Cardiovascular Research:Electronic stent to provide feedback and therapy, then dissolve ♦Good cholesterol linked to lower risk of later heart disease

Study links better 'good cholesterol' function with lower risk of later heart disease  HDL, the 'good cholesterol' helps remove fat from artery walls, reversing the process that leads to heart disease. Yet recent drug trials and genetic studies suggest that pushing HDL levels higher doesn't reduce the risk of heart disease. Now, an epidemiological study shows that a person's HDL function -- the efficiency of HDL molecules at removing cholesterol -- may be a better measure of coronary heart disease risk and target for heart-protecting drugs.

Study identifies possible role for carbon monoxide in treating hemorrhagic stroke Carbon monoxide is typically associated with brain injury and neurological symptoms. But a new study suggests that when administered in small, carefully controlled amounts, CO may actually protect the brain from damage following hemorrhagic stroke.

Tiny heart, big promise: Understanding how cells become coronary vessels may lead to advances in repairing heart damage Studying zebrafish, investigators have discovered a new source for cells that can develop into coronary vessels and have identified the signaling protein, a chemokine called CXCL12, which guides this process

Heart: Electronic stent to provide feedback and therapy, then dissolve  Every year, an estimated half-million Americans undergo surgery to have a stent prop open a coronary artery narrowed by plaque. But sometimes the mesh tubes get clogged. Scientists have now developed a new kind of multi-tasking stent that could minimize the risks associated with the procedure. It can sense blood flow and temperature, store and transmit the information for analysis and can be absorbed by the body after it finishes its job

Brain Research: New stent devices fight strokes ♦ Antioxidant therapy promising in concussion treatment ♦ New way of analyzing brain data

Sea slug provides new way of analyzing brain data Scientists say our brains may not be as complicated as we once thought -- and they're using sea slugs to prove it. “This research introduces new methods for pulling apart neural circuits to expose their inner building blocks. Our methods could be used to help understand how brain networks change in disease states and how drugs act to restore normal brain function,” authors say.

New stent devices fight strokes In certain stroke patients, a new device called a stent retriever can reverse symptoms and limit stroke damage. The "stentriever," deployed with a catheter, restores blood flow and retrieves a blood clot from the brain.

Migrating immune cells promote nerve cell demise in the brain The death of dopamine-producing nerve cells in a certain region of the brain is the principal cause underlying Parkinson's disease. In mice, it is possible to simulate the Parkinson's symptoms using a substance that selectively kills dopamine-producing neurons. Scientists have now shown that after this treatment, cells of the peripheral immune system migrate into the brain, where they play a major role in the death of neurons.

Antioxidant therapy may have promising potential in concussion treatment Antioxidants may play a key role in reducing the long-term effects of concussions and could potentially offer a unique new approach for treatment, a new study suggests. Common among athletes and soldiers, it is estimated that 3.4 million concussions occur each year in the United States. The development of a readily available oral supplement would have the potential to improve brain function in a percentage of concussion sufferers.