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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.

Blood-brain barrier following stoke prevents harmful substances entering brain

Following ischemic stroke, the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents harmful substances such as inflammatory molecules from entering the brain, can be impaired in cerebral areas distant from initial ischemic insult.

27 Mar 2014

Autism begins during pregnancy, study reveals

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Allen Institute for Brain Science have published a study that gives clear and direct new evidence that autism begins during pregnancy.

27 Mar 2014

Study points to potential culprit that kills motor neurons in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is marked by a cascade of cellular and inflammatory events that weakens and kills vital motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The process is complex, involving cells that ordinarily protect the neurons from harm. Now, a new study by scientists in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital points to a potential culprit in this good-cell-gone-bad scenario, a key step toward the ultimate goal of developing a treatment.

27 Mar 2014

Study highlights importance of stress management, healthy lifestyle habits for people with migraine

Migraine sufferers who experienced reduced stress from one day to the next are at significantly increased risk of migraine onset on the subsequent day, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Montefiore Headache Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University.

27 Mar 2014

Study: Dab2 can exhibit neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's by regulating TGF-β1/SMAD signaling

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) type II receptor (TβRII) levels are extremely low in the brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

27 Mar 2014

Researchers release first comprehensive atlas of human gene expression

A large international consortium of researchers has produced the first comprehensive, detailed map of the way genes work across the major cells and tissues of the human body. The findings describe the complex networks that govern gene activity, and the new information could play a crucial role in identifying the genes involved with disease.

27 Mar 2014

SLU researchers receive $1.4M grant to study alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in adults

Researchers at Saint Louis University will study alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in adults, an inherited disease that can cause liver damage, to answer various questions that could lead to effective methods of treatment.

27 Mar 2014

Mephedrone drug causes acute withdrawal symptoms, shows study

Contrary to popular belief among recreational drug users, mephedrone has several important differences when compared with MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy.

27 Mar 2014

Study lays groundwork for PET imaging studies on human Menkes disease

Scientists at the RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies have used PET imaging to visualize the distribution in the body of copper, which is deregulated in Menkes disease, a genetic disorder, using a mouse model. This study lays the groundwork for PET imaging studies on human Menkes disease patients to identify new therapy options.

26 Mar 2014

Desperate patients offered untested, risky stem cell treatments, says Wisconsin professor

Desperate patients are easy prey for unscrupulous clinics offering untested and risky stem cell treatments, says law and bioethics Professor Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is studying "stem cell tourism."

26 Mar 2014

Cogstate's cognition test to play key role in A4 trial for Alzheimer’s disease

Cognition testing technology developed by Cogstate will be used to track the neurological health of elderly people involved in the multinational Phase III clinical trial of a promising new Alzheimer’s disease (AD) drug.

26 Mar 2014

SLU researchers awarded NIH grants to search for a drug to cure hepatitis B

Two grants from the National Institutes of Health will allow Saint Louis University researchers to build on breakthroughs in understanding the hepatitis B virus and begin the search for a drug to cure - not just halt - the illness.

26 Mar 2014

Study explores dangers of switching from MDMA to mephedrone

Contrary to popular belief among recreational drug users, mephedrone has several important differences when compared with MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. These differences mean that mephedrone could leave a user with acute withdrawal symptoms and indicate that it may have a higher potential for developing dependence than MDMA according to a study published in British Journal of Pharmacology.

26 Mar 2014

e-Therapeutics obtains MHRA approval to recommence recruitment for ETS2101 phase Ia trial

e-Therapeutics plc announces today that it has received approval from MHRA to recommence recruitment of new patients into its ETS2101 phase Ia solid tumours trial being conducted at three centres in the UK.

26 Mar 2014

Studying brain network changes in stroke patients possible with functional network connection models

Studies have shown that functional network connection models can be used to study brain network changes in patients with schizophrenia. A research team from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China inferred that these models could also be used to explore functional network connectivity changes in stroke patients.

26 Mar 2014

UMass Medical School students win 2014 Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award

Colin Conine and Emma Watson, PhD students in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, received the 2014 Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award for research into the mechanisms governing epigenetic inheritance and the complex interactions between diet, gene expression and physiology.

26 Mar 2014

Scientists discover why cerebellar granule cell neurons in A-T patients fail to repair DNA damage

A team of scientists, led by Stuart Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the Neuroscience and Aging Research Center at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, recently discovered why cerebellar granule cell neurons in patients suffering from ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) were unable to repair DNA damage and thus died.

26 Mar 2014

Research findings point to potential biomarkers for early detection of at-risk youth

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered impaired neuronal activity in the parts of the brain associated with anticipatory functioning among occasional 18- to 24-year-old users of stimulant drugs, such as cocaine, amphetamines and prescription drugs such as Adderall.

26 Mar 2014

MIT biological engineers trying to adapt MRI to visualize gene activity inside the brains of living animals

Doctors commonly use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose tumors, damage from stroke, and many other medical conditions. Neuroscientists also rely on it as a research tool for identifying parts of the brain that carry out different cognitive functions.

26 Mar 2014

Stem cell research opens doors to potential new treatments for bipolar disorder

What makes a person bipolar, prone to manic highs and deep, depressed lows? Why does bipolar disorder run so strongly in families, even though no single gene is to blame? And why is it so hard to find new treatments for a condition that affects 200 million people worldwide?

26 Mar 2014

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Blood-brain barrier following stoke prevents harmful substances entering brain

Autism begins during pregnancy, study reveals

Study points to potential culprit that kills motor neurons in ALS

Study highlights importance of stress management, healthy lifestyle habits for people with migraine

Study: Dab2 can exhibit neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's by regulating TGF-β1/SMAD signaling

Researchers release first comprehensive atlas of human gene expression

SLU researchers receive $1.4M grant to study alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in adults

Mephedrone drug causes acute withdrawal symptoms, shows study

Study lays groundwork for PET imaging studies on human Menkes disease

Desperate patients offered untested, risky stem cell treatments, says Wisconsin professor

Cogstate's cognition test to play key role in A4 trial for Alzheimer’s disease

SLU researchers awarded NIH grants to search for a drug to cure hepatitis B

Study explores dangers of switching from MDMA to mephedrone

e-Therapeutics obtains MHRA approval to recommence recruitment for ETS2101 phase Ia trial

Studying brain network changes in stroke patients possible with functional network connection models

UMass Medical School students win 2014 Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award

Scientists discover why cerebellar granule cell neurons in A-T patients fail to repair DNA damage

Research findings point to potential biomarkers for early detection of at-risk youth

MIT biological engineers trying to adapt MRI to visualize gene activity inside the brains of living animals

Stem cell research opens doors to potential new treatments for bipolar disorder

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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