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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.

Report: Screen all endometrial cancer patients for Lynch syndrome

A recent article by Norris Cotton Cancer Center researchers published in the January 2014 issue of the journal Clinical Chemistry reviews the scientific evidence that warrants screening all endometrial cancers for Lynch syndrome. Next to colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer is the most common form of cancer in women with Lynch syndrome.

12 Dec 2013

Inflating balloon inside artery after stent placement increases patients' risk of serious complications

Johns Hopkins surgeons say skipping one commonly taken step during a routine procedure to insert a wire mesh stent into a partially blocked carotid artery appears to prevent patients from developing dangerously low blood pressure, an extremely slow heart rate or even a stroke or heart attack.

12 Dec 2013

New test to help physicians identify patients with most lethal forms of triple-negative breast cancer

A new test has the potential to help physicians identify patients with the most lethal forms of triple-negative breast cancer, a disease which requires aggressive and innovative treatment.

12 Dec 2013

Elevated BACE1 activity in mild cognitive impairment could be early indicator of AD, says study

The critical enzyme beta-secretase1 (BACE1) is known to be elevated in brains with sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD). Scientists have now found increased levels of BACE1 in brains with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), suggesting that BACE1 activity is important for conversion of mild cognitive impairment to AD and may be an early indicator of AD.

12 Dec 2013

New study may pave way for more effective treatment for deadly childhood cancer

A new study by Canadian researchers may pave the way for more effective treatment of an aggressive and deadly type of brain tumour, known as ETMR/ETANTR. The tumour, which is seen only in children under four, is almost always fatal, despite aggressive treatment. The study proposes a new model for how this brain tumour develops and suggests possible targets to investigate for novel therapies.

12 Dec 2013

Dietary amino acids improve sleep disturbances caused by brain injuries in animals

Scientists who fed a cocktail of key amino acids to mice improved sleep disturbances caused by brain injuries in the animals. These new findings suggest a potential dietary treatment for millions of people affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI)—a condition that is currently untreatable.

12 Dec 2013

U.S. Marines investigate association between traumatic brain injury and risk of PTSD

In a novel study of U.S. Marines investigating the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over time, a team of scientists led by researchers from the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that TBIs suffered during active-duty deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan were the greatest predictor for subsequent PTSD, but found pre-deployment PTSD symptoms and high combat intensity were also significant factors.

12 Dec 2013

Johns Hopkins researchers use lung cancer drug to shrink chordoma in mice

Johns Hopkins researchers say that a drug approved to treat lung cancer substantially shrank tumors in mice that were caused by a rare form of bone cancer called chordoma.

12 Dec 2013

Shared genetic risk for bipolar and alcohol use disorders

Shared genetic factors affect the risk for bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder, suggesting a common underlying biology, research shows.

11 Dec 2013

Researchers create two-part model of the skull for use in practicing neurosurgical techniques

Researchers from the University of Malaya in Malaysia, with collaboration from researchers from the University of Portsmouth and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, announce the creation of a cost-effective two-part model of the skull for use in practicing neurosurgical techniques. The model, produced using the latest generation of multimaterial 3D printers, is composed of a variety of materials that simulate the various consistencies and densities of human tissues encountered during neurosurgery.

11 Dec 2013

Study set to shed new light on one of Australia's most debilitating illnesses

With Christmas just around the corner, a time where some people can face emotional difficulties, stress or isolation, a University of Sydney study is set to shed new light on one of Australia's most debilitating illnesses.

11 Dec 2013

Prana Biotechnology provides update on IMAGINE PBT2 trial for Alzheimer’s disease

Prana Biotechnology, a developer of best-in-class treatments for neurodegenerative disease, today provided an update of its IMAGINE Alzheimer’s Disease Extension trial.

11 Dec 2013

EPSRC donates £5 million for dementia research

Health ministers from the G8 nations will meet in London today (11 December) to discuss the global health challenge posed by dementia. The summit aims to develop co-ordinated global action on dementia. One area of focus at the summit is preventing and delaying dementia.

11 Dec 2013

Motivated forgetting often occurs when people feel the most threatened, says study

After a traumatic experience, the details we remember surrounding the event are sometimes foggy. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers remember the least when they feel the most threatened.

11 Dec 2013

Brain’s actions in humour processing differ between boys and girls

The act of laughing at a joke is the result of a two-stage process in the brain, first detecting an incongruity before then resolving it with an expression of mirth. The brain actions involved in understanding humour differ between young boys and girls.

11 Dec 2013

Study shows children with ALL can safely receive intravenous infusions of chemotherapy

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of pediatric cancer, can safely receive intravenous infusions of a reformulated mainstay of chemotherapy that has been delivered via painful intramuscular injection for more than 40 years, research suggests.

11 Dec 2013

Otsuka, Lundbeck to develop investigational vaccine candidate for Alzheimer's disease

H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Otsuka) today announced that they will further expand their collaboration to include the development of Lu AF20513, an investigational vaccine candidate for Alzheimer's disease.

11 Dec 2013

GW Pharmaceuticals receives U.S. patent for treating glioma

GW Pharmaceuticals plc, a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid product platform, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Application Serial Number 12/996,124, a patent which covers the use of cannabinoids for treating glioma.

11 Dec 2013

Study looks at brain imaging data in veterans who suffered combat-related head injuries

In preliminary findings, Saint Louis University researchers report that veterans who suffered blast injuries have changes in brain tissue that are still apparent in images years after the blast. The data, presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, represents a small but intriguing look at brain imaging in those who suffered combat-related head injuries.

11 Dec 2013

Merck provides update on MK-8931 investigational oral therapy for Alzheimer’s disease

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today provided an update on the development program for MK-8931, a novel investigational oral β-amyloid precursor protein site-cleaving enzyme (BACE) inhibitor.

11 Dec 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Report: Screen all endometrial cancer patients for Lynch syndrome

Inflating balloon inside artery after stent placement increases patients' risk of serious complications

New test to help physicians identify patients with most lethal forms of triple-negative breast cancer

Elevated BACE1 activity in mild cognitive impairment could be early indicator of AD, says study

New study may pave way for more effective treatment for deadly childhood cancer

Dietary amino acids improve sleep disturbances caused by brain injuries in animals

U.S. Marines investigate association between traumatic brain injury and risk of PTSD

Johns Hopkins researchers use lung cancer drug to shrink chordoma in mice

Shared genetic risk for bipolar and alcohol use disorders

Researchers create two-part model of the skull for use in practicing neurosurgical techniques

Study set to shed new light on one of Australia's most debilitating illnesses

Prana Biotechnology provides update on IMAGINE PBT2 trial for Alzheimer’s disease

EPSRC donates £5 million for dementia research

Motivated forgetting often occurs when people feel the most threatened, says study

Brain’s actions in humour processing differ between boys and girls

Study shows children with ALL can safely receive intravenous infusions of chemotherapy

Otsuka, Lundbeck to develop investigational vaccine candidate for Alzheimer's disease

GW Pharmaceuticals receives U.S. patent for treating glioma

Study looks at brain imaging data in veterans who suffered combat-related head injuries

Merck provides update on MK-8931 investigational oral therapy for Alzheimer’s disease

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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