While everyone has heard about neurons, the information transmitting cells in the nervous system, astroglia is for many a complete stranger. For a long time, these cell type was considered nothing more than space filling in the brain, and to only exist for the purpose of suporting neurons, but in recent times their role is…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating autoimmune condition whereby neurons lose their myelin sheath leading to impaired neural transmission, neural degeneration and motor symptoms. Multiple factors have been considered to influence its development, like vitamin D, but now, a couple of studies have shown that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is linked to multiple sclerosis. You…

A new type of cell has been identified in the heart of several organisms, from the zebrafish to mouse and human hearts. This new type of cell, called “nexus-glia” by its discoverers, as it forms a net around the heart, not only appears to possess some characteristics from these cells, but it is also related…

As important as remembering, it is forgetting. As Sherlock Holmes said the brain is like a room that you furnish with memories but where space is limited and unnecesary information should be erased. Much on how this erasing works is unkown, but a new study points out to a certain immune cell population in the…

For a long time Alzheimer disease has been studied mostly as a neuronal disease. However, recently the role of the immune system is getting more attention and its involvement more clear. Recent research has shown that a subpopulation of T cells could be key to early Alzheimer’s detection. Interested? Continue reading at MappingIgnorance.org

First of all, I don’t want to mean that a neuron was found in space, but that similarly to the grid cells found by Nobel laureate May-Britt Moser and colleagues another cell type named object-vector cell has been found -also by their group- which is involved in spatial sensation. More on MappingIgnorance.org

In previous articles we introduced the potential of caloric restriction (CR), that is a reduction of between 20-40% of the normal caloric intake, to extend lifespan and improve the healthspan, thereby delaying the onset of aging related diseases. But, is CR recommended for everyone? Today we review caloric restriction in the context of disease. While…

If you’re old enough, you might remember hearing about the mad cow disease crisis in Europe at the end of the 90s. This disease was caused by something called prions, aggregates of misfolded proteins that become infectious. For a protein aggregate to be considered as prion it is necessary that the interactions among its molecules…