[ad_1]
Theodoros Zanos, PhD, head of the neuron and data research laboratory and badistant professor at the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institute of Medical Research, and his collaborators, have discovered how the vagus nerve relayed signals from the brain to glucose, potentially discovering a new way to measure blood glucose. This discovery advances research on future treatments in bioelectronic medicine and diagnoses of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. The results were published today in the journal Springer Nature, Bioelectronic medicine.
In humans, glucose is the main sugar of energy-intensive cells in the brain, muscles and peripheral neurons. Any deviation from normal blood glucose for a prolonged period can be dangerous or even fatal; therefore, the regulation of blood glucose is a biological imperative. Previous research has shown that the vagus nerve, which connects to many major organs of the body and communicates its changes to the brainstem, plays a role in regulating metabolism. Since the details of how this was accomplished were largely unknown, Dr. Zanos and his colleagues sought to identify the specific signals relayed from the periphery to the brain that responded to changes in blood glucose. By deciphering these signals, they can better understand when and how to stimulate the vagus nerve to regulate metabolism.
"One of our goals is to understand the neural code of the vagus nerve when it is related to different conditions, because we believe that by listening to and stimulating this nerve, we can open up new possibilities. to diagnose and treat various diseases, "said Dr. Zanos. . "The vagus nerve is one of the main information channels of the body with an average of 100,000 nerve fibers, making this code difficult to grasp and decipher, so we have a lot to learn. the latter study that the vagus nerve of a mouse carries important signals from the periphery to the central nervous system related to glucose homeostasis – this discovery brings us closer to new technologies that could help many patients with various metabolic diseases. "
Dr. Zanos collaborated on this study with Emily Battinelli Masi, PhD, researcher at the Feinstein Institutes, Todd Levy, MS, Tea Tsaava, MD, Chad E. Button, MS, and Sangeeta S. Chavan, PhD. The co-author of the article, titled "Identification of Neural Signals Specific to Hypoglycemia by Decoding Murine Wave Nerve Activity", was the President and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes, Kevin J. Tracey.
"This discovery by Dr. Zanos and our researchers in bioelectronic medicine allows us to better understand the neural signaling of the body and offers hope for the management of diabetes," said Dr. Tracey.
Bioelectronic Medicine is a new approach to the Feinstein Institutes' laboratories to treat and diagnose diseases and injuries. It represents a convergence of molecular medicine, neuroscience and bioengineering. Bioelectronics medicine uses device technology to read and modulate electrical activity in the body's nervous system, opening new doors to real-time diagnosis and treatment options for patients.
Last year, Dr. Zanos and his collaborators were the first to decode the specific signals used by the nervous system to communicate immune status and inflammation to the brain. The identification of these neuronal signals and what they communicate about the health of the body has been a step forward for bioelectronic medicine, as it has helped to better understand the diagnostic and therapeutic targets and the device development. These results were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
###
Warning: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of the news releases published on EurekAlert! contributing institutions or for the use of any information via the EurekAlert system.
Source link
