology remained. The findings suggest a systemic, body-wide trigger for Alzheimer's, raising the possibility of targeting lymph nodes to treat or delay disease, though human relevance still needs confirmation and the exact triggers remain unknown.

via Gizmodo|

#alzheimers-disease #dendritic-cells #health

health1 month ago•5 min saved

Midlife brain-immune shift linked to higher dementia risk

A study of postmortem hippocampus tissue from 40 adults suggests that after about age 50 the brain’s resident immune cells (microglia) are increasingly replaced by blood-derived immune cells carrying stronger inflammatory signals, potentially driving neuroinflammation and dementia risk. The researchers also reported deterioration of blood-brain barrier–related cells and DNA/gene activity changes. While the findings hint at new therapeutic directions, the study’s small sample size and postmortem design mean it cannot establish causation or guide lifestyle changes.

via New York Post|

#aging #alzheimers-disease #brain

health1 month ago•6 min saved

Midlife brain-immune shift linked to dementia risk

New research finds that around age 50 the brain’s protective microglia decline and are replaced by inflammatory cells from the blood, a shift that may raise dementia risk, including Alzheimer’s, and is accompanied by deterioration of the blood–brain barrier and widespread DNA/gene changes. The study analyzed postmortem hippocampal tissue from 40 adults across ages 20–95, a small, early-stage look that cannot prove causation but suggests a possible mechanism and potential for blood-derived immune cells to be targeted for future therapies. The work, funded by NIH and published in Science, highlights variability in brain aging and the need for further research into triggers and modifiers of this immune-cell replacement.

via Fox News|

#alzheimers #blood-brain-barrier #brain-aging

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Youthful TIMP2 Revives Brain Microglia Function in Mice

A youth-associated protein TIMP2 helps brain-resident immune cells (microglia) maintain debris-clearing function and limit inflammatory aging. In aging mice, removing TIMP2 causes microglia to adopt aging-like traits and higher inflammatory signals; conversely, systemic TIMP2 administration improves debris clearance and reduces inflammatory markers, suggesting youth factors can influence brain aging and may inform strategies for neurodegenerative diseases, though human relevance remains to be tested.

via SciTechDaily|

#aging #brain-health #microglia

mental-health1 month ago•26 min saved

Caffeine May Quiet Brain Inflammation to Ease Mood Symptoms in Rodent Studies

A systematic review of 17 rodent studies finds caffeine consistently reduces brain inflammation and anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors, likely via blocking A2A adenosine receptors on microglia and astrocytes; while promising, the results come from animal models and human relevance, dosing, and safety remain uncertain.

via PsyPost|

#anxiety #caffeine #depression

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Youthful TIMP2 Rejuvenates Aging Brain Microglia

The youth-associated protein TIMP2 is essential for healthy microglia; its loss ages microglia and impairs debris clearance, while systemic TIMP2 treatment in aged mice reduces inflammation and restores waste-clearing function, suggesting a potential therapeutic pathway for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

via Neuroscience News|

#aging #microglia #neurodegeneration

health2 months ago•160 min saved

Virus, Brain, and Battle: A Family’s PANS Journey

A Canadian family documents their 8-year-old daughter’s abrupt, virus-triggered neuropsychiatric decline, leading to a diagnosis of PANS (pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome). Facing medical skepticism, they pursue evidence-based and experimental treatments—including antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and ultimately IVIG—along with cross-border care and insurance hurdles. The story underscores ongoing medical debate, the cost of care, and relentless advocacy by families seeking recognition and access to effective treatment.

via The Cut|

#autoimmune #health #ivig

science2 months ago•5 min saved

Blocking Brain Immune Cells Restores Sleep in Alzheimer’s-Model Mice

Researchers at the University of Kentucky found that sleep disruption in Alzheimer’s-model mice is driven by microglia-driven inflammation rather than amyloid plaques. When microglial activity was blocked, the mice gained about two extra hours of restorative sleep per night, although plaque levels did not change. This suggests that calming microglia could improve sleep and potentially slow disease progression, but the findings are currently limited to animal models.

via ScienceAlert|

#alzheimers-disease #amyloid-beta #microglia

science2 months ago•5 min saved

Fat Geography Ties to Brain Aging, Large Multimodal Study Finds

A large multimodal study using UK Biobank data (18,000+ participants) links where fat is stored to brain aging: visceral adipose tissue around organs correlates with white-matter damage and faster brain aging via inflammatory and insulin–glucose pathways, while fat in arms, legs, or trunk shows different brain-system effects. BMI alone misses these risks. The findings suggest reducing visceral fat through targeted lifestyle changes could help prevent neurodegenerative disease, but the study is observational and cannot prove causality; published in Nature Mental Health (2025).

via ScienceAlert|

#brain-aging #fat-distribution #neuroinflammation

science4 months ago•29 min saved

Unabsorbed fructose may fuel anxiety via gut-brain inflammation

New multi-part research links unabsorbed dietary fructose to increased anxiety indicators and brain inflammation. In a healthy male cohort, breath tests showed about 60% had fructose malabsorption; those individuals had higher inflammatory proteins, more bacterial toxins in blood, and distinct gut bacteria, with anxiety scores elevated though not clinically diagnostic. In a mouse model lacking the intestinal fructose transporter, a 5% fructose diet induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and strong microglial inflammatory responses, alongside significant gut microbiome shifts. Limitations include male-only participants and observational human data; the findings suggest fructose malabsorption could trigger gut-driven immune signals that affect the brain, warranting trials on fructose-free diets or anti-inflammatory approaches to mood disorders.

via PsyPost|

#anxiety #fructose-malabsorption #gut-brain-axis

health-and-medicine4 months ago•7 min saved

Nitrosylation Switch in STING Drives Alzheimer’s Brain Inflammation, Study Finds

Researchers at Scripps Research identified a chemical change known as S-nitrosylation of the STING protein at cysteine 148 that pushes brain immune cells into chronic inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease. Blocking this modification in a mouse model reduced neuroinflammation and protected synapses, and the same pathway was observed in human Alzheimer’s brain tissue and stem-cell models, suggesting a targeted therapy that quiets harmful inflammation without suppressing normal immunity. The team plans preclinical testing of small molecules to block cysteine 148.

via ScienceDaily|

#alzheimers-disease #cysteine-148 #health-and-medicine