Glossary Terms

The cell in your skin that produces melanin pigment—it determines your skin color and protects against UV radiation.Melanocytes are neural

The cell that builds and maintains connective tissue—it produces collagen, the structural protein in skin, tendons, and organs.Fibroblasts are the

The cell that builds new bone—it lays down the mineral matrix that makes bone hard and strong.Osteoblasts are bone-forming cells

Protecting nerve cells from damage or death—a therapeutic goal in conditions from stroke to Alzheimer’s to traumatic brain injury.Neuroprotection encompasses

A study where both the researchers and participants know who is getting the treatment—less rigorous than blinded trials, but still

An enzyme on cell surfaces that chops up many signaling peptides—including VIP and natriuretic peptides—limiting how long they can act.Neutral

A study that follows people forward in time from enrollment—stronger evidence than looking back at old records.Prospective studies recruit subjects

A large immune cell that engulfs pathogens, cleans up dead cells, and signals other immune cells about what it found.Macrophages

The cell’s on/off switch—adding a phosphate group to a protein changes its shape and activates (or deactivates) it.Phosphorylation is the

The final and largest stage of testing—hundreds to thousands of patients, designed to prove a drug works well enough for