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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.

NeuroSigma, VA partner to evaluate eTNS system for TBI patients in Phase I clinical trial

NeuroSigma, Inc., a California-based life sciences company focused on commercialization of its non-invasive Monarch eTNS System for the treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, today announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Veterans Affairs for a clinical trial to evaluate the benefits of non-invasive, external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a Phase I clinical trial.

15 Oct 2014

Scientists create light-activated drug to help control type 2 diabetes

Scientists have created a drug for type 2 diabetes that is switched on by blue light, which they hope will improve treatment of the disease.

15 Oct 2014

Middle-aged women with neurotic personality may develop Alzheimer disease later in life

Women who worry, cope poorly with stress and/or experience mood swings in middle age run a higher risk of developing Alzheimer disease later in life. This is the conclusion of a study carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, that followed 800 women for nearly 40 years.

15 Oct 2014

Researchers discover new kind of stem cell that may hold clues to origins of liver cancer

A Mount Sinai-led research team has discovered a new kind of stem cell that can become either a liver cell or a cell that lines liver blood vessels, according to a study published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports. The existence of such a cell type contradicts current theory on how organs arise from cell layers in the embryo, and may hold clues to origins of, and future treatment for, liver cancer.

15 Oct 2014

Scientists receive BBSRC funding to study how neural stem cells differ from each other

A team of scientists led by a researcher from Plymouth University has received funding of more than £400,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council to investigate how neural stem cells differ from each other. The study's findings could hold the key to the future use of neural stem cells in treatments to eradicate neurological conditions such as dementia and brain tumours.

15 Oct 2014

Early childhood neglect associated with changes in brain structure

Under the rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, thousands of Romanian children were placed in overcrowded orphanages with bleak conditions and minimal human contact. Even after the 1989 revolution, the legacy of institutionalization continued. Only recently has research and public concern over early childhood environments caused changes in policies.

14 Oct 2014

Extra physical activity can stimulate learning, improve school performance

Just two hours of extra physical activity each week can improve school performance. This has been shown by a study of approximately 2,000 twelve-year-olds carried out by scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

14 Oct 2014

LCSB scientists characterize new tumour suppressor gene

Scientists at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine of the University of Luxembourg have published their findings that mutations in a gene known as "ARMC5" promote the growth of benign tumours in the adrenal glands and on the meninges: ARMC5 appears to belong to the group of so-called tumour suppressor genes.

14 Oct 2014

Researchers discover two potential treatments for traumatic brain injury

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have discovered two potential treatments for traumatic brain injury that are most effective when given at different stages after the injury has occurred.

14 Oct 2014

Discovery could prolong life of people living with glioblastoma

Researchers at the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute have made a discovery that could prolong the life of people living with glioblastoma – the most aggressive type of brain cancer. Samuel Weiss, PhD, Professor and Director of the HBI, and Research Assistant Professor Artee Luchman, PhD, and colleagues, published their work today in Clinical Cancer Research, which is leading researchers to start a human phase I/II clinical trial as early as Spring 2015.

14 Oct 2014

Leica Microsystems launches new neurosurgical microscope

Leica Microsystems has launched a new neurosurgical microscope, the Leica M530 OH6. To enable surgeons to see better into deep, narrow cavities, it is equipped with FusionOptics technology, advanced Small Angle Illumination (SAI) and apochromatic optics. The ergonomic design of the microscope enables surgeons and assistants to work in a neutral, upright posture which helps prevent strain and fatigue.

From Leica Microsystems GmbH 14 Oct 2014

LaVision BioTec report on users of light sheet microscopy in the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis

LaVison BioTec, developers of advanced microscopy solutions for the life sciences, report on users of their Ultramicroscope Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscope system to aid the research of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis under the supervision of Professor Vance Lemmon, the Walter G. Ross Distinguished Chair in Developmental Neuroscience & Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami.

14 Oct 2014

Loyola neurologist lists seven surprising things about strokes

In recognition of World Stroke Day Oct. 29, Loyola University Medical Center neurologist Jose Biller, MD, lists seven surprising things you may not know about strokes.

14 Oct 2014

Research finding offers new insights into the cause of glioblastoma

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a new fusion protein found in approximately 15 percent of secondary glioblastomas or brain tumors. The finding offers new insights into the cause of this cancer and provides a therapeutic target for personalized oncologic care.

14 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Ebola myths; Sen. McCain's 'opportunistic alarmism'; Gov. Jindal on CDC's misspent resources

Hubris is the greatest danger in wealthy countries - a sort of smug assumption that advanced technologies and emergency-preparedness plans guarantee that Ebola and other germs will not spread. It was hubris that left Toronto's top hospitals battling SARS in 2003, long after the virus was conquered in poorer Vietnam. It was hubris that led the World Health Assembly in 2013 to cut the WHO's outbreak-response budget in favor of more programs to treat cancer and heart disease.

14 Oct 2014

Penn State scientists find that mitochondrial disease more prevalent in older moms

The discovery of a "maternal age effect" by a team of Penn State scientists that could be used to predict the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA mutations in maternal egg cells -- and the transmission of these mutations to children -- could provide valuable insights for genetic counseling.

14 Oct 2014

Improper splinting can lead to swelling and other skin complications

More than 90 percent of potential pediatric fractures are splinted improperly in emergency rooms and urgent care centers, which can lead to swelling and skin injuries, according to a study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

14 Oct 2014

Parkinson's disease can migrate from gut to brain, shows research

Parkinson's disease is strongly linked to the degeneration of the brain's movement center. In the last decade, the question of where the disease begins has led researchers to a different part of the human anatomy.

13 Oct 2014

New culture system confirms amyloid theory, can revolutionize drug discovery for Alzheimer's disease

An innovative laboratory culture system has succeeded, for the first time, in reproducing the full course of events underlying the development of Alzheimer's disease.

13 Oct 2014

Study reveals inner workings of PKA switch that regulates cellular functions, contributes to deadly disorders

A University of Utah-led study using X-rays and neutron beams has revealed the inner workings of a master switch that regulates basic cellular functions, but that also, when mutated, contributes to cancer, cardiovascular disease and other deadly disorders.

13 Oct 2014

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

NeuroSigma, VA partner to evaluate eTNS system for TBI patients in Phase I clinical trial

Scientists create light-activated drug to help control type 2 diabetes

Middle-aged women with neurotic personality may develop Alzheimer disease later in life

Researchers discover new kind of stem cell that may hold clues to origins of liver cancer

Scientists receive BBSRC funding to study how neural stem cells differ from each other

Early childhood neglect associated with changes in brain structure

Extra physical activity can stimulate learning, improve school performance

LCSB scientists characterize new tumour suppressor gene

Researchers discover two potential treatments for traumatic brain injury

Discovery could prolong life of people living with glioblastoma

Leica Microsystems launches new neurosurgical microscope

LaVision BioTec report on users of light sheet microscopy in the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis

Loyola neurologist lists seven surprising things about strokes

Research finding offers new insights into the cause of glioblastoma

Viewpoints: Ebola myths; Sen. McCain's 'opportunistic alarmism'; Gov. Jindal on CDC's misspent resources

Penn State scientists find that mitochondrial disease more prevalent in older moms

Improper splinting can lead to swelling and other skin complications

Parkinson's disease can migrate from gut to brain, shows research

New culture system confirms amyloid theory, can revolutionize drug discovery for Alzheimer's disease

Study reveals inner workings of PKA switch that regulates cellular functions, contributes to deadly disorders

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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