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.

Toxins and cell death: Interview with Professor Denise Montell

There are multiple kinds of cell death. Cells can undergo programmed cell death, which is a series of events that undergoes a predictable order at certain times during development.

6 Jul 2012

FDC precursor cells exist in the wall of blood vessels

Chronic inflammatory conditions are extremely common diseases in humans and in the entire animal kingdom. Both in autoimmune diseases and pathogen-caused diseases, the inflamed areas are rapidly colonized by antibody producing B lymphocytes - which organize themselves in highly structured areas called "lymphoid follicles".

6 Jul 2012

PHF21A gene plays a big role in Potocki-Shaffer syndrome

A gene whose mutation results in malformed faces and skulls as well as mental retardation has been found by scientists.

6 Jul 2012

Peptides block MORs and curb appetite

Feeling full involves more than just the uncomfortable sensation that your waistband is getting tight. Investigators reporting online on July 5th in the Cell Press journal Cell have now mapped out the signals that travel between your gut and your brain to generate the feeling of satiety after eating a protein-rich meal. Understanding this back and forth loop between the brain and gut may pave the way for future approaches in the treatment and/or prevention of obesity.

6 Jul 2012

Insight into understanding IDH mediated disease

Agios Pharmaceuticals, the leading biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel drugs in cancer metabolism, announced today the publication of a new study that provides further evidence of the link between a mutated metabolic enzyme and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), one of the most common types of leukemia in adults.

6 Jul 2012

Metformin can activate neural stem cells to encourage brain repair

The discovery is an important step toward therapies that aim to repair the brain not by introducing new stem cells but rather by spurring those that are already present into action, says the study's lead author Freda Miller of the University of Toronto-affiliated Hospital for Sick Children. The fact that it's a drug that is so widely used and so safe makes the news all that much better.

6 Jul 2012

TPJ in brain carries information for decisions during social interactions

Although many areas of the human brain are devoted to social tasks like detecting another person nearby, a new study has found that one small region carries information only for decisions during social interactions. Specifically, the area is active when we encounter a worthy opponent and decide whether to deceive them.

6 Jul 2012

The Center for Cancer Support and Education in Arlington to receive $10,000 ASTRO grant

As part of an initiative to give back to cancer communities in the cities visited during its annual scientific meetings, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is recognizing The Center for Cancer Support and Education (The Center) in Arlington, Mass., for its efforts to empower and support people touched by cancer, their caregivers and loved ones.

6 Jul 2012

Medunik Canada signs exclusive distribution agreement with Orphan Europe

Medunik Canada, is an orphan drug company dedicated to helping Canadians with rare diseases access therapies currently unavailable in Canada. Medunik Canada is proud to announce that it has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Orphan Europe Recordati Group.

5 Jul 2012

Cancer Therapeutics announces validation and performance of CTx-294886 plus Avastin

5 Jul 2012

Preventing post-operative delirium may improve recovery of cognitive ability in cardiac patients

Older patients undergoing cardiac surgery often experience changes in cognitive function, such as memory problems or an inability to focus, in the days immediately following their operations. While these changes are usually temporary, for unknown reasons, a significant number of cardiac patients will encounter long-term cognitive problems, lasting as long as a year after their surgeries.

5 Jul 2012

Non-invasive absolute intracranial pressure value meter shown to be accurate in clinical settings

The results of independent clinical assessment – prospective study of innovative non-invasive absolute intracranial pressure (ICP) value (mmHg) meter were recently published in the journal Neurology (The official journal of the American Academy of Neurology). This is the first prospective comparative clinical study of a non-invasive ICP measurement method that shows accuracy and precision which is acceptable for clinical practice.

5 Jul 2012

Study shows cells from different Parkinson’s patients have unique drug responses

Researchers have taken a step toward personalized medicine for Parkinson's disease, by investigating signs of the disease in patient-derived cells and testing how the cells respond to drug treatments.

5 Jul 2012

Scientists identify causative link between oncometabolite and onset of AML

A team of international scientists led by principal investigator Dr. Tak Mak at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, has identified a causative link between the product of a mutated metabolic enzyme and the onset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), one of the most common types of leukemia in adults.

5 Jul 2012

Single dose breast cancer treatment helps forego 6-7 week radiation regimen

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the first and only hospital in the five boroughs of New York City to offer women with early stage breast cancer INTRABEAM radiotherapy, an innovative radiation treatment delivered in a single dose at the time of surgery.

5 Jul 2012

Cancer Therapeutics reveals proof of concept for second development drug

Cancer Therapeutics, a company focused on translating cancer biology research into novel treatments for cancer, today announced the validation and performance of a new targeted drug, CTx-294886, in combination with Avastin™ (bevacizumab – Genentech/Roche) in a preclinical model of breast cancer. At the same time the Company announced that it has developed a new High Throughput Screening (HTS) platform for the identification of small molecule inhibitors of protein ubiquitination, a key element in the essential cellular process of protein homeostasis, which is an exciting new target pathway for cancer treatment. Both scientific developments will be presented as posters at the EACR conference in Barcelona Spain on July 7-10 2012.

4 Jul 2012

UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging to partner in new effort to combat Alzheimer's

Since 2004, UCLA's Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI) has been responsible for receiving, organizing, archiving and disseminating the stream of data generated by the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), an ambitious, worldwide effort by scientists to define the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

4 Jul 2012

Researchers identify mechanism responsible for inhibition of AMPK activity in the hypothalamus

In the complex chain of molecular events that underlie eating behaviors and body weight, the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) enzyme has proven to be a critical link.

4 Jul 2012

Signs that a child is seriously ill: Interview with Professor Middleton

There are several signs that indicate that a child is seriously ill. These can be spotted by parents, teachers and carers as well as by me or any other doctor or nurse.

4 Jul 2012

Researcher discovers how West Nile virus breaks through the tough blood-brain barrier to CNS

Mosquitoes are buzzing once again, and with that comes the threat of West Nile virus. Tom Hobman, a researcher with the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, is making every effort to put an end to this potentially serious infection.

4 Jul 2012

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Toxins and cell death: Interview with Professor Denise Montell

FDC precursor cells exist in the wall of blood vessels

PHF21A gene plays a big role in Potocki-Shaffer syndrome

Peptides block MORs and curb appetite

Insight into understanding IDH mediated disease

Metformin can activate neural stem cells to encourage brain repair

TPJ in brain carries information for decisions during social interactions

The Center for Cancer Support and Education in Arlington to receive $10,000 ASTRO grant

Medunik Canada signs exclusive distribution agreement with Orphan Europe

Cancer Therapeutics announces validation and performance of CTx-294886 plus Avastin

Preventing post-operative delirium may improve recovery of cognitive ability in cardiac patients

Non-invasive absolute intracranial pressure value meter shown to be accurate in clinical settings

Study shows cells from different Parkinson’s patients have unique drug responses

Scientists identify causative link between oncometabolite and onset of AML

Single dose breast cancer treatment helps forego 6-7 week radiation regimen

Cancer Therapeutics reveals proof of concept for second development drug

UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging to partner in new effort to combat Alzheimer's

Researchers identify mechanism responsible for inhibition of AMPK activity in the hypothalamus

Signs that a child is seriously ill: Interview with Professor Middleton

Researcher discovers how West Nile virus breaks through the tough blood-brain barrier to CNS

Revolutionizing Life Science: An Interview with SCIEX on ASMS, the SCIEX 7500+ System, and AI-Driven Quantitation

From Discovery Biology to ELRIG Chair

Breathing New Life into Diagnostics: Plasmion's SICRIT Technology

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