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.

Particle sciences manufactures clinical supplies for Kinex’s glioblastom therapeutic

Particle Sciences, Inc (PSI), has completed the manufacturing of clinical supplies for the first in human studies of KX2-361 (KX02), Kinex Pharmaceuticals’ small molecule Src/pre-tublin inhibitor.

19 Feb 2015

Nicotine metabolite supports learning, memory by amplifying action of primary chemical messenger

Nicotine's primary metabolite supports learning and memory by amplifying the action of a primary chemical messenger involved in both, researchers report.

19 Feb 2015

Weill Cornell receives NIH grant to study TB-causing bacteria

In an effort to stop tuberculosis (TB) from becoming progressively less treatable worldwide, the National Institutes of Health has awarded Weill Cornell Medical College more than $6.2 million in first-year funding to support a research collaboration among six institutions in close alliance with voluntary pharmaceutical partners.

19 Feb 2015

Researchers assemble comprehensive map of human epigenome

Virtually every cell in the body carries an identical genome. But how is it possible that each of the body's 200 different types of specialized cells - in the heart, brain, bone, skin and elsewhere - develops from the same DNA instruction book?

19 Feb 2015

Scientists map autism genetic pathway that regulates brain development

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have found that mutations that cause autism in children are connected to a pathway that regulates brain development. The research, led by Lilia Iakoucheva, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, is published in the February 18 issue of Neuron.

19 Feb 2015

Epigenome may hold promise for conquering diseases

The human genome project captured the public imagination when its first draft was published 14 years ago this week in the international science journal Nature, but the epigenome may hold the real promise for conquering disease.

19 Feb 2015

New treatment may bring hope for people suffering from muscle cramps

A new treatment may bring hope for people who suffer from muscle cramps or spasms from neuromuscular disorders, diseases such as multiple sclerosis or simply from nighttime leg cramps that keep people from sleeping, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 67th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, April 18 to 25, 2015.

19 Feb 2015

Special issue presents wider view of environment, treatment options for returning soldiers

Veterans returning from combat often face a multitude of challenges: Debilitating physical and psychological conditions, a civil society that does not support and even actively criticizes the war from which the soldiers have returned, or personal and family circumstances that changed while they were away.

19 Feb 2015

Excellere Partners completes sale of U.S. Water Services to Allete

Excellere Partners, a Denver-based private equity firm focused on partnering with middle-market entrepreneurs and management teams, announced today that it completed the sale of its portfolio company U.S. Water Services, Inc., to Allete on February 10, 2015.

19 Feb 2015

Lupus Research Institute announces this year's Novel Research Grants

As the Lupus Research Institute celebrates its 15th anniversary, the engine of innovation moves forward at accelerated speed with the announcement of this year's Novel Research Grants bringing new talent from a wide diversity of specialties. Each project lives up to the strictest definition of novel – wholly original, never-been-done-before.

19 Feb 2015

First comprehensive maps and analyses of human epigenomes revealed

Two dozen scientific papers published online simultaneously on Feb. 18, 2015 present the first comprehensive maps and analyses of the epigenomes of a wide array of human cell and tissue types. Epigenomes are patterns of chemical annotations to the genome that determine whether, how, and when genes are activated.

18 Feb 2015

President of MD Anderson selected as new fellow of AACR Academy

Ron DePinho, M.D., president of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, will be inducted as a new fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy. He joins 10 other cancer leaders in the prestigious academy that recognizes people who have made significant contributions to cancer research.

18 Feb 2015

Recent clinical study offers hope for potential Parkinson's disease therapies

Researchers have long sought treatments that can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Current treatments have for decades been only symptomatic in nature, supplying the neurotransmitter dopamine, which the dying nerve cells can no longer produce.

18 Feb 2015

Scientists identify role of tau-associated MAPT gene in development of Alzheimer's disease

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has identified the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene as increasing the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD).

18 Feb 2015

SLU researchers halt fatty liver disease in animal model

Doctors believe that up to 30 percent of the U.S. population may have fat accumulation in the liver, known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), that can lead to a range of damaging health consequences.

18 Feb 2015

Research may lead to future medical treatments for children with neurodevelopmental problems

Children born with a DNA abnormality on chromosome 16 already linked to neurodevelopmental problems show measurable delays in processing sound and language, says a study team of radiologists and psychologists.

18 Feb 2015

Meridian Health to celebrate American Heart Month, raise awareness for women's heart health

For the seventh year in a row, Meridian Health's Red Dress event will celebrate American Heart Month and raise awareness for women's heart health. The fun-filled, health-focused event will take place at Watermark, a chic lounge in Asbury Park. In partnership with The Heart Truth campaign, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Meridian CardioVascular Network's Red Dress event will showcase fashions from the famous Red Dress Collection.

18 Feb 2015

Fetal exposure to drugs can cause neurological problems

Research suggests that fetal exposure to chemicals or drugs can cause neurological problems. Babies whose mothers take the epilepsy drug valporic acid (VPA) during pregnancy, for example, appear to have an elevated risk of developing an autism spectrum disorder.

18 Feb 2015

Vanderbilt scientists shed new light on how the brain executes 'mental time travel'

In Proust's novel Recollection of Things Past, the distinctive smell of a lemon madeleine launches the narrator on a long, involved reminiscence of his past that fills seven chapters.

18 Feb 2015

New discovery could lead to potential treatment for preventing blindness

Scientists have made a major new discovery detailing how areas of the brain responsible for vision could potentially adapt to injury or trauma and ultimately prevent blindness.

18 Feb 2015