PLT Test Blog

Today’s post started life as a review of how some viruses affect gene expression and may help cause, or just trigger flare-ups in, some neurological disorders ranging from autism to MS (multiple sclerosis).   Some people with autism are treated with anti-viral drugs and, anecdotally, some do respond well.   This is not yet an area with hard facts and definitive clinical trials.    It is actually better to first take a few steps back and consider how all microorganisms can play a role in human health by modifying the gene expression of the host (which is you).   There are four broad categories of microorganism. Each type of microorganism can be countered by a matching category of pharmaceutical. ·         Antibacterials/antibiotics for bacteria ·         Antifungals to kill or prevent further growth of fungi ·         Antivirals to minimize (but often not erad...

I have written several posts about dendritic spines and their varying shapes (morphology).   This sounds like a rather obscure subject, but it looks like it may be a key area where both behavior and cognition can be modified, even later in life. Homer Simson after using a Wnt Activator   Dendritic spines In a typical neuron (brain cell) you have dendrites at one end and so-called axon terminals at the other. When neurons connect with each other, an axon terminal connects with a dendritic spine from another close by neuron.   Axons transmit electrochemical signals from one neuron to the dendrites of other neurons.   The junction formed between a dendritic spine and an axon terminal is called a synapse. One neuron can have as many as 15,000 spines, some of which are picking up signals from axon terminals of other neurons. The number and shape of these spines is constantly changing and not surprisingly defects in this process affect both cognition and behavior. The othe...