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.

Researchers identify mouse gene that reduces the accumulation Alzheimer's plaques and tangles

Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) and colleagues have identified a novel mouse gene (Rps23r1) that reduces the accumulation of two toxic proteins that are major players in Alzheimer's disease: amyloid beta and tau. The amyloid and tau lowering functions of this gene were demonstrated in both human and mouse cells.

12 Nov 2009

Children with developmental dyslexia have difficulties separating relevant auditory information from irrelevant noise

The vast majority of school-aged children can focus on the voice of a teacher amid the cacophony of the typical classroom thanks to a brain that automatically focuses on relevant, predictable and repeating auditory information, according to new research from Northwestern University.

12 Nov 2009

Researchers find link between telomeres and longevity

A team led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found a clear link between living to 100 and inheriting a hyperactive version of an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres - the tip ends of chromosomes. The findings appear in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

12 Nov 2009

Tentative agreement reached with Oklahoma lawmaker stalling veterans' health bill

Congressional Quarterly: "Senate Democratic leaders reached a tentative agreement with Tom Coburn, R-Okla., on Tuesday night that averted the necessity of filing cloture on a veterans' health care omnibus measure and could lead to passage of the bill early next week. ... On Monday, Coburn said he objected to the bill because its five-year, $3.7 billion cost was not offset" (Oliveri, 11/10).

12 Nov 2009

Malfunctioning circadian clock genes may be associated with bipolar disorder in children

Malfunctioning circadian clock genes may be responsible for bipolar disorder in children. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry found four versions of the regulatory gene RORB that were associated with pediatric bipolar disorder.

11 Nov 2009

OPKO Health acquires NK-1 compounds from Schering

OPKO Health, Inc. today announced that it has completed the acquisition of rolapitant and a related compound from Schering Corporation, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. ("Schering").

11 Nov 2009

FDA-approved DuraSeal spine sealant from Covidien

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced the launch of DuraSeal™ spine sealant, the first product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for intra-operative sealing of the dural membrane during spine procedures.

11 Nov 2009

New microscope is expected to improve accuracy of intraoperative diagnostics

A new miniature, hand-held microscope may allow more precise removal of brain tumors and an easier recognition of tumor locations during surgery.

11 Nov 2009

Envoy Therapeutics secures loan from Takeda Research Investment

Envoy Therapeutics, Inc., a newly formed drug discovery company, today announced that it has secured a loan from Takeda Research Investment (TRI) which Envoy may elect to convert to Envoy preferred stock should the company complete a second private equity financing. TRI will receive certain rights from Envoy related to a specific therapeutic field while scientists at the two companies craft a broad scientific research alliance.

11 Nov 2009

First evidence-based, multidisciplinary treatment guidelines for brain metastases patients to be published

Anthony Asher, MD, FACS, of Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates in Charlotte, NC, has co-authored the first evidence-based, multidisciplinary treatment guidelines for brain metastases patients. These guidelines were recently presented at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2009 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, and were developed over the last year by a 20-member panel from various medical specialties.

11 Nov 2009

Veteran peer support is key to combat social isolation and post-traumatic stress disorder

Last month in Washington, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki made a staggering announcement: more veterans have committed suicide since 2001 than have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

11 Nov 2009

Researchers identify new mechanism to create lasting memories; findings may yield potential treatment for memory impairments

Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. In experiments on genetically manipulated mice, they were able to switch on and off the animals' ability to form lasting memories by adding a substance to their drinking water. The findings, which are published in the scientific journal PNAS, are of potential significance to the future treatment of Alzheimer's and stroke.

11 Nov 2009

Men more likely to abandon partners diagnosed with cancer

A woman is six times more likely to be separated or divorced soon after a diagnosis of cancer or multiple sclerosis than if a man in the relationship is the patient, according to a study that examined the role gender played in so-called "partner abandonment." The study also found that the longer the marriage the more likely it would remain intact.

11 Nov 2009

Wounded Warrior Project calls for the Congress to pass the Family Caregiver Legislation

As Veterans Day approaches, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors, is urging Congress to pass crucial legislation that will assist the family caregivers of the most severely injured veterans.

11 Nov 2009

Researchers discuss imaging techniques for early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

With about 35 million people around the world suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) by the year 2010 and an expectation that these numbers will double every twenty years with approximately 115 million cases by 2050, pressure on healthcare systems worldwide will be intense. In a special issue of the journal Behavioural Neurology, twelve contributions from an international group of researchers discuss imaging techniques that may contribute to early diagnosis and advancements in treatment for this devastating disease.

11 Nov 2009

Minimally invasive surgical techniques as effective as traditional open surgery in treating rectal cancers

Laparoscopic surgery has been used in the treatment of intestinal disorders for close to 20 years, but its benefits have only recently begun to be extended to people with rectal cancer. In a prospective study of 103 patients who underwent straightforward or "hand-assisted" laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer, a team of colon and rectal surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center has shown that the minimally invasive approach can be as effective as traditional open surgery in treating rectal cancers.

11 Nov 2009

New insight into how brain responds when people experience an unexpected or traumatic event

In a new study, psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) are able to see in detail for the first time how various regions of the human brain respond when people experience an unexpected or traumatic event. The study could lead to the creation of biological measures that could identify people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or identify PTSD sufferers who would benefit from specific treatments.

11 Nov 2009

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals' bavituximab PS-targeting antibody demonstrates potent anti-tumor activity

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that a newly published study shows that a phosphatidylserine (PS)-targeting antibody similar to the company's lead product candidate bavituximab demonstrated potent anti-tumor activity when combined with radiation in a model of aggressive brain cancer, doubling the survival time of test animals and producing long-term cures.

11 Nov 2009

Avanir Pharmaceuticals unveils Star trial results for Zenvia in the treatment of PBA

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced efficacy, safety and tolerability results from the 12-week open-label extension phase of the confirmatory Phase III STAR trial evaluating the investigational drug Zenvia™ (dextromethorphan/quinidine) in the treatment of patients with pseudobulbar affect (PBA).

11 Nov 2009

Tel Aviv University develops innovative algorithms to combat Intra-uterine growth restrictions for healthy babies

When a fetus is smaller than expected for the number of weeks of pregnancy, due to associated problems like a poorly developed heart, health concerns as severe as brain damage can result.

11 Nov 2009

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers identify mouse gene that reduces the accumulation Alzheimer's plaques and tangles

Children with developmental dyslexia have difficulties separating relevant auditory information from irrelevant noise

Researchers find link between telomeres and longevity

Tentative agreement reached with Oklahoma lawmaker stalling veterans' health bill

Malfunctioning circadian clock genes may be associated with bipolar disorder in children

OPKO Health acquires NK-1 compounds from Schering

FDA-approved DuraSeal spine sealant from Covidien

New microscope is expected to improve accuracy of intraoperative diagnostics

Envoy Therapeutics secures loan from Takeda Research Investment

First evidence-based, multidisciplinary treatment guidelines for brain metastases patients to be published

Veteran peer support is key to combat social isolation and post-traumatic stress disorder

Researchers identify new mechanism to create lasting memories; findings may yield potential treatment for memory impairments

Men more likely to abandon partners diagnosed with cancer

Wounded Warrior Project calls for the Congress to pass the Family Caregiver Legislation

Researchers discuss imaging techniques for early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Minimally invasive surgical techniques as effective as traditional open surgery in treating rectal cancers

New insight into how brain responds when people experience an unexpected or traumatic event

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals' bavituximab PS-targeting antibody demonstrates potent anti-tumor activity

Avanir Pharmaceuticals unveils Star trial results for Zenvia in the treatment of PBA

Tel Aviv University develops innovative algorithms to combat Intra-uterine growth restrictions for healthy babies

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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