Neuroscientist Miriam Öttl studied the communication between nerve cells in the brain, focusing on the role of a protein called tomosyne. Additionally, she investigated a rare brain disease caused by mutations in a specific protein that is crucial for nerve cell communication.
Tomosyne appears to be a protein that suppresses signal strength in the communication between nerve cells, an important function to maintain this communication at the appropriate level. Regarding the rare brain disease Öttl studied, the variety of symptoms observed in patients seems to be modulated by the genetic composition of the individual patient.
This latter finding opens up opportunities for developing cellular models to further investigate this rare disease and to test new treatment methods in the future.
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