The microbiota, which is the term used to describe all micro-organisms living in the mucous membranes, is vital for our health and affects our development, metabolism, immune system etc. However, most of the mechanisms which allow it to play this important role have yet to be discovered. Researchers in Inserm Unit 892 “Nantes-Angers regional cancer […]
Some cells in our bodies need to increase their surface area significantly in order to perform their functions. This is particularly true of neurons, whose cell membrane surface area increases by 20% every day during development. When neurons reach maturity, their membrane surface area is 250,000 µm², totalling 25000 m² when all the neurons in […]
When we perform an action for a specific purpose, or in response to a stimulus, it is imperative that we be able to correct it while carrying it out if it turns out to be inappropriate. Such an ability affects the quality of our daily lives, both in our immediate motor activity (not “running” a […]
Leptin is a hormone secreted by adipose cells, sending the satiety signal to the brain. Sometimes, certain overweight or obese individuals develop resistance to this hormone, which is no longer able to deliver its message. A team led by Vincent Prévot, Inserm Research Director at the Jean Pierre Aubert Research Centre in Lille, has used […]
A €6 million grant awarded to the HumEn project by the European Commission has helped bring together the main institutes carrying out stem cell research, including Inserm, and European industrial partners wishing to develop insulin-producing cells as a future cell replacement therapy for diabetes. The complete maturation of human pluripotent stem cells into transplantable beta […]
Despite its beneficial effects against pain, morphine use is accompanied by adverse effects such as constipation, nausea, vomiting, respiratory depression, and potential dependence on the drug. A research team led by Alain Eschalier, Director of Inserm Unit 1107, Neuro-Dol, in Clermont Ferrand, has just shown that it is possible to separate these two types of […]
In mammals, light is essential in order for the body to function properly. This response to light is controlled in our bodies by a biological clock. Like well-oiled clockwork, the central clock located in a small structure of the brain known as the hypothalamus in turn synchronises numerous secondary clocks present in other areas of […]
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is one of the most frequent causes of sudden non-accidental death in young adults. The origin of SUDEP remains unknown, since it generally occurs at night, unwitnessed. SUDEP sometimes occurs in hospital, while the vital functions are being monitored and recorded. These are the data that Prof. Philippe Ryvlin, […]
The measurement of cholesterol levels in an organism during medical analyses has become routine in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In reality, the cholesterol levels are the result of a balance in the human body between “good” (HDL) cholesterol and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. If this balance is threatened and tilts too far towards “bad cholesterol”, the […]