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Salk Institute uses $1 million gift to support world class cancer researcher

The Salk Institute received a matching $1 million gift from the BioMed Realty Management Team, which was used to fund the recruitment of award-winning cancer researcher Christina Towers and to support her research and that of the Salk Cancer Center.

24 Feb 2021

Hormone known to prevent weight gain can help maintain healthy muscles in mice

A new study suggests that a hormone known to prevent weight gain and normalize metabolism can also help maintain healthy muscles in mice.

23 Feb 2021

Maturation of 'mini brain' organoids matches human brain development

A new study from UCLA and Stanford University researchers finds that three-dimensional human stem cell-derived 'mini brain' organoids can mature in a manner that is strikingly similar to human brain development.

23 Feb 2021

Three decades-old antibiotics could offer an alternative to opioid-based painkillers

Three decades-old antibiotics administered together can block a type of pain triggered by nerve damage in an animal model, UT Southwestern researchers report.

23 Feb 2021

Three studies emphasize how behavioral and social factors are intrinsic to aging

A trio of recent studies highlights the need to incorporate behavioral and social science alongside the study of biological mechanisms in order to slow aging.

23 Feb 2021

Researchers identify a neural pathway critical to correcting behavioral errors

Mount Sinai researchers have identified a neural pathway through which the brain detects errors and guides subsequent behavioral improvement. This process, called cognitive control, is frequently dysregulated in a wide range of psychiatric disorders.

22 Feb 2021

Scientists use patients' own stem cells to restore function after spinal cord injury

Intravenous injection of bone marrow derived stem cells (MSCs) in patients with spinal cord injuries led to significant improvement in motor functions, researchers from Yale University and Japan report Feb. 18 in the Journal of Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery.

22 Feb 2021

'The Virtual Brain': A new tool for epilepsy surgery planning

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, affecting over 50 Million people worldwide. Patients suffer from seizures caused by sudden neuronal activity engaging at times large networks of the brain.

20 Feb 2021

Understanding the dynamics of brain blood flow could hold key for treating neurologic conditions

While the human brain has over 400 miles of total vasculature, little is known about the tiny capillaries that make up much of this intricate labyrinth of blood vessels critical for delivering oxygenated blood and nutrients to billions of brain cells.

19 Feb 2021

Molecular modeling helps identify the binding site of antidepressantss

The effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other conventional antidepressants are believed to be based on their increasing the levels of serotonin and noradrenalin in synapses, while ketamine, a new rapid-acting antidepressant, is thought to function by inhibiting receptors for the neurotransmitter glutamate.

19 Feb 2021

Human brain adapts to loss of sensory information by tapping into visual cues

Evidence that a sense of our physical selves can develop even without the sense of touch has been uncovered in a new study by researchers in the UK and the United States.

18 Feb 2021

UC San Diego researchers launch clinical trial to test gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have launched a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a gene therapy to deliver a key protein into the brains of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a condition that often precedes full-blown dementia.

18 Feb 2021

Study provides new insight into the effects of antidepressant drugs

18 Feb 2021

Divergent brain activity leads to better memory performance

Recalling similar memories triggers divergent brain activity, resulting in better memory performance

18 Feb 2021

Researchers measure baseline activity of single neurons

Our brains are complicated webs of billions of neurons, constantly transmitting information across synapses, and this communication underlies our every thought and movement.

18 Feb 2021

Researchers test the efficacy of commercial sleep trackers

Wearable sleep tracking devices - from Fitbit to Apple Watch to never-heard-of brands stashed away in the electronics clearance bin - have infiltrated the market at a rapid pace in recent years.

18 Feb 2021

New insights on structural biology may help design more efficient antibodies

In structural biology, some molecules are so unusual they can only be captured with a unique set of tools.

18 Feb 2021

Mental illness in early life linked with poorer health and advanced aging in adulthood

A new pair of studies from a Duke research team's long-term work in New Zealand make the case that mental health struggles in early life can lead to poorer physical health and advanced aging in adulthood.

17 Feb 2021

Study shows that physical embodiment can occur without sense of touch

Researchers at the University of Chicago, the University of Birmingham, and Bournemouth University have uncovered evidence that physical embodiment can occur without the sense of touch, thanks to a study involving two participants who lack the ability to feel touch. The research was published on Feb. 12 in Experimental Brain Research.

17 Feb 2021

Lewy body dementia may share similar genetic profiles with Alzheimer's disease

In a study led by National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers, scientists found that five genes may play a critical role in determining whether a person will suffer from Lewy body dementia, a devastating disorder that riddles the brain with clumps of abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies.

17 Feb 2021