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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.

Gene therapy breakthrough could provide hope for millions living with chronic pain

A preclinical study uncovered a new gene therapy that targets pain centers in the brain while eliminating the risk of addiction from narcotics treatments, a breakthrough which could provide hope for the more than 50 million Americans living with chronic pain.

7 Jan 2026

New insight into how our bodies keep brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii in check

The parasite that may already live in your brain can infect the very immune cells trying to destroy it, but new UVA Health research reveals how our bodies keep it under control.

7 Jan 2026

Novel approach uncovers possible drugs based on specific cellular targets for treating glioblastoma

Researchers have developed a new computational approach that uncovers possible drugs for specific cellular targets for treating glioblastoma, a lethal brain tumor.

7 Jan 2026

Research breakthrough could provide a new, non-invasive way to assess retinal health

For the first time, an international research team led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has recorded a tiny mechanical "twitch" in living human and rodent eyes at the exact moment a rod photoreceptor detects light.

7 Jan 2026

Study shows beneficial impact of natural light on people with type 2 diabetes

Metabolic diseases have reached epidemic proportions in our society, driven by a sedentary lifestyle coupled with circadian misalignment - a desynchrony between our intrinsic biological clocks and environmental signals.

7 Jan 2026

Microglia help protect the spinal cord from age-related damage

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that the nervous system's own immune cells help protect the spinal cord from age-related damage.

7 Jan 2026

Parkinson’s disease may stem from iron starvation rather than iron overload

This perspective argues that Parkinson’s disease may involve functional iron deficiency, where bioavailable iron is limited despite normal or elevated total iron in the brain. The authors propose that iron sequestration, not iron toxicity alone, may impair dopamine synthesis and neuronal survival.

6 Jan 2026

The gut is not just digestive and new evidence shows it actively controls brain function

This comprehensive review synthesizes a decade of human and animal research to explain how the gut and brain communicate through hormonal, neural, immune, and microbial pathways. It highlights how disruptions in these pathways contribute to gastrointestinal, metabolic, and neurological disorders, and how modern therapies are beginning to exploit gut–brain signaling for clinical benefit.

6 Jan 2026

Study reveals bioactive compounds driving Borage's diverse therapeutic benefits

For centuries, Borago officinalis - commonly known as Borage or the Starflower - has been a staple of traditional medicine.

6 Jan 2026

Charting brain cell epigenomics to reveal origins of psychiatric disorders

In a revealing Genomic Press Interview published today in Genomic Psychiatry, Dr. Maria Margarita Behrens recounts an extraordinary scientific journey that wound through four countries and multiple disciplines before arriving at fundamental questions about how the brain develops and what goes wrong in psychiatric disorders.

6 Jan 2026

New breakthrough could modernize treatment for glioblastoma

Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine and the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy have made a breakthrough that could modernize treatment for glioblastoma, a fast-growing and deadly form of brain cancer.

6 Jan 2026

Restoring brain energy balance reverses advanced Alzheimer’s disease in mouse models

For over a century, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been considered irreversible. Consequently, research has focused on disease prevention or slowing, rather than recovery.

6 Jan 2026

Ancient animals reveal sleep’s original role in maintaining brain health

A groundbreaking new study from Bar-Ilan University shows that one of sleep's core functions originated hundreds of millions of years ago in jellyfish and sea anemones, among the earliest creatures with nervous systems.

6 Jan 2026

Simple drug treatments could help older brains cope with memory decline and postoperative recovery

Simple pharmaceutical interventions could help older brains cope with memory impairment and recovery after surgery, new studies in mice suggest.

6 Jan 2026

Finger-prick blood test shows promise for detecting Alzheimer’s disease biology

Finger-prick dried blood sampling can accurately measure key Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, including p-tau217, GFAP, and NfL, showing strong concordance with venous plasma and meaningful associations with CSF pathology. While analytical limitations remain, this minimally invasive approach shows promise as a scalable research and screening tool within biomarker-based diagnostic pathways.

6 Jan 2026

Unveiling genetic links between schizophrenia and osteoporosis

A comprehensive genetic investigation led by Dr. Feng Liu at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital has uncovered striking molecular connections between schizophrenia and bone health, identifying 195 shared genetic loci that may explain why psychiatric patients face elevated fracture risks.

6 Jan 2026

TAAR1 mutation impairs brain signaling in schizophrenia

A genetic mutation passed from mother to children in families affected by schizophrenia has now been shown to completely silence a brain receptor that pharmaceutical companies are racing to target with new drugs.

6 Jan 2026

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research.

From ACROBiosystems 6 Jan 2026

Why individual differences hold the key to unlocking psychiatric mysteries

In a revealing Genomic Press Interview published today in Genomic Psychiatry, Dr. Noritaka Ichinohe challenges a foundational assumption that has quietly constrained psychiatric research for decades: the belief that meaningful explanation requires averaging away individual differences.

6 Jan 2026

Understanding the impact of pregnancy stressors on neuroimmune landscape of the fetal brain

The maternal microbiome and immune system have both independent and synergistic effects on fetal brain health - changes in the mother's immune system have been linked to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

6 Jan 2026

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Gene therapy breakthrough could provide hope for millions living with chronic pain

New insight into how our bodies keep brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii in check

Novel approach uncovers possible drugs based on specific cellular targets for treating glioblastoma

Research breakthrough could provide a new, non-invasive way to assess retinal health

Study shows beneficial impact of natural light on people with type 2 diabetes

Microglia help protect the spinal cord from age-related damage

Parkinson’s disease may stem from iron starvation rather than iron overload

The gut is not just digestive and new evidence shows it actively controls brain function

Study reveals bioactive compounds driving Borage's diverse therapeutic benefits

Charting brain cell epigenomics to reveal origins of psychiatric disorders

New breakthrough could modernize treatment for glioblastoma

Restoring brain energy balance reverses advanced Alzheimer’s disease in mouse models

Ancient animals reveal sleep’s original role in maintaining brain health

Simple drug treatments could help older brains cope with memory decline and postoperative recovery

Finger-prick blood test shows promise for detecting Alzheimer’s disease biology

Unveiling genetic links between schizophrenia and osteoporosis

TAAR1 mutation impairs brain signaling in schizophrenia

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

Why individual differences hold the key to unlocking psychiatric mysteries

Understanding the impact of pregnancy stressors on neuroimmune landscape of the fetal brain

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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