Genetics Offers New Therapeutic Opportunities for Parkinson’s Disease
Northwestern Medicine scientists have recently discovered that two common genetic risk factors for Parkinson’s disease can be regulated with LRRK2 kinase inhibition or GCase enzyme activation, revealing potential for the development of new therapeutics.
Chromatin Organizes Itself Into 3D ‘Forests’ in Single Cells
Using mathematical modeling and optical imaging they developed themselves, a Northwestern University research team has discovered how chromatin folds at the single-cell level.
‘Soft’ Symptoms Detected Before Parkinson’s Disease
People who carry genetic mutations associated with an increased risk for Parkinson’s disease may exhibit minor symptoms long before the disease progresses to affect daily life, according to a study of over 300 patients.
Decoding Hidden Brain Conversations to Advance Neuroprostheses
Scientists have discovered a set of neural “conversations” underlying individual neurons’ activity during learned movements, findings with implications for the development of neuroprostheses.
Site of Flow Resistance in Glaucoma Identified
According to a recent study, elevated ocular pressure in glaucoma is generated in the wall of a small vessel in the eye, the Schlemm’s canal.
How Noninvasive Brain Simulation May Enhance Long-Term Memory
A Northwestern Medicine study found that episodic memory may be improved through the use of noninvasive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the posterior medial network in the hippocampus.
Media Coverage
A Placebo for Pain Relief—Even When You Know It’s Not Real
Vania Apkarian, director of the Center for Translational Pain Research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, studies which patients respond to placebo. In a 2016 study in the journal PLOS Biology, he used brain scans to identify the regions in the brain that can predict a response to placebo in 56 chronic knee osteoarthritis pain patients compared with 20 control patients.
Probiotics: Don’t Buy the Online Hype
Many people turn to the internet with health questions, but how reliable is the information you find? When it comes to probiotics, a new study urges caution.
Nearly 20 Years Later, Cancer Rates Higher in 9/11 First Responders
Nearly two decades after terrorists attacked New York’s World Trade Center, certain cancers are striking police and recovery workers who saved lives, recovered bodies and cleaned up the wreckage.
Most people wait too long for knee replacement surgery, study says
Living with knee pain? A new study has found that 90% of Americans with osteoarthritis suffer too long before having a knee replacement that could improve their quality of life.
“When people wait too long, they lose more and more function and can’t exercise or be active, thus leaving them open to weight gain, depression and other health problems,” said lead investigator Hassan Ghomrawi, associate professor of surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.