Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

Combining telaprevir regimen with standard therapy improves SVR rate in hepatitis C

For patients with the most common form of hepatitis C being treated for the first time, the addition of an investigational hepatitis C-specific protease inhibitor called telaprevir to the current standard therapy markedly improved their sustained viral response (SVR or viral cure) rate.

3 Nov 2010

Type of contrast agent influences changes in stem cell proliferation

When researchers tested three different labeling agents on three different stem cell populations to determine what effect the labeling agents had on stem cell phenotype, biological behavior and migration abilities, they found changes in stem cell proliferation depending on the type of contrast agent used.

2 Nov 2010

Celldex third quarter net loss increases to $9.1 million

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010. Celldex reported a net loss of $9.1 million, or $0.28 per share, for the third quarter of 2010 compared to a net loss of $7.2 million, or $0.45 per share, for the third quarter of 2009. For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, Celldex reported a net loss of $25.2 million, or $0.79 per share, compared to a net loss of $23.6 million, or $1.49 per share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2009.

2 Nov 2010

Full-term babies are born with key collection of networks already formed in their brains: Study

Full-term babies are born with a key collection of networks already formed in their brains, according to new research that challenges some previous theories about the brain's activity and how the brain develops. The study is published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

2 Nov 2010

Lactic acid levels in brain linked to aging process

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have shown that they may be able to monitor the aging process in the brain, by using MRI technique to measure the brain lactic acid levels. Their findings suggest that the lactate levels increase in advance of other aging symptoms, and therefore could be used as an indicator of aging and age-related diseases of the CNS.

2 Nov 2010

Molecular imaging technique pinpoints changes that take place in injured brain

Results from a study published in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) show that powerful imaging techniques positron emission tomography (PET) fused with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are helping researchers better understand the long-term functional and structural changes that take place after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

2 Nov 2010

Autism Consortium begins new therapeutic initiative on Translational Medicine

The Autism Consortium, an innovative Boston area collaboration of researchers, clinicians, funders and families dedicated to catalyzing research and enhancing clinical care for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), announced that it will begin a new initiative on Translational Medicine and Autism Therapeutics. The new focus was introduced at the Consortium's fifth annual symposium held October 26th, 2010, at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

2 Nov 2010

Elekta presents solutions for ultimate precision in cancer care at ASTRO Meeting

Elekta presented solutions for ultimate precision in cancer care at an Investor Meeting in conjunction with the 52nd annual American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Meeting, in San Diego. Elekta also discussed the market drivers in established and emerging markets, and explained its strategy for sustainable profitable growth.

From Elekta 2 Nov 2010

African Americans more likely to have uterine cancer recurrence

African Americans are more likely to have a recurrence of uterine cancer despite undergoing a total hysterectomy or a hysterectomy followed by radiation therapy, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

2 Nov 2010

New wiring diagram shows how brain organizes information

University of Utah (U of U) medical researchers have uncovered a wiring diagram that shows how the brain pays attention to visual, cognitive, sensory, and motor cues. The research provides a critical foundation for the study of abnormalities in attention that can be seen in many brain disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit disorder.

2 Nov 2010

Researchers explain how adiponectin prevents stress-induced damage in heart

One of the many advantages of maintaining a normal body weight is having healthy fat, which in turn supports a healthy heart. Fat tissue is increasingly seen as more than just a storage depot - it's also an active secretory organ that normally produces high levels of a cardioprotective hormone called adiponectin. How adiponectin protects the hearts of healthy people has long been a mystery, and now a team led by Barbara Ranscht, Ph.D. and Pilar Ruiz-Lozano, Ph.D. at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) reveals that the protein T-cadherin is the receptor that anchors adiponectin to heart cells.

2 Nov 2010

Brain MRI could predict duration of stroke onset

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain could expand the number of stroke patients eligible for a potentially life-saving treatment, according to a new study, published online and in the December issue of the journal Radiology.

2 Nov 2010

Effective treatment for brain cancer in daffodils

When looking for new ways to treat aggressive brain cancers, an international team of scientists turned a new leaf and "discovered" the lowly daffodil. A new research study published in the November 2010 print issue of The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) offers hope that a natural compound found in daffodil bulbs, called narciclasine, may be a powerful therapeutic against biologically aggressive forms of human brain cancers.

2 Nov 2010

Elekta awarded delivery of three Leksell Gamma Knife systems to Chinese hospitals

In winning a tender to deliver three Leksell Gamma Knifeâ models to hospitals in China, Elekta will help more cancer patients receive the therapy they need. The agreement also helps Elekta increase its leading market position in China.

From Elekta 2 Nov 2010

Older adults are three times as likely to die following ground-level fall

While simple falls, such as slipping while walking off a curb, may seem relatively harmless, they can actually lead to severe injury and death in elderly individuals, according to a new study published in The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care.

2 Nov 2010

Stroke Teams enroll first patient in clinical trial of Penumbra System with Pulse flow restoration device

The Stroke Teams at the University Hospital Dresden in Dresden, Germany, and the University Hospital Göttingen in Göttingen, Germany, have enrolled the first patients in an international clinical trial to assess the safety and effectiveness of aspiration with the Penumbra System in conjunction with the Pulse flow restoration device.

2 Nov 2010

Oxygen Biotherapeutics receives $245,000 grant under PPACA 2010

Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc. today announced it has received nearly $245,000 in a grant under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Program Act of 2010 (PPACA).

2 Nov 2010

Einstein College's new website features latest information on aging research

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has launched SuperAgers.com, a new website that features the latest information on more than a decade of aging research at Einstein.

2 Nov 2010

Arthritis drugs also prevent post-operative cognitive decline: Study

Anti-inflammatory drugs currently used to treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis may also help prevent cognitive problems after surgery, according to a new study by researchers at Imperial College London and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

2 Nov 2010

Boehringer Ingelheim announces availability of PRADAXA in U.S. pharmacies

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its new oral anticoagulant, Pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) 150mg capsules, will be available starting Wednesday by prescription in pharmacies across the United States, including CVS/pharmacy, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, Kmart® and The Kroger Co. In addition, leading independents under the Health Mart®, Good Neighbor Pharmacy® and Medicine Shoppe® banners will be stocked.

2 Nov 2010