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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Wildfire smoke significantly raises stroke risk among older adults

People exposed to wildfire smoke have a higher risk of suffering a stroke, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Tuesday).

27 Jan 2026

New 2026 guideline expands access to advanced acute ischemic stroke care

Expanded eligibility for advanced stroke therapies and new recommendations for diagnosing and treating stroke in children and adults are among the major updates in the new 2026 Guideline for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke from the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, published today in the Association's flagship journal Stroke.

26 Jan 2026

Reducing sodium in common foods could prevent heart disease and stroke

Lowering sodium in packaged and prepared foods could significantly improve cardiovascular health and prevent many cases of heart disease, stroke and deaths in the general population in France and the U.K., according to two new research studies published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

26 Jan 2026

Minimally invasive biopsy enables real-time tracking of amyloid disease progression

Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a rare, progressive and highly aggressive degenerative disease. It is caused by the misfolding of a specific protein, leading to its toxic accumulation in the form of filamentous deposits in various organs.

26 Jan 2026

Olive oil type matters for cognition and gut health in older adults

Higher intake of virgin and total olive oil was associated with modest but significant improvements in cognitive performance over two years in older adults with metabolic syndrome. These associations were partly linked to gut microbiota composition, with specific taxa such as Adlercreutzia contributing a small mediating effect.

26 Jan 2026

Tiny plastic particles may interfere with brain processes implicated in Parkinson’s disease

Micro- and nanoplastics are increasingly detected in human tissues, including the brain, and experimental evidence suggests they can interact with biological pathways central to Parkinson’s disease pathology. This review synthesises mechanistic data indicating that plastic particles may influence protein aggregation, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the gut–brain axis, while emphasising the need for prospective human studies.

26 Jan 2026

Evidence links gut microbiome changes to Alzheimer’s progression

Human studies consistently report gut microbiome differences in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, but findings vary widely by cohort, methods, and taxa. Heterogeneity and limited longitudinal data prevent causal inference, highlighting the need for functional profiling and well-designed intervention trials.

25 Jan 2026

Selective inhibition of cPLA2 shows promise against Alzheimer's-related brain inflammation

A multidisciplinary USC research team has identified new compounds that may target a key driver of brain inflammation linked to Alzheimer's disease. Their research just published in the Nature publication npj Drug Discovery.

24 Jan 2026

Experimental study reveals advanced episodic memory replay in rats

In a new study Indiana University researchers observed episodic memory in rats to a degree never documented before, suggesting that rats can serve as a model for complex cognitive processes often considered exclusively human.

24 Jan 2026

Shared genetic architecture links schizophrenia with hemispheric white matter microstructure

Schizophrenia is a highly heterogeneous psychiatric disorder affecting ~1% of the global population, typically emerging in adolescence or early adulthood and characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and cognitive impairments; while its etiology remains elusive, genetic factors are widely recognized as fundamental, and GWAS have identified over 200 genome-wide significant loci.

24 Jan 2026

AI-designed NLRP3 inhibitor receives FDA clearance for Parkinson disease trials

Insilico Medicine (3696.HK), a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company driven by generative artificial intelligence (AI), today announced that ISM8969, an orally available NLRP3 inhibitor targeting inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders, has recently received investigational new drug (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), intended for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

23 Jan 2026

Ultra-thin nanotechnology enables safe wireless stimulation for retinal degeneration

An international research team led by Prof. Dr. Sedat Nizamoğlu from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Koç University has developed a next-generation, safe, and wireless stimulation technology for retinal degenerative diseases that cause vision loss.

23 Jan 2026

Genetic study establishes causal link between obesity and cognitive decline

People with obesity and high blood pressure may face a higher risk of dementia, according to a new study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

23 Jan 2026

New findings explain how lysosomal defects trigger neuronal energy failure

Together with colleagues from Stanford University, USA, researchers at the Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) have, for the first time, created a comprehensive cell type-specific atlas of lysosomes in the brain, the cell organelles which are responsible for degradation and recycling processes.

23 Jan 2026

Genetic study links vitamin B1 metabolism to gut motility and IBS risk

Research links thiamine metabolism to gut motility, identifying genetic markers that could lead to new therapies for IBS and related digestive disorders.

23 Jan 2026

Wildfire smoke in late pregnancy may raise autism risk

Prenatal exposure to wildfire smoke in late pregnancy may modestly raise autism risk in children, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding pregnant women.

23 Jan 2026

Ageing slows brain protein clearance and shifts synaptic waste to microglia

Ageing slows neuronal protein degradation in mice, leading to widespread accumulation and aggregation of long-lived proteins, particularly at synapses. As neuronal clearance declines, microglia selectively accumulate synaptic proteins, suggesting a compensatory but potentially strained proteostasis pathway in the ageing brain.

22 Jan 2026

Study explores how shared cells influence health across generations

During pregnancy, maternal and fetal cells migrate back and forth across the placenta, with fetal cells entering the mother's bloodstream and tissues.

22 Jan 2026

Brain cell precursors show constant myelin-making drive

In experiments with mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists report new evidence that precursors of myelin-producing cells - one of the few brain cell types that continue to be produced in the adult brain - undergo differentiation widely and at a constant pace, rather than "as needed" in response to injury or advancing age.

22 Jan 2026

Brain complexity declines in Alzheimer's disease

As individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) move from the mild cognitive impairment stage to moderate and severe dementia, complex awareness deteriorates although lower-level sensory awareness is relatively maintained.

22 Jan 2026