Merxe

PostDoc in Parkinson’s and genetics. |PhD in diesel exhaust particles and ischemic stroke.

[CGT Catalunya 🚩🏴 @CGTCatalunya]

🏴 Sense condicions dignes: NO ACABEM EL CURS

🔥Calendari de mobilitzacions i vagues unitàries a l'educació pública.

Per dignitat educativa, per l'escola pública catalana.
🪑 Govern d'Illa i Dalmau: sit and talk!

[Ryan Rozbiani @RyanRozbiani]

26 Days of Ceasefire - 268 Killed

How is this a Ceasefire?

[Comunitat Palestina Catalunya @Palestina_cat]

🇵🇸 Properes convocatòries en solidaritat amb el poble palestí!

Prou complicitat amb l'Estat colonial d'Israel!

🔻4/11, 8:30 davant la @Fira_Barcelona

🔻 8/11 12.30h Plaça Portal de la Pau (BCN)

🔻 19/11 19h Pavelló Olímpic BDN

🔻 29/11 12h Parc Joan Miró (BCN)

[Michael Okun @MichaelOkun]

Are we inching closer to actually seeing alpha-synuclein in living brains? Alpha-synuclein is a protein that clumps in Parkinson's brain cells. In a new paper in Nature Biomedical Engineering, Weiss and colleagues describe a method called Advanced Sensing of Aggregates in Parkinson’s Disease that may enable direct visualization of nanoscale alpha-synuclein assemblies in human brain tissue.
Key Points:
- This work shows us that we may be edging closer to truly imaging early alpha-synuclein changes in the brain.
- Large-scale imaging identified nanoscale assemblies across more than 1.2 million detected alpha-synuclein structures, revealing a potential continuum from tiny aggregates to Lewy bodies.
- Disease specific bright nanoscale species appeared in Parkinson’s samples and were clustered near neurons, astrocytes and microglia.
- Biochemical and amplification assays confirmed seed-competent assemblies and supported the concept that small aggregates may possibly represent early drivers of pathology.
My take: Alpha-synuclein is small and hidden inside cells and thus imaging has been a real challenge. We need better tools, as Ed Boyden taught us https://t.co/e9eKnkGsxz This paper seems to be a step in the right direction, and there were 5 points that resonated w/ me. 1-Imaging small alpha-synuclein aggregates is moving closer to reality in human brain tissue. 2- Small aggregates are present in healthy brains, however they also shift in Parkinson’s toward brighter and more disease-linked species. 3- A subset of these tiny protein assemblies in Parkinson’s brains appear possibly capable of seeding further aggregation. 4- These assemblies clustered near key cell types suggesting that early involvement of neurons and glial cells may be critical. 5- This work lays important groundwork toward future tools that may one day let us visualize alpha-synuclein biology in living brains.
https://t.co/FzW1ENEUj4 @ParkinsonDotOrg @FixelInstitute @PdAvengers @movedisorder @Nature @NatureBiotech

[Comunitat Palestina Catalunya @Palestina_cat]

🇵🇸 Convocatòries destacades avui en el marc de la Vaga General!

11h Piquet Central a Pl. Universitat

16h Pavelló Nou Congost Manresa

18h Estació de Sants Barcelona

[sarah @sahouraxo]

BREAKING:

Israeli death squads just murdered Palestinian journalist Saleh Al-Jaafrawi.

He survived 2 years of a holocaust, documenting Israeli war crimes on the front lines — only to be killed by Israeli agents in Gaza, during a “ceasefire”, no less.

Don’t let them erase him.

[Ryan Rozbiani @RyanRozbiani]

🚨 BREAKING: ONE BOAT LEFT - GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA

An Israeli official confirmed on Thursday that the navy had detained more than 400 pro-Palestinian activists who were aboard 41 vessels making up the Sumud Flotilla, carrying aid to Gaza.

2 other boats were for legal support

[Sindicat de Llogateres i Llogaters @SindicatLloguer]

🔴 ÉS L'HORA DE DESBORDAR ELS CARRERS

[Ounka @OunkaOnX]

118 nautical miles to Gaza. Last night, an Israeli warship circled the boats and launched a cyber attack, damaging devices and navigation — but flotilla keep sailing. This is the largest flotilla ever: 41 boats, grounded in international law and powered by global solidarity. Global Sumud Flotilla remain nonviolent and determined to open a People’s Humanitarian Corridor

[Arantxa Tirado @ArantxaTirado]

📢Els òrgans unitaris de representació dels treballadors de la UAB (Comitès d'Empresa del PTGAS i del PDI, i Juntes de Personal del PTGAS i del PDI) convoquen VAGA el dia després de l'assalt de la Flotilla (si es produeix).

🚩El dia de l'assalt: Concentració 18:00, Plaça de la Carbonera (Barcelona)
🏴El dia després: Vaga a totes les universitats públiques catalanes. 

Instem a tota la comunitat universitària a mobilitzar-se i a alçar la veu contra el genocidi que s'està produint a la Franja de Gaza. 

Nosaltres ensenyem vida!

[Comunitat Palestina Catalunya @Palestina_cat]

🔴 4 d'octubre · Cap a la manifestació més gran de la història per Palestina a Barcelona!

🔴 Més de 500 organitzacions i entitats ja s'hi han adherit!

En aquest enllaç anirem actualitzant tota la informació: adhesions, columnes, recorregut...

https://t.co/8c7oL6LUa1

[William A. Wallace, Ph.D. @WilliamWallace]

A simple guide to understanding how neurons make neurotransmitters

Your brain has different classes of neurons, each defined by the chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) they release. These transmitters are built from specific precursors using unique enzymes and cofactors.

1️⃣ Cholinergic Neurons (green)

Main transmitter: Acetylcholine (ACh).

Source: Built from acetyl-CoA and choline.

Special enzyme: ChAT (choline acetyltransferase).

🟢 Example: These neurons drive muscle contraction and attention.
2️⃣ GABAergic Neurons (blue)

Main transmitter: GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid).

Source: Derived from glutamate.

Special enzyme: GAD (glutamate decarboxylase).
🟢 Example: GABA is the brain’s main “calm-down” signal.

3️⃣ Glutamatergic Neurons (orange)
Main transmitter: Glutamate.

Source: Recycled from other cells and stored in vesicles.

🟢 Example: Glutamate is the brain’s main “go” signal for learning and memory.

4️⃣ Serotonergic Neurons (green-teal)

Main transmitter: Serotonin (5-HT).
Source: Made from tryptophan → 5-HTP → serotonin.

Special enzymes: TPH (tryptophan hydroxylase), DDC (decarboxylase).

Cofactor: BH₄ (tetrahydrobiopterin)

🟢 Example: Serotonin regulates mood, sleep, and appetite.

5️⃣ Dopaminergic Neurons (light blue)

Main transmitter: Dopamine.

Source: Made from tyrosine → L-DOPA → dopamine.
Special enzyme: TH (tyrosine hydroxylase), DDC.

Cofactor: BH₄.

🟢 Example: Dopamine drives motivation, reward, and movement.

6️⃣ Noradrenergic / Octopaminergic Neurons (red)

Main transmitter: Norepinephrine (mammals) or Octopamine (in invertebrates).

Source: Derived from tyrosine/tyramine.

Special enzyme: TBH (tyramine β-hydroxylase).
Cofactor: BH₄.

🟢 Example: Linked to arousal and “fight or flight.”

7️⃣ Tyraminergic Neurons (orange-brown)

Main transmitter: Tyramine.

Source: Made from tyrosine → tyramine.

Special enzyme: TDC (tyrosine decarboxylase).
🟢 Example: Acts as a trace amine, modulating dopamine and serotonin systems.

Supporting Pathways (Panels B & C):
Acetyl-CoA production (B): from the citric acid cycle, provides building blocks for acetylcholine.

BH₄ synthesis (C): a critical cofactor for making serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

Each neurotransmitter system has its own “assembly line”: specific precursors, enzymes, and cofactors. Together, they form the brain’s chemical language — acetylcholine for movement and attention, glutamate and GABA for balance, and monoamines (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine) for mood, reward, and arousal.

[Ernesto Ekaizer @ErnestoEkaizer]

#Gazz El hermano del periodista palestino asesinado Anas Al-Sharif reveló que tan solo cuatro días antes de su asesinato, Israel le ofreció a Anas un trato tentador: abandonar Gaza con su familia a cambio de dejar de cubrir la situación allí. Él se negó. Luego lo asesinaron.

[Michael Okun @MichaelOkun]

Does Parkinson's start in the kidney? New research from Wuhan recently published in Nature Neuroscience suggests a surprising twist: the kidneys, in some cases, may seed toxic α-synuclein and the protein may actually travel to the brain. Could a kidney-to-brain pathway could help explain why chronic kidney disease raises Parkinson’s risk. Let's not go too far on this data yet.
Key Points:
- We’ve long known about gut to brain spread and now the kidney emerges as another possible origin site.
- These findings may unlock new strategies for early detection and therapies aimed at clearing α-synuclein before it reaches the brain.
- Pathologic α-synuclein deposits were found in the kidneys of folks w/ Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and chronic kidney disease.
- In animal models, α-synuclein injected into the kidney spread along renal nerve pathways into the brain.
- It also resulted in PD-like motor symptoms.
My take: Parkinson's is a whole body disease and the proteins can thus be found all over. These findings do not surprise me, however I would be cautious about over-interpreting them. Here are 5 points that stuck w/ me. 1- Parkinson’s may not start in the brain, in some cases the kidney could be a surprising origin site for the disease. 2- Toxic Parkinson’s proteins can build up in the kidney, especially when kidney function is impaired. 3- Proteins may travel along nerve highways directly to the brain. 4- Does this paper explain why people w/ kidney disease face higher risks of developing Parkinson’s? Maybe? 5- Could we target α-synuclein in the blood or kidney? Maybe?
https://t.co/C3xjJLPZrS @ParkinsonDotOrg #parkinson @FixelInstitute @Nature

[Censurado @JanoNano11]

Esto de Inés Hernand sobre el caso Errejón es para ponerlo en bucle, se repite una vez más la historia, una mujer sometida a un tercer grado constante por parte de unos medios de comunicación cómplices de revictimizar a las víctimas de agresión sexual.

- Elisa Mouliaá, Milhouse.

[Neuroscience News @NeuroscienceNew]

Brain-Targeted mRNA Delivery Breaks the Blood-Brain Barrier

Researchers have developed modified lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and targeting specific brain cells, such as neurons, with mRNA.

This breakthrough, achieved using peptides as precise targeting molecules, could revolutionize treatments for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Unlike traditional approaches that lack cell specificity, peptide-functionalized LNPs (pLNPs) ensure mRNA reaches intended cells efficiently.

Peptides are smaller, cheaper to produce, and more stable than antibodies, making them ideal for precise delivery.

In animal models, pLNPs successfully delivered mRNA to targeted neurons and brain endothelial cells without immune complications.

Researchers now aim to determine how many neurons must be treated to produce meaningful therapeutic outcomes.

[Salvador Illa Roca @salvadorilla]

A la @vallhebron, amb les conselleres Pané i Montserrat, hem assistit a la inauguració del #NouEdificiVHIR, la nova seu per impulsar la recerca d'avantguarda del @VHIR_. Si hem progressat tant, ha sigut gràcies a la ciència i la recerca. Aquest Govern aposta i apostarà per elles.

[Ｊｕｄｉｔ 🔻 @judit_sinhache]

¿Sabíais qué mientras todos apoyamos presupuestos extraordinarios, para la reconstrucción de los pueblos afectados por la DANA

VICENT MONPÓ, PPresident de la Diputació de València, GASTARÁ en la RENOVACIÓN de la ILUMINACIÓN de la PLAZA de TOROS 1,2 MILLONES de €?

PPrioridades

[AEMET Comunitat Valenciana @AEMET_CValencia]

Por favor, Javier Negre, @javiernegre10. Un radar es una herramienta de vigilancia meteorológica, no es una herramienta de predicción. La previsión habría sido la misma funcionase o no el radar, que ya hemos indicado que funcionó.

[Alán Barroso @AlanBarrosoA]

Los bomberos de Bilbao denuncian que hasta en tres ocasiones el gobierno de Mazón ha impedido que acudan a Valencia a ayudar con un camión grúa, buzos, bombas de achique y material de rescate.

Lo mínimo que debe haber tras todo esto son dimisiones.

https://t.co/CZIkgJImxg