Research

Monkey think, monkey do: experiment could lead to paralysis cure
"We demonstrate that a subject can control a paralysed limb purely with its thoughts," co-author Maryam Shanechi of Cornell University's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering told AFP of the study in the journal Nature Communications. The discovery "could have the potential to help paralysed patients regain control of their own limbs." MedicalXpress

GW researcher finds gene therapy a promising tool for cardiac regeneration
The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, found that gene therapy can elicit a regenerative response in pig hearts. Shapiro and his research team first looked to small animals such as the zebrafish, which are able to regenerate heart tissue after a heart attack. This animal has a key protein at play, Cyclin A2 (Ccna2).  George Washington University

Irreproducible Results? Stem-Cell Advance Found Hard to Duplicate
Temper the stem-cell celebrations. A finding from two recent Nature studies — that stressing mouse cells transformed them to a pluripotent state — has been hard to verify in other laboratories, according to media reports.The Wall Street Journal notes that at least nine labs have failed to duplicate the results. And one of the coauthors of the Nature studies has been unable to reproduce the results since he left the lab where the original work was done. Journal Watch

Neuron-generating brain region could hold promise for neurodegenerative therapies
Adult humans continuously produce new neurons in the striatum, a brain region involved in motor control and cognitive functions, and these neurons could play an important role in recovery from stroke and possibly finding new treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, according to a study published by Cell Press February 20th in the journal Cell. MedicalXpress