Ancient viruses have really gotten on our nerves, but in the best of ways. One particular retrovirus — embedded in the DNA of jawed vertebrates — helps turn on production of a protein needed to ...

Human brains (and the brains of other vertebrates) are able to process information faster because of myelin, a fatty substance that forms a protective sheath over the axons of our nerve cells and ...

Researchers report February 15 in the journal Cell that ancient viruses may be to thank for myelin—and, by extension, our large, complex brains. The team found that a retrovirus-derived genetic ...

This is a preview. Log in through your library . Abstract The myelin basic proteins (MBPs) are a set of peripheral membrane polypeptides that are required for the compaction of the major dense line of ...

Research published in the Journal of Neurochemistry has detailed the role of a protein, hnRNP A1, in the formation and stability of myelin, suggesting an important impact on neurodegenerative diseases ...

The disruption of axons—the thread-like part of nerve cells that transmits electrical signals—is associated with Alzheimer's disease. One way axonal function may be hindered is through damage to the ...

The idea that infiltrating T cells contribute to a neurodegenerative environment in aging and in Alzheimer’s disease has gotten another boost. In the June 27 Nature Neuroscience, scientists led by ...

The neurons of the brain are protected by an insulating layer called myelin. In certain diseases like multiple sclerosis, this protective layer is damaged and lost, leading to death of neurons and ...

In laboratory experiments, a chemical compound found in the shell of the cashew nut promotes the repair of myelin, a team reports today. In laboratory experiments, a chemical compound found in the ...