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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.

Chemists develop biosafe luminescent nanoparticles for imaging tumors and blood vessels

Chemists from Russia and Switzerland created biosafe luminescent nanoparticles for imaging tumors and blood vessels damaged by heart attack or stroke.

21 Mar 2017

Maternal infections during pregnancy may alter genes key to prenatal brain development

If a mother picks up an infection during pregnancy, her immune system will kick into action to clear the infection - but this self-defence mechanism may also have a small influence how her child's brain develops in the womb, in ways that are similar to how the brain develops in autism spectrum disorders.

21 Mar 2017

Study: Treatment window for Fragile X syndrome likely remains open into maturity after childhood

Brain samples from humans show that the treatment window for Fragile X syndrome likely remains open well into maturity after childhood, when previous tests with mice indicated it might close, according to a new Drexel University-led study.

21 Mar 2017

Research findings suggest potential strategies to combat IBMPFD and other degenerative diseases

UCLA researchers have discovered the molecular basis of, and identified potential treatment for, an incurable disease known as inclusion body myopathy, Paget disease with frontotemporal dementia, or IBMPFD.

21 Mar 2017

Researchers find new method for diagnosis of autism

New method for the diagnosis of autism was found by researchers at Mie University. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication and sensory abnormalities, such as sensitivity to sounds (auditory hypersensitivity). Despite intense research, the causes are still unknown.

21 Mar 2017

New portable camera can photograph the retina without need for pupil-dilating eye drops

It's the part of the eye exam everyone hates: the pupil-dilating eye drops. The drops work by opening the pupil and preventing the iris from constricting in response to light and are often used for routine examination and photography of the back of the eye.

21 Mar 2017

Salk scientists develop new way to find responders to lithium therapy

For roughly one-third of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, lithium is a miracle drug, effectively treating both their mania and depression. But once someone is diagnosed, it can take up to a year to learn whether that person will be among the 30 percent who respond to lithium or the 70 percent who do not.

21 Mar 2017

Duke scientists use mathematical tools to track how microbial evolution unfolded

As the human species evolved over the last six million years, our resident microbes did the same, adapting to vastly different conditions on our skin and in our mouths, noses, genitalia and guts.

21 Mar 2017

Clinical study tests efficacy of new focused ultrasound-based treatment for breast fibroadenoma

Patients with benign breast tumors may be eligible for a new focused ultrasound-based investigational treatment as part of a pivotal, multi-center clinical study. The trial began last month at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

20 Mar 2017

Early treatment with stem cells can safely help recovery in stroke patients, study shows

A multicenter trial looking at whether a single dose of millions of adult, bone-marrow-derived stem cells can aid stroke recovery indicates it's safe and well-tolerated by patients but may not significantly improve their recovery within the first three months, researchers report.

20 Mar 2017

Medications, PCI equally beneficial for treating complete blockage in heart's arteries

In patients with a complete blockage in the heart's arteries that persists over time, treatment with medications alone was found to be equal to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a procedure to open blocked arteries, in terms of major adverse events over three years, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

20 Mar 2017

Deep brain stimulation could be effective treatment option for patients with severe depressions

Treatment with deep brain stimulation can provide lasting relief to patients suffering from previously non-treatable, severe forms of depression several years into the therapy or even eliminate symptoms entirely.

20 Mar 2017

Researchers discover new genes that help prevent prostate and other cancers

New genes which help prevent prostate, skin and breast cancer development in mice have been discovered by researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators.

20 Mar 2017

World's first licence for mitochondrial donation IVF may enable women to have disease-free babies

Eminent UK reproductive and genetics experts have become the first in the world licensed to provide a revolutionary IVF procedure using donor DNA – which they spent decades developing – enabling women carrying potentially fatal mitochondrial disease to have healthy, genetically-related babies.

20 Mar 2017

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals first in the UK to use cutting-edge robotic neurosurgery

SHEFFIELD Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation has become the first NHS hospital in the UK to use a cutting-edge robot using a system similar to a GPS to transform the lives of patients needing complex brain surgery.

20 Mar 2017

Pacing program can lead to seven-fold reduction in fainting episodes

Patients with recurrent fainting episodes (syncope) who received a pacemaker delivering a pacing program designed to detect and stop the abnormal heart rhythms that precede syncope had a seven-fold reduction in fainting compared with patients in a placebo pacing group, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

20 Mar 2017

Closing left atrial appendage linked to reduction in stroke risk for AFib patients

For patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm disorder, closing the area of the heart known as the left atrial appendage as an add-on procedure during cardiac surgery was associated with a 40 percent reduction in the risk of thromboembolism (a condition when a blood clot forms and blocks an artery, which can cause a stroke or other complications) according to an observational study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

20 Mar 2017

Study reveals link between endovascular procedures and microbleeding in the brain

Small leakages from blood vessels in the brain, known as microbleeds, increase with age and are associated with cognitive decline. Of 84 older patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), nearly a quarter developed new microbleeds after their procedure, according to results of a single-center study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

20 Mar 2017

Combination approach holds potential for treating lung cancer patients

An emerging approach for cancer treatment seeks to combine radiation therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors to more effectively control tumors in the chest with an acceptable risk of severe treatment-related side effects.

17 Mar 2017

Penn study reveals new patterns of coordinated development in the brain during adolescence

Adolescence marks not only the period of physical maturation bridging childhood and adulthood, but also a crucial period for remodeling of the human brain.

17 Mar 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Chemists develop biosafe luminescent nanoparticles for imaging tumors and blood vessels

Maternal infections during pregnancy may alter genes key to prenatal brain development

Study: Treatment window for Fragile X syndrome likely remains open into maturity after childhood

Research findings suggest potential strategies to combat IBMPFD and other degenerative diseases

Researchers find new method for diagnosis of autism

New portable camera can photograph the retina without need for pupil-dilating eye drops

Salk scientists develop new way to find responders to lithium therapy

Duke scientists use mathematical tools to track how microbial evolution unfolded

Clinical study tests efficacy of new focused ultrasound-based treatment for breast fibroadenoma

Early treatment with stem cells can safely help recovery in stroke patients, study shows

Medications, PCI equally beneficial for treating complete blockage in heart's arteries

Deep brain stimulation could be effective treatment option for patients with severe depressions

Researchers discover new genes that help prevent prostate and other cancers

World's first licence for mitochondrial donation IVF may enable women to have disease-free babies

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals first in the UK to use cutting-edge robotic neurosurgery

Pacing program can lead to seven-fold reduction in fainting episodes

Closing left atrial appendage linked to reduction in stroke risk for AFib patients

Study reveals link between endovascular procedures and microbleeding in the brain

Combination approach holds potential for treating lung cancer patients

Penn study reveals new patterns of coordinated development in the brain during adolescence

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

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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