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.

Cerebrospinal fluid signature and PiB imaging help predict Alzheimer's disease

Early Alzheimer's disease detected by a compound that binds to brain plaques appears likely to progress into symptomatic Alzheimer's disease with dementia, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 Dec 2009

Mutant ATPase blocks autophagy partway and causes multi-tissue degenerative disease

It's important to finish what you start, say Jeong-Sun Ju and researchers from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. In the December 14, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org), Ju et al. reveal how a mutant ATPase blocks autophagy partway through to cause a multi-tissue degenerative disease.

15 Dec 2009

Intensive medical therapy may benefit patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup

Intensive medical therapy, including aggressive control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, for patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup in their carotid arteries (which supply blood to the brain) appears to be associated with reduced rates of cardiovascular events and reduced risk of microemboli (microscopic-sized blood clots) in the brain arteries, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the February 2010 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 Dec 2009

RORalpha protein revealed as an essential regulator of inflammatory factors

How do the brain cells called astrocytes ensure the protection of neurons? By studying the protagonists in the protection and satisfactory functioning of neurons, scientists at the Laboratoire Neurobiologie des Processus Adaptatifs (CNRS/UPMC) have found a mechanism that clarifies the role of astrocytes.

15 Dec 2009

Modifications to Phase II study AD201 and open label extension study AD251 for ELND005 notified

Elan Corporation, plc and Transition Therapeutics, Inc. today notified clinical investigators of modifications to the Phase II study AD201 and open label extension study AD251 for ELND005, a compound being developed for the potential treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

15 Dec 2009

Stroke awareness in young children may help save stroke victims

Teaching children how to recognize when family members are experiencing a stroke and to call 911 might be a good way to save stroke victims from becoming disabled permanently, according to a new study.

15 Dec 2009

UT Southwestern Medical Center performs minimally invasive procedures for sinuses and chronic rhinosinusitis

Only about one in 2,000 people in the United States get a sinus tumor, but Johnnie Wilcox was one of the unfortunate few.

15 Dec 2009

Varian Medical Systems introduces RapidArc radiotherapy technology in Finland

Cancer patients in Finland have gained access to more advanced treatments with the introduction of RapidArc® radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems at the only private radiotherapy clinic in the Nordic region.

15 Dec 2009

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries receives approval for newly revised prescribing information for AZILECT

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the newly revised prescribing information for AZILECT® (rasagiline tablets) reducing medication and food restrictions.

15 Dec 2009

Brain plaques associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have long assumed that amyloid brain plaques found in autopsies of Alzheimer's patients are harmful and cause Alzheimer's disease. But autopsies of people with no signs of mental impairment have also revealed brain plaques, challenging this theory.

15 Dec 2009

Postmenopausal women who take antidepressants face increased risk for stroke and death

Postmenopausal women who take antidepressants face a small but statistically significant increased risk for stroke and death compared with those who do not take the drugs. The new findings are from the federally-funded, multi-institution, Women's Health Initiative Study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, and the results are published in the December 14 online edition of Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Dec 2009

ZYPREXA RELPREVV approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ZYPREXA RELPREVV (olanzapine) For Extended Release Injectable Suspension for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults, Eli Lilly and Company announced today.

14 Dec 2009

Scientists present new research on adipocyte regulation

The ninth Colloque Médecine et Recherche of la Fondation Ipsen devoted to Endocrinology, held in Paris on December 4, 2009, has reviewed the recent progress in understanding the regulation of fat storage in the body and the consequences of the breakdown of this regulation.

14 Dec 2009

Premature newborn boys have poorer prognosis compared to newborn girls, says study

Among premature births - children born before the 37th week of pregnancy - newborn boys have a poorer prognosis than newborn girls. In her dissertation at Lund University in Sweden, the physician Emma Elsmén Steen has explored why male gender constitutes a risk factor for greater morbidity in these infants.

14 Dec 2009

Researchers discover enzyme activity behind sleep deprivation

There is hope for those who miss one night too many or whose children keep them up at night. The unwelcome effects of a bad night's sleep - forgetfulness, impaired mental performance - can be dealt with by reducing the concentration of an enzyme in the brain. These are the conclusions of research published by Rubicon-grant winner Robbert Havekes and colleagues in the 22 October issue of Nature.

14 Dec 2009

Genentech announces Phase III study of Avastin in women treated with chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer

Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, today announced results from a Phase III study (RIBBON 2) of Avastin® (bevacizumab) in women who had previously been treated with initial (first-line) chemotherapy for advanced HER2-negative breast cancer and needed additional (second-line) treatment.

14 Dec 2009

Researchers present new data for diagnosis and management of beast cancer

As therapies for breast cancer continue to emerge, the issues of how to best monitor success and gauge prognosis remain important questions.

14 Dec 2009

New biosensors show how schizophrenia drugs alter brain chemistry

Scientists have resolved a question about how a popular class of drugs used to treat schizophrenia works using biosensors that reveal previously hidden components of chemical communication in the brain.

14 Dec 2009

Autism research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia named among top ten medical breakthroughs

Autism research led by scientists at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has been named one of the top ten medical breakthroughs of 2009 by Time Magazine.

14 Dec 2009

Genentech announces positive results from Phase II study of T-DM1

Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, today announced positive results from a Phase II study of trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1). As assessed by independent review, T-DM1 shrank the tumors (also known as objective response) in 33 percent of women with advanced (metastatic) HER2-positive breast cancer that had worsened following previous treatment.

14 Dec 2009

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Cerebrospinal fluid signature and PiB imaging help predict Alzheimer's disease

Mutant ATPase blocks autophagy partway and causes multi-tissue degenerative disease

Intensive medical therapy may benefit patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup

RORalpha protein revealed as an essential regulator of inflammatory factors

Modifications to Phase II study AD201 and open label extension study AD251 for ELND005 notified

Stroke awareness in young children may help save stroke victims

UT Southwestern Medical Center performs minimally invasive procedures for sinuses and chronic rhinosinusitis

Varian Medical Systems introduces RapidArc radiotherapy technology in Finland

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries receives approval for newly revised prescribing information for AZILECT

Brain plaques associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease

Postmenopausal women who take antidepressants face increased risk for stroke and death

ZYPREXA RELPREVV approved by FDA

Scientists present new research on adipocyte regulation

Premature newborn boys have poorer prognosis compared to newborn girls, says study

Researchers discover enzyme activity behind sleep deprivation

Genentech announces Phase III study of Avastin in women treated with chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer

Researchers present new data for diagnosis and management of beast cancer

New biosensors show how schizophrenia drugs alter brain chemistry

Autism research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia named among top ten medical breakthroughs

Genentech announces positive results from Phase II study of T-DM1

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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