Brain News and Research

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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.

TGen scientists identify potent inhibitory compound for treatment against glioblastoma

A study led by scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute has identified "a potent inhibitory compound" in the elusive hunt for an improved treatment against glioblastoma, the most common and deadly type of adult brain cancer.

18 Jan 2017

UIC chemists pinpoint role of cholesterol in cells

Scientists have long puzzled over cholesterol. It's biologically necessary; it's observably harmful - and nobody knows what it's doing where it's most abundant in cells: in the cell membrane.

18 Jan 2017

Researchers identify brain cell types from cell culture of adult human neurons

Studying brain disorders in people and developing drugs to treat them has been slowed by the inability to investigate single living cells from adult patients

18 Jan 2017

Blocking molecular signaling pathway could prevent or reverse peripheral neuropathy

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the University of Manitoba and St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre in Canada, have identified a molecular signaling pathway that, when blocked, promotes sensory neuron growth and prevents or reverses peripheral neuropathy in cell and rodent models of type 1 and 2 diabetes, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and HIV.

18 Jan 2017

Researchers discover role of neuron protein in learning abilities and AIDS-related dementia

Researchers from the University of California and Cardiff University have made a breakthrough in the understanding of AIDS-related dementia, discovering the role of a neuron protein which was also found to affect learning abilities in healthy subjects.

18 Jan 2017

Penn researchers discover antimicrobial that thwarts Zika viral entry into human cells

A panel of small molecules that inhibit Zika virus infection, including one that stands out as a potent inhibitor of Zika viral entry into relevant human cell types, was discovered by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

17 Jan 2017

Talking therapy strengthens connections in the brains of people with psychosis, study shows

A new study from King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has shown for the first time that cognitive behaviour therapy strengthens specific connections in the brains of people with psychosis, and that these stronger connections are associated with long-term reduction in symptoms and recovery eight years later.

17 Jan 2017

New Apple ResearchKit app from Penn Medicine focuses on sarcoidosis patients

Penn Medicine today launched its first Apple ResearchKit app, focused on patients with sarcoidosis, an inflammatory condition that can affect the lungs, skin, eyes, heart, brain, and other organs.

17 Jan 2017

Analgesic effects of opioids can be mediated via immune cells

Opioids are the most powerful painkillers. Researchers at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have now found that the analgesic effects of opioids are not exclusively mediated by opioid receptors in the brain, but can also be mediated via the activation of receptors in immune cells.

17 Jan 2017

Bionic hand reconstruction offers hope for patients with global brachial plexopathies

Bionic hand? No longer only an image conjured by science fiction, bionic hands return functionality in cases of traumatic nerve and muscle loss.

17 Jan 2017

COGENT scientists uncover genes responsible for cognitive ability

An international team of scientists, led by Todd Lencz, PhD, professor at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research at Northwell Health and Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, have unlocked some of the genes responsible for cognitive ability.

17 Jan 2017

Diminishing levels of GABA may play role in age-related cognitive decline

Diminishing levels of GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, may play a role in cognitive decline as we age, according to a study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

17 Jan 2017

Accurate test for jaundice could lead to effective treatment in premature newborns

Seeking to improve the care of preterm infants, a new study by researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has found a more accurate test for jaundice, a common disorder in newborns.

17 Jan 2017

Onset of hypertension later in life linked to lower dementia risk, study finds

New study results published online today in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association suggest that onset of high blood pressure later in life is associated with lower dementia risk after age 90, especially if hypertension is developed at age 80 or older.

17 Jan 2017

Maternal multi-micronutrients, nurturing environment in early life foster childhood development

Mothers who take multi-micronutrient supplements during pregnancy can add the equivalent of up to one full year of schooling to a child's cognitive abilities at age 9-12, says a new study published today.

17 Jan 2017

Naturally-occurring compound can inhibit early formation of toxins linked to Parkinson's Disease

A naturally-occurring compound has been found to block a molecular process thought to underlie Parkinson's Disease, and to suppress its toxic products, scientists have reported.

17 Jan 2017

Important vaccines that should not be missed by adults, elders and pregnant women

Vaccines are an important part of routine healthcare for adults, seniors and women who are pregnant.

16 Jan 2017

Functional deficits caused by mini-strokes can last longer than previously thought

Evidence overwhelmingly supports a link between cognitive decline and cerebrovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Not only do individuals with cerebrovascular diseases have a much higher incidence of cortical microinfarcts (mini-strokes), but post-mortem histological and in vivo radiological studies also find that the burden of microinfarcts is significantly greater among people with vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) than in age-matched, non-demented individuals.

16 Jan 2017

New antibody design may pave way for treating diseases affecting the brain

Immunotherapy has proven to be effective against many serious diseases. But to treat diseases in the brain, the antibodies must first get past the obstacle of the blood-brain barrier.

16 Jan 2017

Antivirals that block influenza can also inhibit Zika virus infection, study shows

Researchers from the University of Helsinki have shown that three anti-influenza compounds effectively inhibit Zika virus infection in human cells.

16 Jan 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

TGen scientists identify potent inhibitory compound for treatment against glioblastoma

UIC chemists pinpoint role of cholesterol in cells

Researchers identify brain cell types from cell culture of adult human neurons

Blocking molecular signaling pathway could prevent or reverse peripheral neuropathy

Researchers discover role of neuron protein in learning abilities and AIDS-related dementia

Penn researchers discover antimicrobial that thwarts Zika viral entry into human cells

Talking therapy strengthens connections in the brains of people with psychosis, study shows

New Apple ResearchKit app from Penn Medicine focuses on sarcoidosis patients

Analgesic effects of opioids can be mediated via immune cells

Bionic hand reconstruction offers hope for patients with global brachial plexopathies

COGENT scientists uncover genes responsible for cognitive ability

Diminishing levels of GABA may play role in age-related cognitive decline

Accurate test for jaundice could lead to effective treatment in premature newborns

Onset of hypertension later in life linked to lower dementia risk, study finds

Maternal multi-micronutrients, nurturing environment in early life foster childhood development

Naturally-occurring compound can inhibit early formation of toxins linked to Parkinson's Disease

Important vaccines that should not be missed by adults, elders and pregnant women

Functional deficits caused by mini-strokes can last longer than previously thought

New antibody design may pave way for treating diseases affecting the brain

Antivirals that block influenza can also inhibit Zika virus infection, study shows

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd 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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