All Articles by Sandra Reichstetter, PhD
Dr. Reichstetter, PhD, studied Biology at the Technical University in Darmstadt with a major focus on Zoology and Biochemistry and earned her PhD in Immunology and Genetics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. After a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Benaroya Research Insitute in Seattle that focused on the immune response seen in Type 1 Diabetes, she started working in a biotech startup, where she is still working today.
What Stem Cells Need to Survive in the Brain
Stem cells have been a hot and also controversial topic in research and in the media for the last few years, as they might be used in the future to repair injured tissue in such diverse disease like heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and many more. But, there are also unsolved ethical issues about their procurement. There is a lot of confusion about what is meant by the expression “stem cells” in the media.
Genetics Clues May Lead New Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which mainly nerve cells in the substantia nigra of the brain die. This region is a central area of the brain that is involved in the control of movements. The cells in this area produce a neurotransmitter (messenger molecule between nerve cells) that is called dopamine and why these cells specifically succumb in PD is not completely clear. However, recent research produced hints that the dopamine-producing cells in the substantia nigra are particularly sensitive to disruptions in the energy production of the cells.
How Prozac works
The tightly regulated balance between secretion and removal of neurotransmitters is not functioning properly in certain mental conditions like bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression. Neurotransmitters are signaling molecules used to transmit messages between neurons (nerve cells) in the brain. Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters affected in depression and similar disorders. The most common class of drugs for the treatment of these conditions is called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). The well-known Fluoxetine (Prozac) is a member of this class.
Instant Antidepressants on the Horizon
Depression and similar mental disorders like bi-polar disorder, anxiety, and obsessive–compulsive disorder are associated with imbalances in neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are signaling molecules exchanged between neurons (nerve cells) for communication purposes. One of these neurotransmitters is serotonin, and drugs that increase serotonin levels in the brain are the most widely used treatments for depression and similar conditions. Nevertheless, these drugs are not unproblematic as many patients get frustrated as it can take several weeks after taking them, before the drugs become effective, in some patients, the drugs work don’t work at all, and in others, the side effects of these drugs can be a huge problem.
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