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.

Disruptive sleep patterns could raise heart disease risk in shift workers and insomniacs

People who suffer from a lack of sleep and disordered sleep cycles could be increasing their chances of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study in the American Heart Association’s Journal Hypertension.

7 Jun 2016

Study establishes copper’s role in fat metabolism

A new study is further burnishing copper's reputation as an essential nutrient for human physiology. A research team led by a scientist at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that copper plays a key role in metabolizing fat.

7 Jun 2016

Myricitrin may play role in preventing neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease

A new study has shown that myricitrin, a flavinoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity that is present inedible plants and fruit, can protect mouse brains from the loss of dopamine-producing neurons caused by neurotoxicity.

7 Jun 2016

Human stem cells restore motor function in chronic stroke patients

Injecting modified, human, adult stem cells directly into the brains of chronic stroke patients proved not only safe but effective in restoring motor function, according to the findings of a small clinical trial led by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators.

7 Jun 2016

HKUST study suggests innate immune response plays vital role in pathogenesis of AD

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating condition with no known effective treatment. The disease is characterized by memory loss as well as impaired locomotor ability, reasoning, and judgment. Emerging evidence suggests that the innate immune response plays a major role in the pathogenesis of AD.

7 Jun 2016

Genes of healthy leanness could lead to new approach to treating obesity-related diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes could be helped by the discovery of a gene linked to leanness.

7 Jun 2016

Northwestern Medicine scientists link TMEM230 gene mutations to Parkinson's disease development

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a new cause of Parkinson's disease -- mutations in a gene called TMEM230. This appears to be the third gene definitively linked to confirmed cases of the common movement disorder.

7 Jun 2016

Higher blood levels of methotrexate impair executive functioning in long-term pediatric ALL survivors

Research from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital suggests that pediatric leukemia patients exposed to higher concentrations of the chemotherapy drug methotrexate are more likely to struggle with mental flexibility, organization and related skills as long-term survivors.

7 Jun 2016

Zika virus directly infects brain progenitor cells in newborns to cause neurological problems

The mosquito-borne Zika virus linked to microcephaly and other neurological problems in newborns of affected mothers directly infects the brain progenitor cells destined to become neurons, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report in a study published online today in Cell Reports.

6 Jun 2016

Alabama physician recommends childbearing-age women to take precautions against Zika virus

As concerns about the Zika virus rise among women of childbearing age in the United States, Joseph Biggio, M.D., director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, wants those who are pregnant or trying to conceive to take precautions.

6 Jun 2016

Advances in precision diagnostics aid accurate detection of CNS tumors

Thanks to new methods of precision diagnostics, such as DNA sequencing and epigenetic analyses, it is becoming increasingly possible to identify specific central nervous system (CNS) tumors accurately and to provide targeted treatment. The Comprehensive Cancer Center of MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital is one of the top centers in the world for diagnosing and treating this type of tumor.

6 Jun 2016

Personlized exercise pattern may help reduce neuropathic symptoms of chemotherapy

Researchers at the University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute discovered something simple and inexpensive to reduce neuropathy in hands and feet due to chemotherapy--exercise.

6 Jun 2016

Research shows IFITM3 protein can block Zika virus from infecting human, mouse cells

Eight weeks after receiving their first samples of Zika virus, scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have shown that a very small protein we all have in our bodies, interferon-induced protein 3 (IFITM3), can dramatically reduce the ability of Zika virus to infect human and mouse cells.

6 Jun 2016

Study offers more insights into how sensory experiences shape brain development

Most people encounter most things by sensing them in multiple ways. As we hear the words people speak, we also see their lips move. We smell, see and hear the onions as we chop them -- and we feel them with teary eyes.

6 Jun 2016

Rare DNA alteration may increase rsk of multiple sclerosis

Scientists at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health have proven that multiple sclerosis (MS) can be caused by a single genetic mutation - a rare alteration in DNA that makes it very likely a person will develop the more devastating form of the neurological disease.

6 Jun 2016

Intellectually challenging job linked to better memory, cognitive functioning

Working in a more intellectually challenging job is associated with better memory and other aspects of cognitive functioning, reports a study in the June Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

6 Jun 2016

Giving chemotherapy after radiotherapy delays rare brain tumour growth

GIVING chemotherapy after radiotherapy delays further growth of a rare type of brain tumour, increasing the number of patients alive at five years from 44 per cent to 56 per cent.

6 Jun 2016

Experts highlight need for change in neuroscience training

Call them the Brain Generation -- the tens of thousands of college and graduate students working toward degrees in neuroscience, and the high school students who want to join them someday.

6 Jun 2016

Radiation therapy with bevacizumab/pembrolizumab improves outcomes in glioma patients

Patients with recurrent high-grade glioma brain tumors have few effective treatment options and the majority of available therapies do not improve survival. Moffitt Cancer Center will present preliminary results from a phase 1 study testing whether the addition of pembrolizumab to radiation therapy and bevacizumab is safe and can control tumor growth for these patients.

6 Jun 2016

Gene alterations in WNT pathway may increase CRC risk in younger patients

While increased screening continues to drive down overall colorectal cancer rates, the rate of colorectal cancer in patients under age 50 is increasing, and the disease is commonly more aggressive in these young patients.

6 Jun 2016

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Disruptive sleep patterns could raise heart disease risk in shift workers and insomniacs

Study establishes copper’s role in fat metabolism

Myricitrin may play role in preventing neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease

Human stem cells restore motor function in chronic stroke patients

HKUST study suggests innate immune response plays vital role in pathogenesis of AD

Genes of healthy leanness could lead to new approach to treating obesity-related diabetes

Northwestern Medicine scientists link TMEM230 gene mutations to Parkinson's disease development

Higher blood levels of methotrexate impair executive functioning in long-term pediatric ALL survivors

Zika virus directly infects brain progenitor cells in newborns to cause neurological problems

Alabama physician recommends childbearing-age women to take precautions against Zika virus

Advances in precision diagnostics aid accurate detection of CNS tumors

Personlized exercise pattern may help reduce neuropathic symptoms of chemotherapy

Research shows IFITM3 protein can block Zika virus from infecting human, mouse cells

Study offers more insights into how sensory experiences shape brain development

Rare DNA alteration may increase rsk of multiple sclerosis

Intellectually challenging job linked to better memory, cognitive functioning

Giving chemotherapy after radiotherapy delays rare brain tumour growth

Experts highlight need for change in neuroscience training

Radiation therapy with bevacizumab/pembrolizumab improves outcomes in glioma patients

Gene alterations in WNT pathway may increase CRC risk in younger patients

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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