Discovery and Innovation at University of Utah Health
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Using two-photon microscopy, K.C. Brennan, MD, and colleagues discovered unusual activity of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in mice carrying a mutated gene identified from a family with inherited migraine. Continue reading → A New Form of Glutamate Signaling Discovered in Migraine
Continue reading → A New Form of Glutamate Signaling Discovered in MigraineBryan Jones, PhD, and colleagues used electron microscopes to visualize the chemical and electrical synaptic connections that makes up the neural network. They further observed, in a transgenic rabbit model of early retinal degeneration, abnormal connectivity in the rod-photoreceptor network and novel synaptic connections derived from sprouting. Continue reading → Neuronal Connections in the Retina
Continue reading → Neuronal Connections in the RetinaNormal hearing is dependent upon a highly specialized structure in the inner ear called the tectorial membrane. How this precisely organized extracellular matrix is assembled had been unknown. However, Park and colleagues showed the inner ear membrane anchors to the cell surface during development and grows one layer at a time. Continue reading → Architecture of the Inner Ear
Continue reading → Architecture of the Inner EarUnderstanding pain-processing mechanisms and the neural circuits involved is central to developing new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of pain. The Douglass lab investigated brain regions that modulate behavioral responses to noxious stimuli in zebrafish. Continue reading → Neuronal Circuits that Modulate Pain and Defensive Responses
Continue reading → Neuronal Circuits that Modulate Pain and Defensive ResponsesHow can cells in the brain retain information for years, even though most proteins turn over in minutes to days? The neuronal gene Arc is critical for transducing experience and learning into long-lasting changes in the brain. Continue reading → Intercellular Communication in Long Term Memory
Continue reading → Intercellular Communication in Long Term MemoryGenetic studies have linked autism in humans to dysregulation of synaptic function and altered neural connectivity. Kirrel3 is a key but unstudied autism susceptibility gene. Continue reading → Function of a Gene Linked to Autism
Continue reading → Function of a Gene Linked to Autism