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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.

Small molecule discovery could open the door to new class of treatments for hard-to-treat cancers

Researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a small molecule that can inhibit a cancer-driving protein long considered impossible to target with drugs - a discovery that could open the door to a new class of treatments for leukemia and other hard-to-treat cancers.

9 Dec 2025

WSU researchers discover how a neural circuit drives relapse after opioid use

Washington State University researchers have discovered how a neural circuit – or a connection between two brain regions – drives relapse after opioid use, a finding that could lead to more effective treatments for opioid use disorders.

9 Dec 2025

Brain function discovery helps explain why childhood adversity raises metabolic disease risk in women

McGill University researchers have identified a brain function that helps explain why childhood stress raises metabolic health risks for some women later in life.

9 Dec 2025

Physical activity may help restore ease of movement and agility during aging

The brain-chemical surge that comes with running may bolster coordination and speed in the old and young alike, a new study of middle-aged mice shows.

9 Dec 2025

Study reveals how brain protein KCC2 influences reward learning

A new finding from researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center shows that the learning process of associating cues with rewards can be altered by increased or decreased activity of a specific protein in the brain.

9 Dec 2025

Supportive marriages may shape appetite control through oxytocin and the brain–gut axis

Supportive marital relationships are associated with lower BMI, fewer food addiction symptoms, higher oxytocin, stronger frontal brain responses to food cues, and favorable gut tryptophan metabolites. These coordinated social, neural, hormonal, and gut pathways suggest a plausible biological link between emotional support and healthier eating regulation.

8 Dec 2025

Laughing gas shows fast antidepressant effects in early clinical trials

A systematic review and meta-analysis in eBioMedicine shows that nitrous oxide can rapidly reduce depressive symptoms within hours, particularly at higher doses, but effects are short-lived after single treatments. Repeated dosing appears to extend and strengthen antidepressant benefits, although the current evidence is based on small, early-phase trials with limited long-term safety data.

8 Dec 2025

Unified EEG imaging method improves accuracy in identifying epileptogenic zones

A new advance from Carnegie Mellon University researchers could reshape how clinicians identify the brain regions responsible for drug-resistant epilepsy.

8 Dec 2025

AI method could help clinicians accurately identify brain tumors and radiation necrosis

While targeted radiation can be an effective treatment for brain tumors, subsequent potential necrosis of the treated areas can be hard to distinguish from the tumors on a standard MRI.

8 Dec 2025

Researchers explore brain activity linking nicotine withdrawal and pain sensitivity

Abstinent smokers experience increased pain sensitivity during withdrawal, to the point that they often require more pain relief after surgery.

8 Dec 2025

UCI MIND secures major funding for new Alzheimer's research facility

With a $50 million lead gift from the Quilter family and approximately $30 million in new commitments, the University of California, Irvine's Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders will begin planning to build a state-of-the-art research and care facility to enhance its position as a global leader in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias research and patient care.

8 Dec 2025

Insufficient sleep may decrease life expectancy

A good night's sleep is more than a luxury: New research from Oregon Health & Science University suggests that insufficient sleep may shorten your life.

8 Dec 2025

NYS Medical Cannabis Program reduces chronic pain patients' reliance on opioids

Adults with chronic pain who participated in New York State's (NYS) Medical Cannabis Program were significantly less likely to require prescription opioids, according to a new study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine and led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System.

8 Dec 2025

Novel wireless device uses light to send information directly to the brain

In a new leap for neurobiology and bioelectronics, Northwestern University scientists have developed a wireless device that uses light to send information directly to the brain - bypassing the body's natural sensory pathways.

8 Dec 2025

PTSD may be linked to accelerated brain aging among World Trade Center responders

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be linked to accelerated brain aging among World Trade Center (WTC) responders involved in rescue and recovery operations after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

8 Dec 2025

New combination treatment offers significant benefits for people with recurring grade 3 astrocytoma

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) participated in a clinical trial that found that a new combination treatment plan helped people with recurring grade 3 astrocytoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, live longer.

8 Dec 2025

Kiwifruit intake boosts vitamin C in skin and supports dermal structure

Study shows that increasing dietary vitamin C intake with kiwifruit raises vitamin C levels in both the dermis and epidermis through active transport from the bloodstream. Higher skin vitamin C levels were associated with increased skin density and epidermal cell proliferation, but not with improved UV protection or measurable increases in new collagen markers.

7 Dec 2025

Calcium supplements do not prevent pre-eclampsia, large trials show no meaningful benefit

Despite long-standing recommendations, a major updated Cochrane review finds that calcium supplementation during pregnancy does not meaningfully reduce pre-eclampsia risk, prompting a rethink of how best to prevent hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

7 Dec 2025

Early exposure to fat-related food smells increases lifelong obesity risk

Early exposure to fat-related food odors during development alters central sensory processing and metabolic regulation, independently of maternal obesity or nutrient intake. These sensory cues program long-term susceptibility to obesity, impaired thermogenesis, and altered brain responses to dietary fat in adulthood.

7 Dec 2025

Smartphone motor tests can predict dopamine deficiency in Parkinson’s disease without brain scans

Researchers explore the use of smartphones coupled with clinical scores to evaluate motor function and predict dopamine deficiency.

7 Dec 2025

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Small molecule discovery could open the door to new class of treatments for hard-to-treat cancers

WSU researchers discover how a neural circuit drives relapse after opioid use

Brain function discovery helps explain why childhood adversity raises metabolic disease risk in women

Physical activity may help restore ease of movement and agility during aging

Study reveals how brain protein KCC2 influences reward learning

Supportive marriages may shape appetite control through oxytocin and the brain–gut axis

Laughing gas shows fast antidepressant effects in early clinical trials

Unified EEG imaging method improves accuracy in identifying epileptogenic zones

AI method could help clinicians accurately identify brain tumors and radiation necrosis

Researchers explore brain activity linking nicotine withdrawal and pain sensitivity

UCI MIND secures major funding for new Alzheimer's research facility

Insufficient sleep may decrease life expectancy

NYS Medical Cannabis Program reduces chronic pain patients' reliance on opioids

Novel wireless device uses light to send information directly to the brain

PTSD may be linked to accelerated brain aging among World Trade Center responders

New combination treatment offers significant benefits for people with recurring grade 3 astrocytoma

Kiwifruit intake boosts vitamin C in skin and supports dermal structure

Calcium supplements do not prevent pre-eclampsia, large trials show no meaningful benefit

Early exposure to fat-related food smells increases lifelong obesity risk

Smartphone motor tests can predict dopamine deficiency in Parkinson’s disease without brain scans

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

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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