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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.

Study reveals a potential target for treating brain trauma

Brain damage continues to develop and evolve for months after a traumatic brain injury (TBI), revealing a potential target for treatments to improve brain trauma, new research led by the University of Melbourne, Australia has found.

3 Nov 2010

Study finds risk of toxicity in Phase I radiation oncology clinical trials

Risks to patients enrolled in Phase I radiation oncology clinical trials are higher than previously appreciated, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. The findings will be presented at the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in San Diego.

3 Nov 2010

Visual attention diminishes with age

A University of Toronto study shows that visual attention -- the brain's ability to selectively filter unattended or unwanted information from reaching awareness -- diminishes with age, leaving older adults less capable of filtering out distracting or irrelevant information.

3 Nov 2010

Curemark awarded QTDP grant to advance development of CM-AT for autism

Curemark LLC, a drug research and development company focused on the treatment of neurological diseases, announced today that it has been awarded a grant by the United States government under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) Program to advance the development of its lead product CM-AT for autism. CM-AT is presently in Phase III clinical trials at 18 sites around the US.

3 Nov 2010

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery effective for morbid obesity

Gastric bypass surgery decreases the preference for sweet-tasting substances in obese rats, a study finding that could help in developing safer treatments for the morbidly obese, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

3 Nov 2010

Drinking beet juice increases blood flow to the brain

Researchers for the first time have shown that drinking beet juice can increase blood flow to the brain in older adults - a finding that could hold great potential for combating the progression of dementia.

3 Nov 2010

Hyperion HPN-100 phase III pivotal study for urea cycle disorders meets primary endpoint

Hyperion Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the Company's phase III pivotal study of glycerol phenylbutyrate (HPN-100), an investigational drug for the treatment of urea cycle disorders (UCDs), met its primary endpoint. The non-inferiority study, conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2009, evaluated the ammonia control of glycerol phenylbutyrate as compared to sodium phenylbutyrate (BUPHENYL®).

3 Nov 2010

Brain Research Foundation presents Frederic A. Gibbs Discovery Award to Abbott

The Brain Research Foundation presented the Frederic A. Gibbs Discovery Award to Abbott, a global, broad-based health care company, for its dedication to advancing neuroscience through education, research and philanthropy.

3 Nov 2010

Study finds DHA supplementation does not reduce risk of AD

Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) who received supplementation with the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), believed to possibly reduce the risk of AD, did not experience a reduction in the rate of cognitive and functional decline, compared to patients who received placebo, according to a study in the November 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on aging.

3 Nov 2010

CytRx receives nontaxable grant under Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program

CytRx Corporation a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced that it has been awarded a nontaxable grant of approximately $735,000 related to its INNO-206, tamibarotene and bafetinib programs under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590, signed into law in March 2010.

3 Nov 2010

Researchers reveal molecular structure of blood-clotting enzyme

Using state-of-the-art robotic and x-ray crystallographic equipment, researchers at Saint Louis University have revealed for the first time the molecular structure of the zymogen, or inactive, form of a blood-clotting enzyme.

3 Nov 2010

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