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.

Two leading biotechnology companies collaborate to gain further understanding of Parkinson’s disease

This week 23andMe (a genetic testing company) and Genentech (medical research company of the Roche Group) agreed a collaboration to undertake whole genome sequencing for 3,000 patients with Parkinson’s disease. The genetic information will be collected by 23andMe and used by Genentech to identify new therapeutic targets for treating Parkinson’s disease.

9 Jan 2015

Personal gender identity of every human being is reflected in the structure of brain networks

Our sense of belonging to the male or female gender is an inherent component of the human identity perception. As a general rule, gender identity and physical sex coincide. If this is not the case, one refers to trans-identity or transsexuality. In a current study, brain researcher Georg S. Kanz of the University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the MedUni Vienna was able to demonstrate that the very personal gender identity of every human being is reflected and verifiable in the cross-links between brain regions.

9 Jan 2015

CytRx reports positive interim results from aldoxorubicin Phase 2 trial for HIV-related Kaposi's Sarcoma

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical research and development company specializing in oncology, today announced positive interim results from its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of aldoxorubicin for the treatment of Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS) in HIV-infected patients.

8 Jan 2015

Neuroscientists move one step closer to solving how learning and memory work

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found out how a protein crucial to learning works: by removing a biochemical "clamp" that prevents connections between nerve cells in the brain from growing stronger.

8 Jan 2015

American Migraine Foundation plans to create Migraine Patient Registry and Biorepository

Migraine affects 36 million Americans, can have a major impact on patients' quality of life, and even on their relationships. The World Health Organization estimates that migraine is the third most prevalent medical disorder in the world, the 4th most disabling among women and the 7th most disabling overall.

8 Jan 2015

Improving headache treatment could reduce health care spending, new study suggests

Each year more than 12 million Americans visit their doctors complaining of headaches, which result in lost productivity and costs of upward of $31 billion annually. A new study by researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests some of that cost could be offset by physicians ordering fewer tests and an increased focus on counseling about lifestyle changes.

8 Jan 2015

Protecting children in advance from head injuries helps reduce brain trauma

An exhaustive analysis of data from more than 40,000 cases of brain trauma in children - published by the authoritative New England Journal of Medicine - provides convincing evidence that protecting children in advance from head injuries is the key to reducing their severity.

7 Jan 2015

Study: Synthetic triglyceride oil may provide hope for people with Huntington's disease

An early study suggests that a synthetic triglyceride oil called triheptanoin may provide hope for people with Huntington's disease. The study is published in the January 7, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Jan 2015

McGill University researchers identify network of complex neurons in the brain

Our ability to pay attention to certain things while ignoring distractions determines how good we are at a given task, whether it is driving a car or doing brain surgery. A research team at McGill University has for the first time convincingly identified a network of neurons in a particular area of the brain, the lateral prefrontal cortex, that interact with one another to promptly filter visual information while at the same time ignoring distractions. It's a discovery with potentially far reaching implications for people who suffer from diseases such as autism, ADHD and schizophrenia.

7 Jan 2015

Researchers detect close functional link between two brain regions for 'absolute pitch'

People who have "absolute pitch" can identify notes immediately without relying on a reference tone. Intensive research is being conducted into the neuronal basis of this extraordinary ability at the University of Zurich's Department of Neuropsychology. The researchers have now detected a close functional link between the auditory cortex in the brain and the frontal lobe in these extraordinary people - a discovery that is not only important in theory, but also in practice.

7 Jan 2015

Researchers examine ischemic complications in patients who receive flow-diverting stents

The use of flow-diverting stents to treat intracranial aneurysms appears safe and highly successful. Recently, however, there have been reports of ischemic complications occurring in brain territories supplied by the parent artery in which the stent is placed and in brain regions fed by small arterial branches whose ostia are covered by the stent.

7 Jan 2015

New imaging technique measurably improves prostate cancer screening

In 2014, prostate cancer was the leading cause of newly diagnosed cancers in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Writing in the January 6, 2015 issue of the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Disease, a team of scientists and physicians from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with counterparts at University of California, Los Angeles, describe a novel imaging technique that measurably improves upon current prostate imaging - and may have significant implications for how patients with prostate cancer are ultimately treated.

6 Jan 2015

EnGeneIC closes oversubscribed Series B financing

EnGeneIC, Ltd., an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on developing its proprietary EDV™ nanocell platform for the targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics, announced it has completed an oversubscribed $10 million Series B financing.

6 Jan 2015

CytRx reports positive interim results from aldoxorubicin Phase 2 trial for treatment of GBM

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical research and development company specializing in oncology, today announced positive interim results from its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial with aldoxorubicin for the treatment of unresectable glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a deadly form of brain cancer.

6 Jan 2015

New findings may lay groundwork of novel treatment for people with Huntington's disease

By adjusting the levels of a key signaling protein, researchers improved motor function and brain abnormalities in experimental animals with a form of Huntington's disease, a severe neurodegenerative disorder.

5 Jan 2015

Neurological testing accessibility and affordability: an interview with Dr Joseph Higgins

Neurological disorders with genetic causes can be very difficult to diagnose without reliable, clinically relevant tests tailored to specific phenotypes.

From Quest Diagnostics 5 Jan 2015

Study: Placental cells may possibly treat damaged nerves

New findings suggest that placental cells may potentially treat damaged nerves possibly leading the way to new treatment for stroke patients.

5 Jan 2015

New study shows that menstrual cycle may have an effect on nicotine cravings

The menstrual cycle appears to have an effect on nicotine cravings, according to a new study by Adrianna Mendrek of the University of Montreal and its affiliated Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal.

5 Jan 2015

New treatment approach may improve survival rates for certain patients with stage 4 lung cancer

A clinical trial that combined stereotactic body radiation therapy with a specific chemotherapy regimen more than doubled survival rates for certain stage 4 lung cancer patients, UT Southwestern Medical Center cancer researchers report.

2 Jan 2015

New study finds that exercise may improve lives of Parkinson's disease patients

Exercise may help people with Parkinson's disease improve their balance, ability to move around and quality of life, even if it does not reduce their risk of falling, according to a new study published in the December 31, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Jan 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Two leading biotechnology companies collaborate to gain further understanding of Parkinson’s disease

Personal gender identity of every human being is reflected in the structure of brain networks

CytRx reports positive interim results from aldoxorubicin Phase 2 trial for HIV-related Kaposi's Sarcoma

Neuroscientists move one step closer to solving how learning and memory work

American Migraine Foundation plans to create Migraine Patient Registry and Biorepository

Improving headache treatment could reduce health care spending, new study suggests

Protecting children in advance from head injuries helps reduce brain trauma

Study: Synthetic triglyceride oil may provide hope for people with Huntington's disease

McGill University researchers identify network of complex neurons in the brain

Researchers detect close functional link between two brain regions for 'absolute pitch'

Researchers examine ischemic complications in patients who receive flow-diverting stents

New imaging technique measurably improves prostate cancer screening

EnGeneIC closes oversubscribed Series B financing

CytRx reports positive interim results from aldoxorubicin Phase 2 trial for treatment of GBM

New findings may lay groundwork of novel treatment for people with Huntington's disease

Neurological testing accessibility and affordability: an interview with Dr Joseph Higgins

Study: Placental cells may possibly treat damaged nerves

New study shows that menstrual cycle may have an effect on nicotine cravings

New treatment approach may improve survival rates for certain patients with stage 4 lung cancer

New study finds that exercise may improve lives of Parkinson's disease 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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