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.

Scientists investigate new ingredients to produce food with less energy, more taste

Our attraction to foods bloated with energy has made excess body weight increasingly common, particularly in the West. Hence, people's health has been affected. Scientists are now investigating new ingredients to satisfy our taste buds without impacting our health

14 Jul 2012

Researchers identify potassium channel as an autoantibody target in MS

For the first time, scientists in Germany's multiple sclerosis competence network have been able to identify an antibody that bonds with the potassium channel KIR4.1.

14 Jul 2012

Potassium channel KIR4.1 clue to multiple sclerosis

The potassium channel KIR4.1 is a potential immune target in certain patients with multiple sclerosis, report researchers in TheNew England Journal of Medicine.

12 Jul 2012

Pressure Point develops 72 hour low-cost dermal device to effectively reduce PONV

Pressure Point Inc. has developed an effective 72 hour low-cost, FDA Market Cleared dermal device, which uses an advanced acupressure approach for longer-acting prophylactic results in reducing the occurrences of postoperative nausea and vomiting.

12 Jul 2012

PGC-1alpha and TFEB provide two new therapeutic targets for Huntington's disease

In a paper published in the July 11 online issue of Science Translational Medicine, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified two key regulatory proteins critical to clearing away misfolded proteins that accumulate and cause the progressive, deadly neurodegeneration of Huntington's disease.

12 Jul 2012

Stress management program may help people with MS prevent new disease activity

A new study shows that taking part in a stress management program may help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) prevent new disease activity. The study is published in the July 11, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Jul 2012

Manipulating retinal recipient microenvironment impacts photoreceptor cell transplantation

A research team in the United Kingdom has found that insulin-like growth factor (IGF1) impacts cell transplantation of photoreceptor precursors by manipulating the retinal recipient microenvironment, enabling better migration and integration of the cells into the adult mouse retina.

12 Jul 2012

SLU professor to study how antithrombin might prevent premature death from heart disease

Alireza "Ray" Rezaie, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, has received a $1.52 million NIH grant to study how the key blood clotting inhibitor antithrombin might be exploited to prevent premature death from heart disease.

12 Jul 2012

Scientists assemble timeline of brain changes that lead to Alzheimer's

Scientists have assembled the most detailed chronology to date of the human brain's long, slow slide into full-blown Alzheimer's disease.

12 Jul 2012

Communication between brain and muscle cells is short-lived without LRP4 protein

Communication between the brain and muscle must be strong for us to eat, breathe or walk. Now scientists have found that a protein known to be on the surface of muscle cells must be present in both tissues to ensure the conversation is robust.

12 Jul 2012

Researchers identify set of laboratory-based biomarkers that aid in diagnosis of schizophrenia

In the current online issue of PLoS ONE, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say they have identified a set of laboratory-based biomarkers that can be useful for understanding brain-based abnormalities in schizophrenia. The measurements, known as endophenotypes, could ultimately be a boon to clinicians who sometimes struggle to recognize and treat the complex and confounding mental disorder.

12 Jul 2012

Low-fat, high fruit and vegetable diet may help reduce menopausal symptoms

Weight loss that occurs in conjunction with a low-fat, high fruit and vegetable diet may help to reduce or eliminate hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study that appears in the current issue of Menopause.

12 Jul 2012

Eschar-derived cells may be used for tissue engineering

A research team in the Netherlands has found that cells from burn eschar, the non-viable tissue remaining after burn injury and normally removed to prevent infection, can be a source of mesenchymal cells that may be used for tissue engineering.

12 Jul 2012

Memory-binding process allows people to better understand new concepts and make decisions

When humans learn, their brains relate new information with past experiences to derive new knowledge, according to psychology research from The University of Texas at Austin.

12 Jul 2012

Arena files lorcaserin hydrochloride MAA with Swissmedic

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the filing with the Swiss health authority, Swissmedic, of a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for lorcaserin hydrochloride, an investigational drug candidate in Switzerland.

12 Jul 2012

Mindfulness techniques show health benefits

Specific types of "mindfulness practices" including Zen meditation have research-proven benefits for patients with certain physical and mental health problems, according to a report in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice.

12 Jul 2012

New book outlines cutting-edge approach to systematically address AD

ADEC Inc. - Worried about your memory? Many patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and individuals concerned about developing memory loss feel they have limited options. While there is no 'magic pill' to cure or prevent AD, a new book outlines a cutting-edge approach to systematically address this disease.

12 Jul 2012

Study links brain anatomy and activation with human altruism

What can explain extreme differences in altruism among individuals, from Ebenezer Scrooge to Mother Teresa? It may all come down to variation in the size and activity of a brain region involved in appreciating others' perspectives, according to a study published by Cell Press in the July 12th issue of the journal Neuron. The findings also provide a neural explanation for why altruistic tendencies remain stable over time.

12 Jul 2012

Novel molecular mechanism responsible for most important symptom of major depression

Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have laid bare a novel molecular mechanism responsible for the most important symptom of major depression: anhedonia, the loss of the ability to experience pleasure.

12 Jul 2012

Powerful brain chemical systems work together to paralyze skeletal muscles during REM sleep

Two powerful brain chemical systems work together to paralyze skeletal muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, according to new research in the July 11 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The finding may help scientists better understand and treat sleep disorders, including narcolepsy, tooth grinding, and REM sleep behavior disorder.

12 Jul 2012

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Scientists investigate new ingredients to produce food with less energy, more taste

Researchers identify potassium channel as an autoantibody target in MS

Potassium channel KIR4.1 clue to multiple sclerosis

Pressure Point develops 72 hour low-cost dermal device to effectively reduce PONV

PGC-1alpha and TFEB provide two new therapeutic targets for Huntington's disease

Stress management program may help people with MS prevent new disease activity

Manipulating retinal recipient microenvironment impacts photoreceptor cell transplantation

SLU professor to study how antithrombin might prevent premature death from heart disease

Scientists assemble timeline of brain changes that lead to Alzheimer's

Communication between brain and muscle cells is short-lived without LRP4 protein

Researchers identify set of laboratory-based biomarkers that aid in diagnosis of schizophrenia

Low-fat, high fruit and vegetable diet may help reduce menopausal symptoms

Eschar-derived cells may be used for tissue engineering

Memory-binding process allows people to better understand new concepts and make decisions

Arena files lorcaserin hydrochloride MAA with Swissmedic

Mindfulness techniques show health benefits

New book outlines cutting-edge approach to systematically address AD

Study links brain anatomy and activation with human altruism

Novel molecular mechanism responsible for most important symptom of major depression

Powerful brain chemical systems work together to paralyze skeletal muscles during REM sleep

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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