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.

Enrollment begins in Elan’s ELND005 Phase 2 trial for agitation/aggression associated with AD

Elan Corporation, plc today announced that it has enrolled the first patient in a Phase 2 clinical trial of ELND005 (Study AG201) for the treatment of agitation/aggression in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD).

28 Nov 2012

Amarantus demonstrates excellent diffusion profile of MANF in the striatum of rat brains

Amarantus BioSciences, Inc., a biotechnology company developing new disease-modifying treatments and diagnostics for Parkinson's disease and Traumatic Brain Injury centered on its proprietary anti-apoptosis therapeutic protein MANF, today announced that the Company has successfully completed experiments demonstrating that MANF has an excellent diffusion profile in the striatum of rat brains.

27 Nov 2012

Neurofibromatosis-1 may increase risk of breast cancer in women

New Johns Hopkins research showing a more than four-fold increase in the incidence of breast cancer in women with neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1) adds to growing evidence that women with this rare genetic disorder may benefit from early breast cancer screening with mammograms beginning at age 40, and manual breast exams as early as adolescence.

27 Nov 2012

Specific combination of two pharmaceutical substances show promise against multiple sclerosis

A new substance class for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases now promises increased efficacy paired with fewer side effects. To achieve this, a team of scientists under the leadership of Prof. Gunter Fischer and Dr. Frank Striggow have combined two already approved pharmaceutical substances with each other using a chemical linker structure.

27 Nov 2012

Orbitofrontal cortex responsible for decisions made on spur of the moment

An area of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex is responsible for decisions made on the spur of the moment, but not those made based on prior experience or habit, according to a new basic science study from substance abuse researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Scientists had previously believed that the area of the brain was responsible for both types of behavior and decision-making.

27 Nov 2012

Liver disease therapies: an interview with Eric Halioua, CEO of Promethera Biosciences

Liver disease is a very broad family of diseases. There are two main categories of liver disease:

27 Nov 2012

Weill Cornell Medical College dean wins Argentina's Dr. Luis Federico Leloir Prize

Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College and provost for medical affairs of Cornell University, is a winner of the Dr. Luis Federico Leloir Prize of International Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation from Argentina's Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation.

27 Nov 2012

New way to protect neurons that express mutant huntingtin proteins

By using a model, researchers at the University of Montreal have identified and "switched off" a chemical chain that causes neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and dementia. The findings could one day be of particular therapeutic benefit to Huntington's disease patients. "We've identified a new way to protect neurons that express mutant huntingtin proteins," explained Dr. Alex Parker of the University of Montreal's Department of Pathology and Cell Biology and its affiliated CRCHUM Research Centre.

27 Nov 2012

High CT utilization could increase risk of breast cancer for certain women

Researchers reviewing the records of approximately 250,000 women enrolled in an integrated healthcare delivery system found that increased CT utilization between 2000 and 2010 could result in an increase in the risk of breast cancer for certain women, including younger patients and those who received repeat exams.

27 Nov 2012

Anesthetics can help reduce risk of cardiac surgery drug-associated seizures

Two drugs commonly given during cardiac surgery can lead to convulsive seizures, but anesthetics can help cut the risk, according to new research from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

27 Nov 2012

Chemotherapy can induce brain changes that may affect concentration and memory

Chemotherapy can induce changes in the brain that may affect concentration and memory, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

27 Nov 2012

Radiologists identify pattern of injuries that may be indicative of elder abuse

Radiologists in Toronto have begun to identify a pattern of injuries that may be indicative of elder abuse, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

27 Nov 2012

Antifibrinolytics inhibit glycine receptor activity in the brain and cause seizures

Antifibrinolytic drugs are frequently used to prevent blood loss during surgery, but sometimes cause convulsive seizures. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Beverly Orser at the University of Toronto investigated the molecular mechanisms that underlie this side effect.

27 Nov 2012

Paper illuminates importance of PKM2 in cancer development and progression

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have tracked down a cancer-promoting protein's pathway into the cell nucleus and discovered how, once there, it fires up a glucose metabolism pathway on which brain tumors thrive.

26 Nov 2012

Word-training program found to restore key words in some dementia patients

A simple word-training program has been found to restore key words in people with a type of dementia that attacks language and our memory for words.

26 Nov 2012

Applied relaxation can help women with menopausal troubles

Women who have undergone group therapy and learned to relax have reduced their menopausal troubles by half, according to results of a study at Link-ping University and Link-ping University Hospital in Sweden. Seven out of every ten women undergoing menopause have at some point experienced problems with hot flushes and sweating.

26 Nov 2012

Accera commences clinical efficacy trial of AC-1204 for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease

Accera, Inc., a privately-held, commercial-stage, healthcare company focused on the discovery and development of innovative clinical applications to address acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases, announced today the initiation of a clinical efficacy trial examining the effects of AC-1204 in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD).

26 Nov 2012

Study shows neurobiological mechanisms of how individual risk preferences determine risk perception

Some people live their lives by the motto "no risk - no fun!" and avoid hardly any risks. Others are clearly more cautious and focus primarily on safety when investing and for other business activities. Scientists from the University of Bonn in cooperation with colleagues from the University of Zurich studied the attitudes towards risk in a group of 56 subjects.

26 Nov 2012

FDA grants Seattle Genetics orphan drug designation for ADCETRIS to treat mycosis fungoides

Seattle Genetics, Inc. announced today that ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mycosis fungoides (MF). MF is the most common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

26 Nov 2012

New therapeutic approach for preventing Alzheimer's disease

Pathological changes typical of Alzheimer's disease were significantly reduced in mice by blockade of an immune system transmitter. A research team from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the University of Zurich has just published a new therapeutic approach in fighting Alzheimer's disease in the current issue of Nature Medicine. This approach promises potential in prevention, as well as in cases where the disease has already set in.

26 Nov 2012

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Enrollment begins in Elan’s ELND005 Phase 2 trial for agitation/aggression associated with AD

Amarantus demonstrates excellent diffusion profile of MANF in the striatum of rat brains

Neurofibromatosis-1 may increase risk of breast cancer in women

Specific combination of two pharmaceutical substances show promise against multiple sclerosis

Orbitofrontal cortex responsible for decisions made on spur of the moment

Liver disease therapies: an interview with Eric Halioua, CEO of Promethera Biosciences

Weill Cornell Medical College dean wins Argentina's Dr. Luis Federico Leloir Prize

New way to protect neurons that express mutant huntingtin proteins

High CT utilization could increase risk of breast cancer for certain women

Anesthetics can help reduce risk of cardiac surgery drug-associated seizures

Chemotherapy can induce brain changes that may affect concentration and memory

Radiologists identify pattern of injuries that may be indicative of elder abuse

Antifibrinolytics inhibit glycine receptor activity in the brain and cause seizures

Paper illuminates importance of PKM2 in cancer development and progression

Word-training program found to restore key words in some dementia patients

Applied relaxation can help women with menopausal troubles

Accera commences clinical efficacy trial of AC-1204 for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease

Study shows neurobiological mechanisms of how individual risk preferences determine risk perception

FDA grants Seattle Genetics orphan drug designation for ADCETRIS to treat mycosis fungoides

New therapeutic approach for preventing Alzheimer's disease

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd 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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