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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.

Loss of consciousness key outcome marker in SAH

A large study of patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage confirms loss of consciousness as a clinically important indicator of outcome.

17 Nov 2015

HITLAB selects five finalists for HITLAB World Cup

HITLAB has selected five finalists for its HITLAB World Cup, an international competition that promotes original solutions to pressing healthcare challenges. The best and brightest in healthcare innovation, the finalists, will present their ideas at the HITLAB Innovators SummitSM on December 4, 2015, at Columbia University's Alfred Lerner Hall.

17 Nov 2015

Structural differences in key brain region linked to hallucinations in people diagnosed with schizophrenia

People diagnosed with schizophrenia who are prone to hallucinations are likely to have structural differences in a key region of the brain compared to both healthy individuals and people diagnosed with schizophrenia who do not hallucinate, according to research published today.

17 Nov 2015

AstraZeneca announces FDA approval of TAGRISSO (AZD9291) for treatment of lung cancer patients

AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved TAGRISSO (AZD9291) 80mg once-daily tablets for the treatment of patients with metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as detected by an FDA-approved test, who have progressed on or after EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy.

17 Nov 2015

Birmingham researchers identify how Salmonella infections can lead to life-threatening thrombosis

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have, for the first time, identified how Salmonella infections that have spread to our blood and organs can lead to life-threatening thrombosis.

17 Nov 2015

Scientists show how absence of microbiota has remarkable effect against obesity

In the past few years, research on gut microbiota (that is, all microorganisms, mainly bacteria, inhabiting our gut) has started to unravel its tremendous role in our body, and how it symbiotically affects the functioning of our organs. In particular, microbiota has also an impact on the way calories are absorbed and how fat cells develop.

17 Nov 2015

Researchers identify molecular patterns that dominate gene expression in the human brain

The human brain may be the most complex piece of organized matter in the known universe, but Allen Institute researchers have begun to unravel the genetic code underlying its function. Research published this month in Nature Neuroscience identified a surprisingly small set of molecular patterns that dominate gene expression in the human brain and appear to be common to all individuals, providing key insights into the core of the genetic code that makes our brains distinctly human.

17 Nov 2015

Drug prevents onset of cognitive and cellular effects in mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

In a novel animal study design that mimicked human clinical trials, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that long-term treatment using a small molecule drug that reduces activity of the brain's stress circuitry significantly reduces Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology and prevents onset of cognitive impairment in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition.

17 Nov 2015

Augmented microscopy may allow neurosurgeons to clearly distinguish cancerous from healthy tissue

Researchers at the University of Arizona have invented a device that for the first time allows neurosurgeons, who use microscopes extensively while operating, to see blood flowing inside vessels and more clearly distinguish cancerous from healthy tissue under the microscope.

17 Nov 2015

New tool may help diagnose and treat Parkinson's disease in early stages

A group of experts working under the umbrella of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, have developed a new tool for healthcare professionals that they hope will mark a significant advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease, especially in its early stages.

15 Nov 2015

Study: Programmable electronic glasses help improve vision in children diagnosed with lazy eye

A new study on lazy eye found that programmable electronic glasses help improve vision in children just as well as the more traditional treatment using eye patches. This "digital patch" is the first new effective treatment for lazy eye in half a century. Results from the first U.S. trial of this device will be presented at AAO 2015, the 119th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

15 Nov 2015

Researchers find molecular mechanism that may be responsible for development of amyloidoses

A team of local researchers has proposed a molecular mechanism that may be responsible for the development of life-threatening diseases called amyloidoses. The best known of such diseases is Alzheimer's disease (AD), but there are many others that are receiving increased scrutiny, in part because of mounting evidence linking them to atherosclerosis and aging.

13 Nov 2015

Study: Eating sweet foods causes the brain to form memories that may control eating behaviors

Eating sweet foods causes the brain to form a memory of a meal, according to researchers at Georgia State University, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.

13 Nov 2015

Experimental drug candidate aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease has anti-aging effects

Salk Institute researchers have found that an experimental drug candidate aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease has a host of unexpected anti-aging effects in animals.

13 Nov 2015

U of I scientists show that tomato component reduces growth of prostate tumors in animal models

Years of research in University of Illinois scientist John Erdman's laboratory have demonstrated that lycopene, the bioactive red pigment found in tomatoes, reduces growth of prostate tumors in a variety of animal models. Until now, though, he did not have a way to trace lycopene's metabolism in the human body.

13 Nov 2015

TGen: PPF drug could help treat patients with deadly brain cancer

In a significant breakthrough, the Translational Genomics Research Institute has identified a drug, propentofylline or PPF, that could help treat patients with deadly brain cancer.

13 Nov 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers present new healthcare tips from American Heart Association Meeting

Linking digital activity trackers to smartphones and periodically pinging users with personalized texts that urge them to walk more can significantly increase physical activity levels and spark healthy behavior changes, according to findings of a pilot study conducted at Johns Hopkins.

13 Nov 2015

Mayo Clinic's Florida campus awarded NIH grant to identify vascular risk factors in aging and dementia

Mayo Clinic's Florida campus was awarded a $5.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to identify vascular risk factors in aging and dementia, and translate that knowledge into studying potential targets for treatment.

12 Nov 2015

New RNA test of blood platelets can be used to detect location of cancer

A new RNA test of blood platelets can be used to detect, classify and pinpoint the location of cancer by analysing a sample equivalent to one drop of blood. Using this new method for blood-based RNA tests of blood platelets, researchers have been able to identify cancer with 96 per cent accuracy. This according to a study at Umeå University in Sweden recently published in the journal Cancer Cell.

12 Nov 2015

New antenna-like device makes breast cancer surgery easier for surgeons

Breast cancer surgeons routinely face a dilemma: how to find tumors they cannot feel. Before going into the operating room they must use some method to locate them. Currently, the method they use requires a radiologist to insert a device into the woman's breast.

12 Nov 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Loss of consciousness key outcome marker in SAH

HITLAB selects five finalists for HITLAB World Cup

Structural differences in key brain region linked to hallucinations in people diagnosed with schizophrenia

AstraZeneca announces FDA approval of TAGRISSO (AZD9291) for treatment of lung cancer patients

Birmingham researchers identify how Salmonella infections can lead to life-threatening thrombosis

Scientists show how absence of microbiota has remarkable effect against obesity

Researchers identify molecular patterns that dominate gene expression in the human brain

Drug prevents onset of cognitive and cellular effects in mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Augmented microscopy may allow neurosurgeons to clearly distinguish cancerous from healthy tissue

New tool may help diagnose and treat Parkinson's disease in early stages

Study: Programmable electronic glasses help improve vision in children diagnosed with lazy eye

Researchers find molecular mechanism that may be responsible for development of amyloidoses

Study: Eating sweet foods causes the brain to form memories that may control eating behaviors

Experimental drug candidate aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease has anti-aging effects

U of I scientists show that tomato component reduces growth of prostate tumors in animal models

TGen: PPF drug could help treat patients with deadly brain cancer

Johns Hopkins researchers present new healthcare tips from American Heart Association Meeting

Mayo Clinic's Florida campus awarded NIH grant to identify vascular risk factors in aging and dementia

New RNA test of blood platelets can be used to detect location of cancer

New antenna-like device makes breast cancer surgery easier for surgeons

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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