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.

Study links dopamine D2 receptor to long-term episodic memory

A European study led by Umea University Professor Lars Nyberg, has shown that the dopamine D2 receptor is linked to the long-term episodic memory, which function often reduces with age and due to dementia.

29 Jun 2016

New study demonstrates no risk of contracting dementia through blood transfusion

Previous studies have shown that neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's can be induced in healthy laboratory animals, causing concern that dementia diseases can be transmitted between individuals, possibly via blood transfusions.

29 Jun 2016

New research could pave way for improving retinal implants

Engineers and neuroscientists at the University of Sheffield have demonstrated for the first time that the cells in the retina carry out key processing tasks. This could pave the way for improving retinal implants and therefore the sight of thousands of people suffering from retinal disorders.

29 Jun 2016

Regular physical activity improves brain power, academic prowess in children

A consensus statement which includes a University of Exeter researcher says exercise boosts kids' and young people's brain power and academic prowess.

29 Jun 2016

Researcher receives federal grant to advance study of tumor nanoimmunology

The five-year grant was awarded by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The funds come on top of four previous grants to support Ljubimova's work. In all, the institute has awarded Ljubimova $16.5 million over the last five years.

29 Jun 2016

New technology could help deliver treatments for brain injuries

A new study led by scientists at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute describes a technology that could lead to new therapeutics for traumatic brain injuries. The discovery, published today in Nature Communications, provides a means of homing drugs or nanoparticles to injured areas of the brain.

29 Jun 2016

Experts receive NIH grant to study why some HIV-infected individuals resist TB

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine experts and colleagues in the United States and Africa have received an $11 million, five-year NIH grant to understand why some people living with HIV in Africa avoid becoming infected with the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) despite exposure to high-TB-risk circumstances.

29 Jun 2016

Structures on surface of pneumococci determine bacteria’s ability to cause meningitis

Structures on the surface of pneumococci determine the ability of these bacteria to enter the brain and cause severe infections, according to a paper published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation by researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

29 Jun 2016

Study: Zika virus infections last longer during pregnancy

University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers studying monkeys have shown that one infection with Zika virus protects against future infection, though pregnancy may drastically prolong the time the virus stays in the body.

29 Jun 2016

Telemedicine shows promise in Parkinson’s disease care

Like countless other patients, Ann Johnson, a retired veterinarian, has been willing to travel long distances and devote an entire day to be treated by a specialist at Rush University Medical Center. But a recent appointment lasted less than 30 minutes, and the only travel was to her living room.

29 Jun 2016

Tiny doses of anti-HIV drug may be effective for treating Alzheimer's disease

For a promising pathway to treating Alzheimer's patients, "aim here." That's what National Institute of Standards of Technology researchers advised collaborators hunting for molecules that, by linking to a normally occurring enzyme, rev up the brain's capacity for clearing cholesterol--a boost associated with improvements in memory and other benefits in animal studies.

29 Jun 2016

Mice studies reveal new insights into neurons that cause symptoms of Rett syndrome

Two studies in mice from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, reveal new insights into neurons that mediate symptoms typical of the postnatal neurological disorder Rett syndrome.

29 Jun 2016

Researchers develop new technology to capture images of the brain

In a partnership melding neuroscience and electrical engineering, researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University have developed a new technology that will allow neuroscientists to capture images of the brain almost 10 times larger than previously possible - helping them better understand the behavior of neurons in the brain.

28 Jun 2016

Combined therapy approach could prove promising to treat brain cancer

A "combined therapy" approach to treating the most common form of brain cancer could prove promising, scientists say.

28 Jun 2016

Blocking c-Abl enzyme prevents Parkinson’s disease progression in mice

Researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have gleaned two important new clues in the fight against Parkinson's disease: that blocking an enzyme called c-Abl prevents the disease in specially bred mice, and that a chemical tag on a second protein may signal the disorder's presence and progression.

28 Jun 2016

Why does appetite loss occur during illness? An interview with Prof. Conti and Prof. Francesconi

Appetite, as a word, come from the Latin appetitus, meaning "desire for.” Therefore, appetite can be defined as a pleasurable sensation or the desire to eat. This sensation is coordinated by several brain areas associated with reward processing such amygdala, hippocampus, ventral pallidum, nucleus accumbens and striatum, and others.

28 Jun 2016

New non-invasive method may help treat people with inoperable or hard-to-reach tumors

Matthew Gdovin, an associate professor in the UTSA Department of Biology, has developed a newly patented method to kill cancer cells.

28 Jun 2016

Pain reliever appears to help preserve vision in animal model of retinal degeneration

A pain medicine that potently activates a receptor vital to a healthy retina appears to help preserve vision in a model of severe retinal degeneration, scientists report.

28 Jun 2016

Advances in epigenome sequencing technologies can allow comprehensive analysis of cancers

An international research collaboration led by UCL scientists has developed ways to improve the quality and accuracy of information harvested from epigenome sequencing datasets in two new research papers published jointly in Nature Biotechnology and Nature Communications today. According to the studies, epigenome sequencing technologies can allow for more comprehensive analysis of cancers - a key component in the development of targeted approaches to combat cancer.

28 Jun 2016

Disrupted fetal immune system increases later risk of neurodevelopmental diseases

Disrupted fetal immune system development, such as that caused by viral infection in the mother, may be a key factor in the later appearance of certain neurodevelopmental disorders.

28 Jun 2016

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Study links dopamine D2 receptor to long-term episodic memory

New study demonstrates no risk of contracting dementia through blood transfusion

New research could pave way for improving retinal implants

Regular physical activity improves brain power, academic prowess in children

Researcher receives federal grant to advance study of tumor nanoimmunology

New technology could help deliver treatments for brain injuries

Experts receive NIH grant to study why some HIV-infected individuals resist TB

Structures on surface of pneumococci determine bacteria’s ability to cause meningitis

Study: Zika virus infections last longer during pregnancy

Telemedicine shows promise in Parkinson’s disease care

Tiny doses of anti-HIV drug may be effective for treating Alzheimer's disease

Mice studies reveal new insights into neurons that cause symptoms of Rett syndrome

Researchers develop new technology to capture images of the brain

Combined therapy approach could prove promising to treat brain cancer

Blocking c-Abl enzyme prevents Parkinson’s disease progression in mice

Why does appetite loss occur during illness? An interview with Prof. Conti and Prof. Francesconi

New non-invasive method may help treat people with inoperable or hard-to-reach tumors

Pain reliever appears to help preserve vision in animal model of retinal degeneration

Advances in epigenome sequencing technologies can allow comprehensive analysis of cancers

Disrupted fetal immune system increases later risk of neurodevelopmental diseases

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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