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.

UC San Diego Medical Center performs complex surgery on brain lesion

Over three decades, a world-recognized medical team at UC San Diego Medical Center has spurred the evolution of a complex surgery to destroy dangerous clusters of arteries and veins in the brain. Integrating innovative approaches in radiology, anesthesia, and surgery, the team has perfected a method to systematically starve these abnormal brain lesions, artery by artery, vein by vein.

17 Dec 2009

Phase Forward’s InForm Global Trial Management solution standardized to support early-stage clinical trials

Phase Forward, a leading provider of data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety, today announced that Cancer Research UK’s Drug Development Office – the drug development arm of the world’s largest independent organization dedicated to cancer research – is standardizing on Phase Forward’s InForm™ Global Trial Management solution to support its diverse portfolio of early-stage clinical trials.

17 Dec 2009

Nanotherapeutics acquires Ramoplanin clinical program from Oscient Pharmaceuticals

Nanotherapeutics, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has acquired in bankruptcy proceedings two late stage clinical programs: Ramoplanin from Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corporation and PRX-3140 from EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

16 Dec 2009

Ivy Foundation awards nearly $10M for new patient-focused brain cancer research projects

Today, the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation (Ivy Foundation), announced that it is funding roughly $10 million for four new patient-focused research projects. As with all Ivy Foundation awards, these projects focus on improving the survival and quality of life for people with brain tumors but also specifically address new strategies to improve treatment development.

16 Dec 2009

Naurex' GLYX-13 demonstrates antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activity without CNS-related side effects

Naurex Inc., a new clinical stage company developing innovative treatments for depression and other CNS disorders based on its novel GFPA NMDA receptor modulators, today announced that data presented at a major medical meeting showed that its lead compound GLYX-13 demonstrated robust antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activity with no signs of the CNS-related side effects seen with other drugs targeting the NMDA receptor.

16 Dec 2009

Roche's P2X3 receptor program for chronic pain licensed to Afferent Pharmaceuticals

Roche announced today it has licensed its P2X3 receptor program aimed at developing first-in-class treatments for chronic pain to Afferent Pharmaceuticals. Afferent was co-founded by Anthony Ford, Ph.D., Pappas Ventures, and Third Rock Ventures, and is focused on developing compounds that treat chronic pain by targeting a novel biological pathway.

16 Dec 2009

VA and Department of Defense clinical practice guidelines for mTBI

The current issue of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA's) Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD) features 19 timely scientific articles on traumatic brain injury (TBI), based on work by VA researchers and colleagues from a variety of disciplines. The papers were commissioned for a "state of the art" conference VA held last year to advance research in this area.

16 Dec 2009

Study may lead to more targeted research and treatment for memory disorders

The conversations neurons have as they form and recall memories have been decoded by Medical College of Georgia scientists.

16 Dec 2009

Preclinical study of Arno Therapeutics' drug candidate AR-42 presented at ASH 2009

Arno Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology therapeutics, today announced the presentation of a poster at the annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting that describes the preclinical activity of Arno’s drug candidate AR-42 against leukemia stem cells (LSCs).

16 Dec 2009

NREF supports new post-residency fellowship grant program

The NREF has reached an agreement with Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. to provide funding to the NREF in support of the Foundation's new post-residency fellowship grant program.

16 Dec 2009

Higher leptin levels associated with lower incidence of AD and dementia

Persons with higher levels of leptin, a protein hormone produced by fat cells and involved in the regulation of appetite, may have an associated reduced incidence of Alzheimer disease and dementia, according to a study in the December 16 issue of JAMA.

16 Dec 2009

University of Florida obtains stimulus grant to establish ataxia consortium

University of Florida neurologists are trying to change that with the help of a $1 million Challenge grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to establish a nationwide network of physician-scientists with expertise in clinical ataxia research.

16 Dec 2009

UCLA researchers find link between brain cancer and fatty acid synthesis

Inhibiting fatty acid synthesis in brain cancer cells may offer a new option to treat about 50 percent of deadly glioblastomas that are driven by amplified signaling of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

16 Dec 2009

Stress and alcohol can trigger domestic violence during holiday season

The holidays are supposed to be a time for family togetherness and cheer, yet for many women and children, they are instead a time of fear and violence.

16 Dec 2009

TRAPPC9 as gene may be associated with intellectual disability world-wide, scientists identify

A gene involved in some forms of intellectual disability has been identified by scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), as published this month in The American Journal of Human Genetics. The gene is called TRAPPC9.

16 Dec 2009

Participating in social service programs can delay cognitive decline in older adults

Volunteer service, such as tutoring children, can help older adults delay or reverse declining brain function, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

15 Dec 2009

CHUM neurosurgeon raises funds for epilepsy research

On January 8, 2010, CHUM neurosurgeon Dr. Alain Bouthillier will leave for Argentina, where he will brave the 6,962-metre heights (over 22,840 feet) of Mount Aconcagua. Dr. Bouthillier's climb is intended to raise public awareness about epilepsy and raise funds for further research on the illness.

15 Dec 2009

Positive results from study comparing exenatide once weekly to BYETTA

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company and Alkermes, Inc. today announced positive results from a head-to-head study comparing exenatide once weekly, an investigational diabetes therapy, to BYETTA® (exenatide) injection taken twice daily, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

15 Dec 2009

Jazz Pharmaceuticals announces submission of JZP-6 NDA for treatment of fibromyalgia

Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for JZP-6 (sodium oxybate oral solution) for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

15 Dec 2009

New technique may help diagnose treatments for Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer

Chemists and biologists from the University of Bath have developed a new technique that could be used to diagnose and develop treatments for age-related conditions like Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and cancer.

15 Dec 2009

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

UC San Diego Medical Center performs complex surgery on brain lesion

Phase Forward’s InForm Global Trial Management solution standardized to support early-stage clinical trials

Nanotherapeutics acquires Ramoplanin clinical program from Oscient Pharmaceuticals

Ivy Foundation awards nearly $10M for new patient-focused brain cancer research projects

Naurex' GLYX-13 demonstrates antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activity without CNS-related side effects

Roche's P2X3 receptor program for chronic pain licensed to Afferent Pharmaceuticals

VA and Department of Defense clinical practice guidelines for mTBI

Study may lead to more targeted research and treatment for memory disorders

Preclinical study of Arno Therapeutics' drug candidate AR-42 presented at ASH 2009

NREF supports new post-residency fellowship grant program

Higher leptin levels associated with lower incidence of AD and dementia

University of Florida obtains stimulus grant to establish ataxia consortium

UCLA researchers find link between brain cancer and fatty acid synthesis

Stress and alcohol can trigger domestic violence during holiday season

TRAPPC9 as gene may be associated with intellectual disability world-wide, scientists identify

Participating in social service programs can delay cognitive decline in older adults

CHUM neurosurgeon raises funds for epilepsy research

Positive results from study comparing exenatide once weekly to BYETTA

Jazz Pharmaceuticals announces submission of JZP-6 NDA for treatment of fibromyalgia

New technique may help diagnose treatments for Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer

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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