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.

New research sheds light on how neurons make connections with one another

Newly published research led by Professor Z. Josh Huang, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory sheds important new light on how neurons in the developing brain make connections with one another.

22 Dec 2010

24th study finds stronger association between fluoride in water and lower IQ in children

Exposure to fluoride may lower children's intelligence says a study pre-published in Environmental Health Perspectives, a publication of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (online December 17, 2010).

22 Dec 2010

Military health: Philanthropy, not the Pentagon, leads to quality care for brain-injured soldiers

To see what cognitive therapy looked like, ProPublica and NPR spent several days with McKinney and fellow soldiers and veterans at Project Share, a charity to help brain-damaged soldiers. (This article is part of an ongoing investigation.) The program is based out of the Shepherd Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Injury in Atlanta, a nationally recognized hospital for head injuries (Miller and Zwerdling, 12/21).

22 Dec 2010

Spirulina dietary supplement may provide clinical benefits for ALS patients

Nutritional supplementation with Spirulina, a nutrient-rich, blue-green algae, appeared to provide neuroprotective support for dying motor neurons in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, University of South Florida neuroscientists have found.

21 Dec 2010

Breast feed for smarter kids

A news study published in the journal Pediatrics this Monday shows that babies who are breastfed for longer than six months may reap he benefits of having better brain function right into school. The benefit may be particularly so in boys.

21 Dec 2010

Whites with mutations more likely to be susceptible to cocaine abuse

Nearly one in five whites could carry a genetic variant that substantially increases their odds of being susceptible to severe cocaine abuse, according to new research.

21 Dec 2010

B-Bridge International unveils first brainwave athletic trainer

B-Bridge International proudly unveils the first brainwave athletic trainer. Powered by NeuroSky, the leader in mass-market Brain-Computer Interface technology, the BrainAthlete system is the first sports training unit available for general consumers to track an athlete's level of concentration, helping them find their "zone." Engineered into a standard golf visor, three non-invasive contact points in the headband monitor the EEG electrical activity from the brain to determine the athlete's mental states.

21 Dec 2010

Gilenya offers more benefits for MS therapy than previously realized

In September, patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) received the welcome news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved a promising new drug for their condition called Gilenya. Now, a team from The Scripps Research Institute has discovered that this drug's success may involve an unexpected biological mechanism acting within the central nervous system (CNS). This difference may mean that Gilenya offers even more benefits than previously realized and would represent the first MS therapy with direct CNS activities.

21 Dec 2010

Study: Chemotherapy can improve survival rate in older adolescents with leukemia

Research led by St. Jude Children-s Research Hospital investigators will likely impact how acute lymphoblastic leukemia is treated in young adults and shows older adolescent age does not dictate worse outcomes against the most common childhood cancer.

21 Dec 2010

Royal DSM to acquire Martek for $1,087 million

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and Martek Biosciences Corporation today announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which DSM will acquire all the outstanding shares of common stock of Martek for US$31.50 in cash per share for total consideration of US$1,087 million.

21 Dec 2010

Clue to the blues that come with the flu

Vanderbilt University researchers may have found a clue to the blues that can come with the flu - depression may be triggered by the same mechanisms that enable the immune system to respond to infection.

21 Dec 2010

Scientists boost protein supply to enhance muscle function, reduce nerve-dependent fatigue in mice

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have "engineered" a mouse that can run on a treadmill twice as long as a normal mouse by increasing its supply of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter essential for muscle contraction.

21 Dec 2010

Researchers show how malaria parasites infect red blood cells, impede blood flow to organs

Although the incidence of malaria has declined in all but a few countries worldwide, according to a World Health Organization report earlier this month, malaria remains a global threat. Nearly 800,000 people succumbed to the mosquito-borne disease in 2009, nearly all of them in the developing world.

21 Dec 2010

Ambit commences Phase I advanced solid tumor trials for AC430 and AC480 inhibitors

Ambit Biosciences, today announced that it has initiated separate Phase I trials for two products AC430, a selective Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitor, and AC480, a pan-HER inhibitor.

20 Dec 2010

VistaGen reports successful completion of AV-101 Phase 1 safety study for neuropathic pain

VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc., a stem cell technology company focused on drug discovery and development, today announced the successful completion of its initial Phase 1 safety study of AV-101, the Company's novel orally available prodrug candidate for treatment of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain, a serious and chronic condition causing pain after an injury or disease of the peripheral or central nervous system, affects approximately 1.8 million people in the U.S.

20 Dec 2010

Lilly completes acquisition of Avid

Eli Lilly and Company today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held company developing novel molecular imaging compounds intended for the detection and monitoring of chronic human diseases. The transaction, first announced on November 8, 2010, has received the approval of Avid stockholders and clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. All other closing conditions have also been met.

20 Dec 2010

Proteins that unlock the mystery of over 100 brain diseases

An Anglo-American team of researchers have made a medical breakthrough after identifying a large collection of nerve proteins that are involved in around 130 brain diseases including Alzheimer’s and autism.

20 Dec 2010

Mind Technologies to sell Emotiv EEG headset

Mind Technologies, Inc., announced today that the Company will begin selling the Emotiv EEG headset in addition to the thought-controlled software applications the Company develops.

20 Dec 2010

OXIS International files patent application to strengthen Ergothioneine intellectual property portfolio

OXIS International, Inc., today announced that is has filed a patent application titled "Methods and Compositions Using Ergothioneine to Treat a Variety of Health Related Factors" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

20 Dec 2010

Arrowhead launches new company, Ablaris to commercialize novel weight loss technology

Arrowhead Research Corporation today announced that it has executed an exclusive world-wide license on technology developed by Drs. Wadih Arap and Renata Pasqualini at MD Anderson Cancer Center for use in weight loss and obesity-related metabolic conditions, and that it has launched a new company, Ablaris Therapeutics Inc., to commercialize this platform.

20 Dec 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New research sheds light on how neurons make connections with one another

24th study finds stronger association between fluoride in water and lower IQ in children

Military health: Philanthropy, not the Pentagon, leads to quality care for brain-injured soldiers

Spirulina dietary supplement may provide clinical benefits for ALS patients

Breast feed for smarter kids

Whites with mutations more likely to be susceptible to cocaine abuse

B-Bridge International unveils first brainwave athletic trainer

Gilenya offers more benefits for MS therapy than previously realized

Study: Chemotherapy can improve survival rate in older adolescents with leukemia

Royal DSM to acquire Martek for $1,087 million

Clue to the blues that come with the flu

Scientists boost protein supply to enhance muscle function, reduce nerve-dependent fatigue in mice

Researchers show how malaria parasites infect red blood cells, impede blood flow to organs

Ambit commences Phase I advanced solid tumor trials for AC430 and AC480 inhibitors

VistaGen reports successful completion of AV-101 Phase 1 safety study for neuropathic pain

Lilly completes acquisition of Avid

Proteins that unlock the mystery of over 100 brain diseases

Mind Technologies to sell Emotiv EEG headset

OXIS International files patent application to strengthen Ergothioneine intellectual property portfolio

Arrowhead launches new company, Ablaris to commercialize novel weight loss technology

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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