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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.

Elekta updates latest R&D work with special focus on high field MRI-guided radiation therapy

Elekta updated the market this morning on its latest research and development initiatives, with special focus on Atlantic, the first generation high field MRI-guided radiation therapy system. The company unveiled plans to introduce this game-changing technology in 2017 and deliver the first systems in 2018.

From Elekta 22 Jan 2015

Study: Prostate cancer drug stabilizes memory loss for a year in women with Alzheimer's disease

Women with Alzheimer's disease showed stable cognition for a year when a drug that is more commonly used to treat advanced prostate cancer was added to their drug regimen, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

22 Jan 2015

ENIGMA scientists discover eight genetic mutations that may erode or boost brain tissue

In the largest collaborative study of the brain to date, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California led a global consortium of 190 institutions to identify eight common genetic mutations that appear to age the brain an average of three years. The discovery could lead to targeted therapies and interventions for Alzheimer's disease, autism and other neurological conditions.

22 Jan 2015

Two new drug compounds appear to be effective in treating endometriosis

Two new drug compounds - one of which has already proven useful in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis - appear to be effective in treating endometriosis, a disorder that, like MS, is driven by estrogen and inflammation, scientists report in Science Translational Medicine.

22 Jan 2015

Personalized approaches to treating intellectual disability

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have produced an approach that protects animal models against a type of genetic disruption that causes intellectual disability, including serious memory impairments and altered anxiety levels.

22 Jan 2015

Researchers identify promising new target for developing better therapies for neuroblastoma kids

Researchers at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital have identified a promising new target for developing new therapies for kids with high-risk neuroblastoma, according to a new study published in Molecular Cancer Research.

22 Jan 2015

Study offers possible explanation for differences between synchronization patterns in autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been studied for many years, but there are still more questions than answers. For example, some research into the brain functions of individuals on the autism spectrum have found a lack of synchronization between different parts of the brain that normally work in tandem. But other studies have found the exact opposite - over-synchronization in the brains of those with ASD.

22 Jan 2015

Daily use of Pycnogenol may help improve overall cognitive function

New research delivers exciting news for those seeking natural ways to boost memory and mental performance. A study recently published in the Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences shows daily use of Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all), a natural plant extract from French maritime pine tree bark, may help improve attention span, memory, decision-making – including executive-level performance – and overall cognitive function.

21 Jan 2015

Walnuts may improve cognitive function

Eating walnuts may improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed according to new research from the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles, led by Dr. Lenore Arab. Cognitive function was consistently greater in adult participants that consumed walnuts, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

21 Jan 2015

Penn researchers make breakthrough on novel anesthetics

Penn Medicine researchers, in a continuation of their groundbreaking work to better understand how anesthesia works in the body, have found the first new class of novel anesthetics since the 1970s. Their findings, published in February issue of Anesthesiology, detail the processes through which the group uncovered these compounds.

21 Jan 2015

Pfizer, Avon Foundation for Women reveal Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program recipients

Today, Pfizer Inc. and the Avon Foundation for Women are proud to announce the first-ever recipients of the Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program: Identify-Amplify-Unify.

21 Jan 2015

Study: Mutated ATRX gene may serve as much-needed biomarker for rare neuroendocrine tumors

A somatic mutation in the ATRX gene has recently been shown as a potential molecular marker for aggressive brain tumors, such as gliomas, neuroblastomas and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Now, for the first time, researchers at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center have found that the same mutated gene may serve as a much-needed biomarker for the pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PCC/PGL) that become malignant.

21 Jan 2015

New experimental study shows immunotherapy can reduce acute effects of heroin

Immunotherapy could have a place in the treatment of substance abuse in the future. A specific antibody can reduce the acute effects of heroin, according to a new experimental study at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

21 Jan 2015

Study: Stem cell transplantation improves quality of life in patients with relapsing-remitting MS

Results from a preliminary study indicate that among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), treatment with nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (low intensity stem cell transplantation) was associated with improvement in measures of disability and quality of life, according to a study in the January 20 issue of JAMA.

21 Jan 2015

Researchers test pocket stimulator on patients with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a slowly degenerative neurological disease that is expressed as impaired motor control, tremors, stiffness and, in later stages, problems with balance.

21 Jan 2015

Saint Louis University researchers find way to prevent type I diabetes in animal model

In new research published in Endocrinology, Thomas Burris, Ph.D., chair of pharmacological and physiological science at Saint Louis University, reports that his team has found a way to prevent type I diabetes in an animal model.

21 Jan 2015

Study suggests link between neonatal ghrelin and obesity risk

Our subconscious motivation to eat is powerfully and dynamically regulated by hormone signals. The gut-derived hormone ghrelin is one such key regulator, promoting appetite through its effects on neurons in a small region of the brain called the hypothalamus.

21 Jan 2015

UChicago researchers awarded NIH grants to develop novel medications for sleep apnea, asthma

Two research teams based at the University of Chicago have received prestigious grants from the National Institutes of Health to develop novel medications to treat sleep apnea and asthma.

21 Jan 2015

Exposure to alcohol TV ads associated with underage drinking

Seeing and liking alcohol advertising on television among underage youths was associated with the onset of drinking, binge drinking and hazardous drinking, according to a study by researchers at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock published online by JAMA Pediatrics.

21 Jan 2015

St. Luke’s offers Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery for treatment of brain tumors

Some treatments for brain and spine tumors traditionally have involved restraining a patient with a heavy immobilization device and pins that pierce the skin and embed into the skull to ensure the accuracy and precision of a treatment. Doctors say the pins can add considerable anxiety.

20 Jan 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Elekta updates latest R&D work with special focus on high field MRI-guided radiation therapy

Study: Prostate cancer drug stabilizes memory loss for a year in women with Alzheimer's disease

ENIGMA scientists discover eight genetic mutations that may erode or boost brain tissue

Two new drug compounds appear to be effective in treating endometriosis

Personalized approaches to treating intellectual disability

Researchers identify promising new target for developing better therapies for neuroblastoma kids

Study offers possible explanation for differences between synchronization patterns in autism

Daily use of Pycnogenol may help improve overall cognitive function

Walnuts may improve cognitive function

Penn researchers make breakthrough on novel anesthetics

Pfizer, Avon Foundation for Women reveal Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program recipients

Study: Mutated ATRX gene may serve as much-needed biomarker for rare neuroendocrine tumors

New experimental study shows immunotherapy can reduce acute effects of heroin

Study: Stem cell transplantation improves quality of life in patients with relapsing-remitting MS

Researchers test pocket stimulator on patients with Parkinson's disease

Saint Louis University researchers find way to prevent type I diabetes in animal model

Study suggests link between neonatal ghrelin and obesity risk

UChicago researchers awarded NIH grants to develop novel medications for sleep apnea, asthma

Exposure to alcohol TV ads associated with underage drinking

St. Luke’s offers Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery for treatment of brain tumors

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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