Bill Nye is back in his lab with NAF and Biogen—breaking down the science of Friedreich Ataxia in a new video series. WATCH NOW
What is it? Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of technology used to take detailed pictures of the body. It is commonly used to detect abnormalities in the body, diagnose diseases, and to regularly monitor patients who are undergoing treatments. It can generate three-dimensional images of non-bony tissues, such Read More…
Written by Dr. Judit M. Pérez Ortiz Edited by Dr. Brenda Toscano Márquez Scientists describe how SCA2 oxidative stress can affect mitochondrial function, and potentially how to fix it Mitochondrial Stress We all have experienced stress. When cramming for an exam last minute, or getting ready for a job interview, Read More…
RNA interference, or RNAi, is a natural biological process that inhibits the expression of a specific gene. In medicine, targeted RNAi therapies can be used to silence the expression of a disease-causing gene. To understand RNAi, you first have to understand RNA. An overview of RNA is the messager between Read More…
Written by Dr. Judit M. Perez Ortiz Edited by Dr. Sriram Jayabal In a new study, scientists have found that “zapping” the brain with an electromagnetic wand may someday help patients with spinocerebellar ataxia. In an era of ever-evolving technological advances used for personal entertainment and space travel, medical scientists Read More…
In many diseases caused by repeat expansion mutations in the DNA, harmful proteins containing repetitive stretches are found to build up in the brain. The repeat expansion mutation, when translated into a protein, results in an abnormally expanded repeat tract that can affect the function of the protein and have Read More…
Written by Jorge Diogo Da Silva Edited by Dr. David Bushart Normalizing neuronal dysfunction in SCA3/MJD by activating a receptor inside cells Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), also known as Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), is an inherited neurodegenerative disease that typically begins in mid-adulthood. This disease causes loss of coordination and Read More…
A common nuisance for bacteria is the bacteriophage: a virus that uses the internal machinery of a bacteria to replicate its own genetic material. Bacteriophages do this by latching onto bacteria and injecting their DNA into the cell. As the cell grows and divides, the bacteriophage’s hope is that their Read More…
SCAsource launched one year ago today on September 27, 2018. In that time we’ve had over 18,000 views and published over 40 articles. Now we are launching a survey about the website to make sure we are meeting our goals. SCAsource is turning a year old! A huge thank you Read More…
Today marks International Ataxia Awareness Day (IAAD), which is celebrated every year on September 25th. IAAD brings people together from around the world to raise awareness about this group of rare diseases and to raise money for continuing research efforts. For more information on how you can participate in IAAD Read More…
Written by Dr. Marija Cvetanovic Edited by Larissa Nitschke Purkinje cells (a type of neuron in the cerebellum) are the most vulnerable cells in many Spinocerebellar Ataxias (SCAs). While animal models of SCA have been very fruitful in understanding the mechanisms of Purkinje cell neurodegeneration, none of these models have Read More…
