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.

New study shows nicotine exposure promotes alcohol dependence

Why do smokers have a five to ten times greater risk of developing alcohol dependence than nonsmokers? Do smokers have a greater tendency toward addiction in general or does nicotine somehow reinforce alcohol consumption? Now, a study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute helps provide insight into these questions, showing that, in rat models, nicotine exposure actually promotes alcohol dependence.

16 Apr 2015

Lack of fish oil fatty acids can limit brain growth during fetal development and early in life

While recent reports question whether fish oil supplements support heart health, UC Irvine scientists have found that the fatty acids they contain are vitally important to the developing brain.

16 Apr 2015

Novel findings may hold promise for children, adults with mitochondrial disorders

Rooted in malfunctions in the tiny power plants that energize our cells, mitochondrial disorders are notoriously complex and variable, with few effective treatments. Now, novel findings in microscopic worms may hold great promise for children and adults with mitochondrial disorders

16 Apr 2015

SGK1 enzyme protects brain cells in animal models of Parkinson's disease

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have found how a widely known but little-studied enzyme protects brain cells in models of Parkinson's disease.

16 Apr 2015

India and Canada announce funding to improve maternal, child health in India

Grand Challenges Canada, funded by the Government of Canada, and the Grand Challenges India initiative of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, today announced an investment of $2.5 million (CAD) in five health innovations in India.

16 Apr 2015

Study: Sleep disturbances can hamper memory processes in children

Sleep disordered breathing can hamper memory processes in children, according to a new study. The research, which will be presented today at the Sleep and Breathing Conference (16 April 2015), found that disrupted sleep had an impact on different memory processes and how children learn.

15 Apr 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers link sperm with specific 'epigenetic tags' to autism

In a small study, Johns Hopkins researchers found that DNA from the sperm of men whose children had early signs of autism shows distinct patterns of regulatory tags that could contribute to the condition. A detailed report of their findings will be published online in the International Journal of Epidemiology on April 15.

15 Apr 2015

SELLAS inks exclusive global collaboration, license agreement with TrojanTec

SELLAS Life Sciences Group, a Swiss based, development-stage biopharmaceutical company with its main focus in developing innovative products for the treatment of various indications in Oncology and the Central Nervous System, today announced that it has signed an exclusive global collaboration and license agreement with TrojanTec Ltd, a UK-based Discovery Research and Development Company affiliated with Imperial College London, UK, for the development, marketing and commercialization of the innovative and proprietary TR-1 cancer therapeutic technology and drug.

15 Apr 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers create the largest library of brain cells from ALS patients

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have transformed skin cells from patients with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), into brain cells affected by the progressive, fatal disease and deposited those human-made cells into the first public ALS cell library, enabling scientists to better study the disease.

15 Apr 2015

New longer-term data on Genzyme's relapsing MS treatments to be presented at AAN 2015

Genzyme, a Sanofi company, announced today that new longer-term data on its relapsing multiple sclerosis treatments, Aubagio (teriflunomide) and Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), will be featured during the 67th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology being held in Washington, D.C. April 18-25.

15 Apr 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers named recipients of Hartwell’s 2014 Individual Biomedical Research Award

Gul Dolen, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Eili Y. Klein, Ph.D., an assistant professor of emergency medicine, are among 12 recipients of The Hartwell Foundation’s 2014 Individual Biomedical Research Award competition, the foundation announced on April 1.

15 Apr 2015

TSRI Scientists find that nicotine use increases compulsive alcohol consumption

15 Apr 2015

Phase–amplitude coupling changes may underlie DBS success in parkinsonism

Deep-brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus may improve motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease by reducing excessive cortical phase–amplitude coupling, researchers report in Nature Neuroscience.

14 Apr 2015

New grant to support establishment of Wallenberg Centre of Molecular Medicine at Umeå University

Wallenberg Centre of Molecular Medicine at Umeå University - a new research centre at Umeå University - is part of a national plan on how Sweden will regain its world-leading position in medical research. Behind the centre stands Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation in cooperation with Umeå University and the County Council of Västerbotten, among others.

13 Apr 2015

MEMREHAB trial shows that treatment with mSMT may be adversely affected by cognitive dysfunction

Kessler Foundation researchers published a subanalysis of their MEMREHAB trial, which shows that treatment with the modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) may be affected by cognitive dysfunction. Investigators looked at the influence of processing speed on benefits of the mSMT, a 10-session cognitive intervention protocol shown to improve new learning and memory in individuals with MS.

13 Apr 2015

Study may help find treatments for nerve cell damage, neurodegenerative disorders

Scientists from Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences in Japan have have discovered how nerve cells adjust to low energy environments during the brain's growth process.

13 Apr 2015

Two radiologists win Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation Leaders in Innovation Award

Two visionaries of interventional radiology were recently awarded the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation Leaders in Innovation Award. The awards, to Lindsay Machan, M.D., FSIR, an interventional radiologist at Vancouver Hospital, British Columbia, and Kieran J. Murphy, M.D., FSIR, an interventional radiologist at the University of Toronto, both in Canada, were announced March 4 during the society's Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

13 Apr 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New study shows nicotine exposure promotes alcohol dependence

Lack of fish oil fatty acids can limit brain growth during fetal development and early in life

Novel findings may hold promise for children, adults with mitochondrial disorders

SGK1 enzyme protects brain cells in animal models of Parkinson's disease

India and Canada announce funding to improve maternal, child health in India

Study: Sleep disturbances can hamper memory processes in children

Johns Hopkins researchers link sperm with specific 'epigenetic tags' to autism

SELLAS inks exclusive global collaboration, license agreement with TrojanTec

Johns Hopkins researchers create the largest library of brain cells from ALS patients

New longer-term data on Genzyme's relapsing MS treatments to be presented at AAN 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers named recipients of Hartwell’s 2014 Individual Biomedical Research Award

TSRI Scientists find that nicotine use increases compulsive alcohol consumption

Phase–amplitude coupling changes may underlie DBS success in parkinsonism

New grant to support establishment of Wallenberg Centre of Molecular Medicine at Umeå University

MEMREHAB trial shows that treatment with mSMT may be adversely affected by cognitive dysfunction

Study may help find treatments for nerve cell damage, neurodegenerative disorders

Two radiologists win Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation Leaders in Innovation Award

New study could hold key to control growth of cancer cells

Elekta Healthcare Analytics to be introduced at HIMSS15

TGen scientists discover the likely cause of rare type of muscle weakness in six children

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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