Neuronal research

Disorders of the mind are particularly complex given we understand relatively little about the physiology of neurons in the brain. Recently, there have been several developments on this front. A research team at Cornell University found evidence to support the Astrocyte-Neuron Lactate Shuttle, a hypothesis surrounding metabolism and how the brain uses energy stores. Specifically, by using a multiphoton laser microscopy technique, the researchers were able to observe two fluorescent—not fluorscnet, sorry inside joke—energy states of NADH. They saw that particular coenzyme undergo specific changes that supports both theories that the brain burns glucose completely to oxygen and water while also using lactate from astrocyte cells as an extra energy store approximately ten seconds after a neuron is activated.

By more fully understanding how the brain uses energy upon activation, the study’s authors point out that research into diseases of the brain should be better able to understand why neurons go haywire (either by dying, losing functionality, or stop producing a particular neurotransmitter) and cause such diseases.

In other related news, researchers at believe they have found a brain serotonin enzyme that might explain psychiatric disorders. Although this enzyme was found in mice, human beings have a great deal of genetic material in common with these creatures. As such, researchers posit that human being most likely carry the same enzyme or an analog that closely resembles it.

Why is it important to have found such an enzyme? Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, levels of which have been shown to drastically affect mood, appetite, personality, etc. Low serotonin is believed responsible for psychiatric disorders like depression, PTSD, and sleep-related illnesses. Clearly, by understanding what processes in the brain cause serotonin mRNAs to be transcribed, drugs can be altered to either mimic the effect of this enzyme if it is indeed misfolded or not present due to a mutation or increase its effectiveness in causing transcription of the RNA precursors to serotonin.

Of course, do not expect practical applications anytime soon, but this discovery bodes well for those suffering from related disorders.

(BTW, I’m posting a trackback to NSLog();, as he is testing trackbacks. I know this is totally unrelated to the content of this post, but I don’t really feel like posting another just for this purpose.)