News

Researchers at NIH have developed a model of how mitochondria—the energy producers in cells—obtain the essential mineral magnesium through the Mitochondrial RNA Splicing 2 (MRS2) channel.

The properties of neuronal junctions that help form long-term memories and aid in learning are similar between mice and people, according to a new NIH study.

New research in mice illuminates how infant cries activate maternal brain cells to increase release of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes mother-baby bonding. The findings provide a biological explanation for how sensory cues from an infant can help foster maternal behavior.

The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.

Children with creatine transporter deficiency, a hereditary developmental disorder, have higher levels of three proteins that are also found in people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a small study by researchers at NIH and other institutions. The higher the level of proteins, the lower the children scored on a test of coping behaviors and skills. These findings may help inform diagnostic approaches for the transporter deficiency disorder.

A microscopy image created by NIH researchers is part of the “Life Magnified” stamp panel issued by the United States Postal Service.

Children with concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, were no more likely to experience a drop in IQ scores after their injury than were children who received injuries to the muscles or bones, according to a study funded in part by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The findings suggest that concussion is unlikely to affect children’s intelligence in the long term, providing reassurance to caregivers of pediatric concussion patients.

Delivery of the gene for neurotrophic factor-α1 directly into the hippocampus of the brain prevents neurodegeneration and memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.

Researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health have identified a second brain receptor abnormality in tissue from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases. Like the abnormality the group identified previously, the receptor binds to serotonin, a chemical that conveys messages between neurons. Although serotonin is involved in diverse functions such as mood, sleep, digestion, and wound healing, the abnormality the researchers identified is found in the medulla, or brain stem, a region involved in waking up, arousal, and breathing. The study authors believe the abnormalities underlie a vulnerability in the infant brain and may be responsible for an inability to wake up and take a breath under low oxygen conditions, such as when an infant’s mouth and nose are entrapped by bedding materials while sleeping face down.

Findings may aid design of targeted drug delivery into the brain and central nervous system.

A research team including NICHD scientists has developed a potential gene therapy for hereditary spastic paraplegia 50, a rare childhood-onset neurodegenerative disorder that leads to developmental delays, cognitive impairment, and eventual paralysis.

The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.

Christopher McBain, Ph.D., scientific director of the Division of Intramural Research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), has been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Christopher McBain, Ph.D., has been appointed scientific director and director of the Division of Intramural Research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Read about NICHD’s research findings and activities from 2022.

The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.

Learn about a collaboration between NICHD and Howard University.

NICHD researchers conducting a clinical study of patients with a rare, fatal neurological disorder have partnered with basic scientists to find better ways to understand the disease, monitor its progression, and ultimately find treatments.

Eight years ago, NIH announced a collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop solutions for a variety of global health challenges. Learn how NICHD research is supporting this goal.