Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

Postive vote from FDA Advisory Committee for Fampridine-SR 10

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs (PCNSD) Advisory Committee voted 12 to 1 that clinical data on Fampridine-SR 10 mg twice daily demonstrated substantial evidence of effectiveness as a treatment to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and voted 10 to 2 (1 abstention) that it is clinically meaningful and can be safe for use.

15 Oct 2009

Blocking folic acid action during early pregnancy leads to increased risk of abnormalities in growing baby

Using medication that reduces or blocks the actions of folic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy (weeks 1-12), increases the risk that the growing baby will develop abnormalities. This conclusion was reached by a team of Epidemiologists, Paediatricians, Clinical Pharmacologists, Obstetricians and Gynaecologists who examined birth and abortion data collected in Israel between 1998 and 2007.

15 Oct 2009

Medications to reduce folic acid during pregnancy increase the risk of abnormalities in fetus

Pregnant women are advised to take vitamin supplements containing folic acid as part of their routine pre-natal care. Now, a new study warns that taking medications that reduce or block the actions of folic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy increase the risk that the growing baby will develop abnormalities.

14 Oct 2009

Positive data from ZIOPHARM's palifosfamide sarcoma Phase II trial

ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. announced today positive top line interim data from the multicenter randomized Phase II trial of palifosfamide (ZymafosTM, ZIO-201) treating patients with unresectable or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma. The analysis evaluated 62 patients treated as of the end of September, with 58 being analyzed.

14 Oct 2009

Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital commences treatment with the Novalis Tx radiosurgery platform

Doctors in Latvia have begun treatments using the region's first Novalis Tx(TM) radiosurgery platform from Varian Medical Systems and BrainLAB. Two prostate cancer patients have been treated using Varian's RapidArc® radiotherapy technology at the Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital.

14 Oct 2009

Abbott announces financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2009

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2009.

14 Oct 2009

Progenics Pharmaceuticals and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals sign license agreement

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth under which Progenics is regaining all worldwide rights to the RELISTOR® franchise from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which Progenics had previously licensed to Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

14 Oct 2009

Institute of Medicine elects researcher from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as its member

A prominent scientist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Thomas Curran, Ph.D., FRS, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Curran has long been a leading researcher in pediatric oncology.

14 Oct 2009

Brain researcher finds how the epilepsy and pain drug works

A Duke University Medical Center researcher who spent years looking for the signals that prompt the brain to form new connections between neurons has found one that may explain precisely how a well-known drug for epilepsy and pain actually works.

14 Oct 2009

Decreased expression of tumor suppressor gene PTEN transforms neurofibromas into cancer

Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center showed for the first time that the loss or decreased expression of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN plays a central role in the malignant transformation of benign nerve tumors called neurofibromas into a malignant and extremely deadly form of sarcoma.

14 Oct 2009

New UCL cancer research centre launched in UK

A new centre is launched in London today (Wednesday), joining a select group of Cancer Research UK Centres across the UK.

14 Oct 2009

OPKO Health signs agreement with Schering-Plough to acquire assets relating to NK-1 program

OPKO Health, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Schering-Plough Corporation to acquire assets relating to Schering’s neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonist program. Rolapitant, the lead product, recently completed Phase II clinical testing for prevention of nausea and vomiting related to cancer chemotherapy and surgery, and other indications.

14 Oct 2009

Monkeys experience similar uncanny valley effect like humans

Princeton University researchers have come up with a new twist on the mysterious visual phenomenon experienced by humans known as the "uncanny valley." The scientists have found that monkeys sense it too.

14 Oct 2009

Study shows elevated levels of antioxidant urate can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease

By examining data from a 20-year-old clinical trial, a research team based at the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (MGH-MIND) and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), has found evidence supporting the findings of their 2008 study - that elevated levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.

14 Oct 2009

New neurosurgical procedure may prove helpful for patients with treatment-resistant depression

A new neurosurgical procedure may prove helpful for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Bilateral epidural prefrontal cortical stimulation (EpCS) was found generally safe and provided significant improvement of depressive symptoms in a small group of patients, according to lead researcher Ziad Nahas, M.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina. The data are reported in the on-line issue of Biological Psychiatry.

14 Oct 2009

Scientists identify the first genetic mechanism that generates the cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex, the largest and most complex component of the brain, is unique to mammals and alone has evolved human specializations. Although at first all stem cells in charge of building the cerebral cortex-the outermost layer of neurons commonly referred to as gray matter-are created equal, soon they irrevocably commit to forming specific cortical regions. But how the stem cells' destiny is determined has remained an open question.

14 Oct 2009

Researchers to investigate an existing drug for speedy recovery of stroke patients

New research will determine whether an inexpensive drug called L-dopa, widely used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, could also help thousands of stroke patients regain mobility and independence.

14 Oct 2009

Parkinson's patients with higher urate levels in their blood and CSF had slower functional decline

Individuals with Parkinson's disease who have higher levels of a metabolite called urate in their blood and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have a slower rate of disease progression, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

14 Oct 2009

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals announces results of Zenvia double-blind Phase III STAR trial

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced detailed results from the confirmatory double-blind Phase III STAR trial evaluating two doses of the investigational drug Zenvia™ (dextromethorphan/quinidine) compared to placebo in the treatment of pseudobulbar affect (PBA) in patients with underlying multiple sclerosis (MS) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

14 Oct 2009

NIH awards Gladstone Institute consortium $3.7M for Huntington's disease research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a "Grand Opportunity" grant of $3.7 million to a consortium formed with the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) and the Taube-Koret Center for Huntington's Disease Research to use stem cell technology to better understand Huntington's disease (HD) and to develop potential therapies.

14 Oct 2009

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Postive vote from FDA Advisory Committee for Fampridine-SR 10

Blocking folic acid action during early pregnancy leads to increased risk of abnormalities in growing baby

Medications to reduce folic acid during pregnancy increase the risk of abnormalities in fetus

Positive data from ZIOPHARM's palifosfamide sarcoma Phase II trial

Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital commences treatment with the Novalis Tx radiosurgery platform

Abbott announces financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2009

Progenics Pharmaceuticals and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals sign license agreement

Institute of Medicine elects researcher from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as its member

Brain researcher finds how the epilepsy and pain drug works

Decreased expression of tumor suppressor gene PTEN transforms neurofibromas into cancer

New UCL cancer research centre launched in UK

OPKO Health signs agreement with Schering-Plough to acquire assets relating to NK-1 program

Monkeys experience similar uncanny valley effect like humans

Study shows elevated levels of antioxidant urate can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease

New neurosurgical procedure may prove helpful for patients with treatment-resistant depression

Scientists identify the first genetic mechanism that generates the cerebral cortex

Researchers to investigate an existing drug for speedy recovery of stroke patients

Parkinson's patients with higher urate levels in their blood and CSF had slower functional decline

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals announces results of Zenvia double-blind Phase III STAR trial

NIH awards Gladstone Institute consortium $3.7M for Huntington's disease research

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

Latest News