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Nervous System

Fish trip. Figure: The knowledge site using DALEE. The image is for illustration only and should not be considered a scientific image

Fish trip

The institute's scientists have developed a method for detecting the neurological effects of psychedelic drugs. Middle: Zebrafish on hallucinogenic mushrooms. The goal: to pave the way for more effective treatments for depression and other mood disorders
Cut in a fetal body. Courtesy of the researchers

How - and where - does a disease begin?

Researchers discovered which genes are required for each stage of cell differentiation into neural stem cells and neurons, i.e. for brain development, and which of them are involved in diseases of the nervous system
Nerves. Credit: Mahmoud Ali-Saleh

A mechanism has been discovered that causes sleep apnea in sick children

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One of the diseases resulting from such mutations in the PHOX2B gene is the disease CCHS. This is a rare and life-threatening syndrome in which babies, children and adults stop breathing as soon as they fall asleep. The patients must be connected to ventilators in order not to die in their sleep
Pain. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Pain on the spectrum

A multidisciplinary study conducted by researchers from the Technion, Tel Aviv University and Haifa University refuted the notion that people with autism spectrum disorder do not experience pain
neurons. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The genetic phenomenon that worsens the signs of autism

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The molecule that carries with it a message of regeneration You are here Homepage > Publications > Science news in a friendly language > There is something new under the nerve Share tags Michael Feinzilbermike Feinzilber molecular neurobiology biomolecular sciences nervous system nerve cells communication between nerve cells Like geckos regrowing their tails, the nerve cell extensions in the peripheral nervous system also know how to regenerate after an injury. Unfortunately, the nerve cells of the central nervous system, i.e. the brain and spinal cord, have a much more limited ability to regenerate. Accordingly, diseases that lead to the degeneration and death of nerve cells in the brain, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS, are irreversible and incurable. What exactly gives the peripheral system - the one that connects the brain and the spinal cord to the body's organs - an increased capacity for regeneration? A new study by Weizmann Institute of Science scientists reveals that a protein, which until now has only been observed during embryonic development, has a key role in the regeneration of mature nerve cells of the peripheral nervous system. When embryonic cells differentiate into adult cells, the composition of the proteins they produce changes. In the case of nerve cells, it was common to think that a decrease in the levels of a protein called PTBP1 in embryonic cells is a key part of their transformation into mature cells of the nervous system. Previous studies have even shown that upon completion of the differentiation process and the transformation of the embryonic cells into mature nerve cells of the central nervous system, the production of the protein stops altogether. In recent years, these findings have led research groups to try to reproduce this process in the laboratory: to lower the PTBP1 protein levels in cells that are not nerve cells and thus produce mature nerve cells from them. The hope was that it would be possible to apply this method to patients with neurodegenerative diseases and to produce new nerve cells for them. From the right: Dr. Rinat Nebo, Dr. Natalya Okladnikov, Dr. Agustina Di Physio, Philip Freund, Dr. Ida Rischel, Prof. Michael (Mike) Feinzilber and Pierluigi Di Matteo However, in a new study, led by the researcher PhD candidate Dr. Stephanie Alber and doctoral student Pierluigi Di Matteo from the research group of Prof. Michael (Mike) Feinzylver in the Departments of Biomolecular Sciences and Molecular Neurobiology at the institute, it was surprisingly discovered that the PTBP1 protein is expressed not only in embryonic cells that have not yet undergone differentiation, but also in mature nerve cells - although not nerve cells of the central nervous system, but yes of the peripheral one. The researchers discovered this completely by accident, while studying processes in the sciatic nerve of mice, nerves that leave the spine and reach the foot. The original experiment carried out by the researchers was aimed at finding molecules that regulate the rate of production of another protein called KPNB1 - "postcarriage" - responsible for carrying most of the messages transmitted from the distant extensions of the nerve cells to the cell nucleus. Among its other functions, the KPNB1 protein is responsible for signaling to the cell nucleus that a nerve branch is injured, so that the cell can regenerate it. However, before the mail car can set off and carry messages from the branches to the nucleus, the cell is required to launch messenger RNA molecules that contain the "recipe" for the production of the mail car in the opposite path (from the nucleus to the branches). On the way or when arriving at the destination, other molecules may bind to the messenger, delaying or speeding it up and thus controlling the rate of production of the mail car. The surprising discovery in the new study was that not only was PTBP1 present in the mature cells, but it also bound tightly to the messenger RNA of the mail car. But does and how does it affect its production and the regeneration of nerve cells? "Tens of millions of people around the world suffer from diseases that lead to the degeneration and death of nerve cells in the brain. In order to understand why the central nervous system fails in its attempt to regenerate after an injury, we must first understand how the peripheral nervous system succeeds in doing so." To answer this question, the scientists followed the nerve cells' response to the injury and noticed that after three days the levels of PTBP1 in the cell began to rise and within A week they reached record levels. With the increase in PTBP1 levels, the researchers noticed that the nerve cell extensions begin to regenerate. Sequencing the messenger RNA molecules that bound to PTBP1 after the injury revealed that the protein binds not only to the messenger RNA molecules of the mail car, but also to other proteins that play a role in nerve regeneration. Dr. Stephanie Alber To continue investigating the activity of PTBP1 in adult cells, the researchers removed it from the cells through genetic engineering, and showed that as a result, the regeneration of nerve cells of the "alarm receptor" type - cells whose role is to transmit a sensation of pain in response to a harmful stimulus that could damage the tissue - was impaired. The scientists also examined whether silencing the gene had additional effects and discovered that it increased the sensitivity to mechanical stimuli and heat. In an attempt to deepen the understanding of how PTBP1 affects the regeneration of nerve cells, the researchers examined whether it also affects another protein, RHOA - an important "control switch" in the process of differentiation and regeneration of nerve cells. When the RHOA protein is produced at high levels, it acts as a sort of off switch that inhibits cell growth. The researchers discovered that PTBP1 suppresses the production of the control switch in the extensions of the nerve cells, thus enabling their growth and regeneration. These findings strengthen the possibility that the production of PTBP1 in peripheral nerve cells is what enables their efficient regeneration, unlike in the central nervous system. Sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system in culture.

There is a new one under the sadness

The molecule that carries with it a message of regeneration
Damage to the motor nerves in Duchenne patients. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Improving the function of the heart muscle in Duchenne patients

Producing heart cells from skin cells made it possible to discover defects that lead to heart failure
Fetal Development. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Accelerated development of neurons even in the embryonic stage can be the one that affects the development of autism

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After the accelerated development, a rapid deterioration of the neurons was noted, which was manifested, among other things, in low connectivity. The study found the recurrence of the phenomenon in children with autism originating from four different types of genetic mutations
Illustration of eye-hand connection. Photo: Nitzan Zohar Technion barges

Electricity flows in the palms of your hands: biomedical research findings may lead to new rehabilitation technologies for brain injuries

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The brain's control of subtle movements is based on complex mechanisms that challenge many researchers from different fields. Research conducted at the Technion sheds light on this issue and may lead to the development of innovative, personalized rehabilitation strategies
Diagram showing the neural circuit for sensing danger in the female worms (above), the male worms (center), and the transgenic male worms (below) which adopted female behavior following the creation of a connection between two nerve cells in the circuit

Scientists added only one connection between two nerve cells in worms. This was enough to turn male behavior into female

The research findings illustrate how changing the synapse map may lead to a change in behavior
The silicone sheet as it appears before it is wrapped around the heart or nerve tissue. The colors you see are due to the porosity of the surface - nanoholes that refract and absorb the different wavelengths of light in an inhomogeneous manner, which causes the different colors of the rainbow to appear. Photo: Dr. Hami Rotenberg's laboratory courtesy of the Technion spokesperson

A therapeutic window to the nervous system

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A new material developed by researchers at the Technion and the University of Chicago is expected to optimize medical treatments and accelerate the use of renewable energies
Stability problems in the elderly. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Non-invasive brain stimulation may improve mobility and stability and prevent dangerous falls in the elderly

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The researchers found that weak stimulation of the cognitive area in the brains of the elderly improves performance in a combined activity of walking/standing stable with a cognitive task. The researchers: "This is a very safe treatment, and we hope that in the future people will be able to perform it themselves at home."
neurons. Illustration: depositphotos.com

New insights into the connections between nerve cells in the brain

Dr. Shai Sabah from the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University, one of the leaders of the research published in Neuron: "The popular opinion was that each nerve cell functions as an independent entity. In contrast, we now understand that each of the synapses (junctions through which signals pass between cells) functions independently, meaning that each cell has hundreds or thousands of independent synapses
neurons. Illustration: shutterstock

Research: How "smart" is the nerve cell in our brain?

A new study, conducted by Hebrew University researchers, examined for the first time whether a deep learning network consisting of layers of point-like artificial cells can accurately simulate the complex structure of a single real biological neuron
General anesthesia. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Anesthetics "hijack" brain circuits related to sleep mechanisms

Prof. Orit Shafi from the Faculty of Engineering in Bar Ilan Photo by Chen Demari

Prof. Orit Shafi from Bar Ilan won a grant of one and a half million dollars

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Four universities from around the world are cooperating with the goal of researching the nervous system: from Japan, the USA and Italy. Prof. Orit Shafi from the Faculty of Engineering in Bar Ilan: "It's a great privilege to be chosen out of 700 candidates"
The changes in the sex hormone testosterone in men throughout the year, based on about 130 thousand samples

Four Seasons Hormone

Analysis of millions of Israelis' blood tests reveals hormonal fluctuations affected by the calendar
Confocal microscopy image of peripheral nervous system sensory neurons in culture. Courtesy of the Weizmann Institute

A new approach to the development of chronic pain treatment

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Proof that drugs already approved for other purposes can be used to treat chronic pain sufferers. Since the safety of these compounds has been proven in humans, clinical trials for the new use are already possible in the near future.
Confocal microscopy image of sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system in culture (the cells and their extensions are marked in red). You can see in the neurons a combination of colors (blue-red-green) created as a result of marking the cell nuclei in blue and marking the transcription factor c-Fos in green. The scientists discovered that c-Fos is introduced into the nuclei by means of importin alpha-3 (the blue markings around - nuclei of other types of cells that are also in the culture)

A new approach to the development of chronic pain treatment

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For the first time, the mechanism that creates an electrical pulse in a nerve cell was documented. Prof. Igor Shapiro, Hebrew University

For the first time, the mechanism that creates an electrical pulse in a nerve cell was documented

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Headless Mike, Wikimedia

Things that Yoram knows: Is it possible to live without a head?

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Regrowth of nerve cell extensions surrounded by glial cells (cell nuclei are marked in blue), in the sciatic nerve of a mouse, seven days after injury (top) and 25 days after it (bottom). In mice without Silc1 (left column), the restoration is less powerful - the regrown nerve cell extensions (red) are shorter than in mice with an active Silc1 copy. Photographed using a fluorescence microscope

The gene plays a crucial role in nerve cell repair

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In genetically modified mice, which lack the importin alpha-5 protein (right), the MeCP2 molecule (in red), which affects anxious behavior, remains outside the nucleus (in blue) of the nerve cells in the brain, and does not penetrate into it as in normal mice (left). Computer processing of an image that was taken using a confocal microscope. Weizmann Institute

There is no entry for anxiety

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ALS disease. Illustration: shutterstock

Immunity Pharma announces the start of a clinical study in ALS patients with the original drug IPL344

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MRI scan of an ALS patient. Source: Frank Gaillard, Wikimedia.

New drugs for ALS are on their way to clinical trials

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