usefulmistakes:ALS-linked gene found switched on in new bits of the brain ALS, also known as Motor

usefulmistakes: ALS-linked gene found switched on in new bits of the brain ALS, also known as Motor Neuron Disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative condition for which we don’t have a cure and don’t fully understand. We do know that a gene called C9orf72 is often involved, and many patients have abnormal repeated sequences within the gene causing neurons in the brain to die. The gene is also implicated in a type of dementia called Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Now scientists studying it in mouse brains have found it is switched on in two regions that we didn’t know about before.  They discovered that C9orf72 is strongly expressed in the hippocampus -  containing adult stem cells and which is important for memory - and the olfactory bulb - which is involved in the sense of smell.  Loss of smell is sometimes a symptom in FTD. The University of Bath team hope the findings will help researchers gain a better understanding of  C9orf72 ′s role in both diseases and help map where it is switched on and off as the brain develops.  This could help us figure out new ways to slow down, treat or even cure the symptoms and explain why people born with abnormalities in  C9orf72 don’t develop symptoms until decades after birth.  Read the paper Images:  Andrew L Bashford and Vasanta Subramanian The top and bottom images show mouse cerebellum stained to reveal the Purkinje neurons (green). The middle image shows the dentate gyrus of the mouse hippocampal formation, which contributes to the formation of new memories stained for neurons (green) and stem cells (red). -- source link

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