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.

Early interference in entorhinal cortex may halt progression of Alzheimer's disease

New research is helping to unravel the events that underlie the "spread" of Alzheimer's disease (AD) throughout the brain. The research, published by Cell Press in the November 4th issue of the journal Neuron, follows disease progression from a vulnerable brain region that is affected early in the disease to interconnected brain regions that are affected in later stages. The findings may contribute to design of therapeutic interventions as targeting the brain region where AD originates would be simpler than targeting multiple brain areas.

4 Nov 2010

Scientists identify events that causes AD progression

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) have offered new information about the events that underlie the "spread" of Alzheimer's disease (AD) throughout the brain.

4 Nov 2010

New radiotracer application may advance understanding of estrogen-related diseases

A study at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has demonstrated that a molecule "tagged" with a radioactive form of carbon can be used to image aromatase, an enzyme responsible for the production of estrogen, in the human brain. The research, published in the November issue of Synapse, also uncovered that the regions of the brain where aromatase is concentrated may be unique to humans.

4 Nov 2010

Beginner's guide to cancer

An academic from The University of Nottingham has written the first introductory guide to cancer, covering everything from the biology of the disease and why some people are more at risk of developing it than others, to the latest research into prevention, treatment and cure.

4 Nov 2010

Gene fusion prostate cancers susceptible to secondary mutations

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have taken an important step toward a better understanding of prostate cancer by uncovering evidence that it is not one disease, as previously believed, but rather several factors which can be measured and, in the future, destroyed by targeted therapy.

4 Nov 2010

Combination of DC-CIK and stem cell therapy effective to prevent cancer recurrence after surgery

"For brain cancer patients after surgery, the combined DC-CIK and stem cell therapy from Cellonis Biotechnologies can be a very effective method in preventing cancer recurrence," says renowned cancer doctor Dr. Dinggang Li.

4 Nov 2010

New findings show combinational therapy effective for patients with DLBCL lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a type of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that accounts for approximately 40 percent of lymphomas among adults. If left untreated, it is fatal. The existing treatments have a cure rate that is slightly over 50 percent but destroy healthy cells along with the cancer cells.

4 Nov 2010

Study identifies promising therapy to overcome limitation in brain's ability to recover function after stroke

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability, due to the brain's limited capacity for recovery. Physical rehabilitation is the only current treatment following a stroke, and there are no medications available to help promote neurological recovery.

4 Nov 2010

New noninvasive technique provides low-level electrical stimulation to reduce pain

A simple, noninvasive technique providing low-level electrical stimulation of the brain produces significant pain-reducing effects in humans, reports the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

4 Nov 2010

Afinitor tablets decrease size of SEGA associated with tuberous sclerosis

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today published a study that found patients taking Afinitor (everolimus) tablets experienced a decrease in the size of their subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA), a benign brain tumor associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS).

4 Nov 2010

Study links positive well-being to higher telomerase activity

Positive psychological changes that occur during meditation training are associated with greater telomerase activity, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of California, San Francisco. The study is the first to link positive well-being to higher telomerase, an enzyme important for the long-term health of cells in the body.

4 Nov 2010

SurModics and Edge Therapeutics enter licensing agreement for drug delivery technology

SurModics, Inc., a leading provider of drug delivery and surface modification technologies to the healthcare industry, and Edge Therapeutics, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company that transforms proven, off-patent drugs into targeted, locally delivered therapies for neurological disorders, announced today that the companies have entered into a licensing agreement for drug delivery technology.

4 Nov 2010

Single injection of morphine to fight persistent pain reduces testosterone level: Research

A single injection of morphine to fight persistent pain in male rats is able to strongly reduce the hormone testosterone in the brain and plasma, according to a new paper published in Molecular Pain.

4 Nov 2010

Scientists discover gene variant that rewires brain's circuitry in neurological disorders

Many gene variants have been linked to autism, but how do these subtle changes alter the brain, and ultimately, behavior. Using a blend of brain imaging and genetic detective work, scientists at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior are the first to illustrate how a gene variant tied to autism rewires the brain.

4 Nov 2010

Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2011

From pill-sized cameras to radioactive compounds that let doctors "see" inside a patient's brain, Cleveland Clinic's Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2011 showcases new techniques, therapies and approaches to treating a host of diseases.

3 Nov 2010

Effort exerted on cognitive task influenced by masked action or inaction cues

People may have a better memory for birthdays that are closer to their own: Volunteers recalling their friends' birthdays tended to remember birthdays that were closer to their own than birthdays that were farther away from their own birthday.

3 Nov 2010

Integra launches XKnife 5 Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy Treatment Planning Software

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation announced today the launch of its XKnife® 5 Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy Treatment Planning Software. The XKnife® 5 Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy Treatment Planning Software is part of Integra's XKnife® System and is indicated for Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT).

3 Nov 2010

Allen Institute releases new data and tools for exploring genes at work in human brain

The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today its twentieth public data release, which includes new data and tools for exploring genes at work in the human brain. In addition to expanding and enhancing the Allen Human Brain Atlas, the Allen Institute launched two new human brain resources: the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project and the NIMH Transcriptional Atlas of Human Brain Development.

3 Nov 2010

People hospitalized after stroke on a weekend more likely to die: Study

People admitted to the hospital on a weekend after a stroke are more likely to die compared to people admitted on a weekday, regardless of the severity of the stroke they experience, according to new research published in the November 2, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Nov 2010

New mathematical modeling shows cellular basis of neural transmission

NJIT Associate Professor Victor Matveev, PhD, in the department of mathematical sciences, was part of a research team that published "N-type Ca2+ channels carry the largest current: Implications for nanodomains and transmitter release," in Nature Neuroscience on Oct. 17, 2010.

3 Nov 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Early interference in entorhinal cortex may halt progression of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists identify events that causes AD progression

New radiotracer application may advance understanding of estrogen-related diseases

Beginner's guide to cancer

Gene fusion prostate cancers susceptible to secondary mutations

Combination of DC-CIK and stem cell therapy effective to prevent cancer recurrence after surgery

New findings show combinational therapy effective for patients with DLBCL lymphoma

Study identifies promising therapy to overcome limitation in brain's ability to recover function after stroke

New noninvasive technique provides low-level electrical stimulation to reduce pain

Afinitor tablets decrease size of SEGA associated with tuberous sclerosis

Study links positive well-being to higher telomerase activity

SurModics and Edge Therapeutics enter licensing agreement for drug delivery technology

Single injection of morphine to fight persistent pain reduces testosterone level: Research

Scientists discover gene variant that rewires brain's circuitry in neurological disorders

Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2011

Effort exerted on cognitive task influenced by masked action or inaction cues

Integra launches XKnife 5 Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy Treatment Planning Software

Allen Institute releases new data and tools for exploring genes at work in human brain

People hospitalized after stroke on a weekend more likely to die: Study

New mathematical modeling shows cellular basis of neural transmission

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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