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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.

Arzerra drug approved by FDA for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Arzerra (ofatumumab) for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a slowly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

27 Oct 2009

Lack of optimal pain care delivery system costs more than $100 billion each year

A new Pain Medicine Position Paper published by leaders of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM), reveals businesses lose $61 billion annually due to ineffective pain care and the lack of optimal pain care delivery.

27 Oct 2009

Changes in dopamine levels linked to infant learning patterns

When do you first leave the nest? Early in development infants of many species experience important transitions-such as learning when to leave the protective presence of their mother to start exploring the wider world. Neuroscientists have now pinpointed molecular events occurring in the brain during that turning point.

27 Oct 2009

Inhibikase Therapeutics to illustrate the utility of IkT-001 and IkT-041 to treat multiple infectious diseases

Inhibikase Therapeutics, a specialty pharmaceutical company based in Atlanta, Georgia, will discuss simultaneous antiviral and antibacterial activity from small molecule agents at the 2009 BIOCOM Investor Conference. Employing a host-factor targeted approach, Inhibikase will illustrate the utility of IkT-001 and IkT-041 to treat multiple infectious diseases in humans.

27 Oct 2009

Diabetes decreases cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer's disease

New research published in the October 27, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that those with both diseases actually have a slower rate of memory loss than people who had only Alzheimer's disease.

27 Oct 2009

New significant tool to improve the quality of care for patients with brain tumors released

While the nation is debating how best to reform healthcare, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) announce a new significant tool to improve the quality of care for patients who suffer from brain tumors.

27 Oct 2009

Opinions: Africa Food Aid; International Violence Against Women Act; brain drain

While the drought and starvation in the Horn of Africa are "ghastly to be sure," when "you see children on TV with distended bellies keening over their dying parents ... do them a favour. Sit on your hands," Sam Kiley, a former Africa bureau chief with the London Times, writes in a newspaper opinion piece.

27 Oct 2009

Major fundraising initiative launched for Rett syndrome research

Inspired by recent breakthroughs in research, today the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) announced a major fundraising initiative entitled Research to Reality: Funding Progress. Funds raised by the campaign are earmarked to accelerate the progress of crucial research, and bring promise to reality. Country music sensation Clint Black, whose niece Courtney lost her battle with Rett syndrome in 2003 at age 16, will serve as Honorary Chair of the campaign.

26 Oct 2009

Study links abnormalities in the white matter of the brain with schizophrenia

A new study by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), King's College London has discovered abnormalities in the white matter of the brain that seem to be critical for the timing of schizophrenia. The study, led by Professor Phillip McGuire and Dr Sophia Frangou, has been published in this month's edition of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

26 Oct 2009

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics to present Phase I clinical trial data of ICT-107 vaccine in New Orleans

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. (OTCBB: IMUC), a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is developing immune-based therapies for the treatment of brain and other cancers, today announced that it will be presenting today, at the Annual Meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons in New Orleans, Louisiana at 3:15pm central time, data from its Phase I clinical trial investigating the role that its ICT-107 vaccine may play in increasing patient survival and inhibiting tumor progression in patients with glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive type of primary brain tumor.

26 Oct 2009

Phase 2a clinical trial in nonsense mutation hemophilia A and hemophilia B initiated

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTC) today announced it is expanding the development of ataluren, an investigational new drug, to a third indication with the initiation of a Phase 2a clinical trial in nonsense mutation hemophilia A (nmHA) and hemophilia B (nmHB).

26 Oct 2009

Results from Phase I dose-escalation study of AT-101 announced

Ascenta Therapeutics announced today that encouraging results from a Phase I dose-escalation study of two combination therapy regimens containing AT-101, an oral, pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor, in patients with the most malignant type of brain tumor, were described in an oral presentation at the 2009 Joint Meeting of the Society for NeuroOncology (SNO) and AANS/CNS Section on Tumors in New Orleans, Louisiana (Concurrent Session VI: Radiation Oncology, October 23, 2009; Abstract # 449).

26 Oct 2009

American Heart Association joins international organizations to fight the global threat of stroke

During this year's observance of "World Stroke Day," Thursday, October 29, the American Heart Association and its division, the American Stroke Association, will join international organizations with a unified message about the global threat of stroke.

26 Oct 2009

Montreal Children's Hospital inaugurates Brain Suite intraoperative MRI

The Montreal Children's Hospital inaugurates its new Brain Suite, home to the first intraoperative magnetic resonance (MRI) in a Canadian pediatric hospital and the first in Quebec.

26 Oct 2009

UCSF presents update of Phase 2 clinical trial of Oncophage cancer vaccine at SNO 2009

Antigenics today announced that the Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has presented an update on a Phase 2 clinical trial of Oncophage (vitespen) for recurrent high grade glioma (brain cancer) at the 2009 Joint Meeting of SNO (Society for Neuro-Oncology) and AANS/CNS Section on Tumors 2009 in New Orleans, LA.

26 Oct 2009

Peripheral artery disease can increase risk for stroke and heart disease

Edmonton researchers recommend that people over age 40 be screened for peripheral artery disease (PAD), which puts people at high risk for serious medical complications including heart disease, stroke, and possible lower limb amputation.

26 Oct 2009

Enzyme Mst3b is essential for regenerating damaged axons in live animal model, say researchers

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston report that an enzyme known as Mst3b, previously identified in their lab, is essential for regenerating damaged axons (nerve fibers) in a live animal model, in both the peripheral and central nervous systems.

26 Oct 2009

Novel protein responsible for changing DNA structure and silencing the expression of genes identified

A study published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) by a team of scientists headed by Professors Hélène Bierne and Pascale Cossart from the Pasteur Institute, in collaboration with colleagues form the CNRS and the French Agricultural Research Institute (INRA), identified a novel protein, BAHD1, which is responsible for changing DNA structure and silencing the expression of genes.

26 Oct 2009

AAO-PAAO meeting discusses tougher challenges of treating premature babies' vision

Highlights of today's Scientific Program of the 2009 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) - Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) Joint Meeting include: John T. Flynn, MD, Columbia University School of Medicine, discussing the ever-tougher challenges Eye M.D.s face in caring for the vision of the tiniest premature babies; and a report by Bradford W. Lee, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, on barriers to glaucoma follow-up as perceived by patients in an urban, culturally diverse clinic.

26 Oct 2009

Diabetics who are nearsighted may be less susceptible to diabetic retinopathy

Two studies are of particular note in today's Scientific Program of the 2009 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO): a report by Swiss neuro-ophthalmic researchers about vision exam clues that should make ophthalmologists suspect an atypical variant of Alzheimer's disease; and new evidence from a Singapore National Eye Center study that diabetics who are nearsighted may be less susceptible to diabetic retinopathy.

26 Oct 2009

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Arzerra drug approved by FDA for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Lack of optimal pain care delivery system costs more than $100 billion each year

Changes in dopamine levels linked to infant learning patterns

Inhibikase Therapeutics to illustrate the utility of IkT-001 and IkT-041 to treat multiple infectious diseases

Diabetes decreases cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer's disease

New significant tool to improve the quality of care for patients with brain tumors released

Opinions: Africa Food Aid; International Violence Against Women Act; brain drain

Major fundraising initiative launched for Rett syndrome research

Study links abnormalities in the white matter of the brain with schizophrenia

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics to present Phase I clinical trial data of ICT-107 vaccine in New Orleans

Phase 2a clinical trial in nonsense mutation hemophilia A and hemophilia B initiated

Results from Phase I dose-escalation study of AT-101 announced

American Heart Association joins international organizations to fight the global threat of stroke

Montreal Children's Hospital inaugurates Brain Suite intraoperative MRI

UCSF presents update of Phase 2 clinical trial of Oncophage cancer vaccine at SNO 2009

Peripheral artery disease can increase risk for stroke and heart disease

Enzyme Mst3b is essential for regenerating damaged axons in live animal model, say researchers

Novel protein responsible for changing DNA structure and silencing the expression of genes identified

AAO-PAAO meeting discusses tougher challenges of treating premature babies' vision

Diabetics who are nearsighted may be less susceptible to diabetic retinopathy

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd 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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