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.

Study explores the relationship between heart issues and cognitive function

New in JNeurosci, Xia Zhang, from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, led a study exploring the relationship between heart issues and cognitive function.

6 Jul 2026

Psychiatry may be moving closer to precision medicine

For decades, treating depression has largely involved a difficult form of medical guesswork: prescribing one antidepressant after another in hopes that one will eventually help.

6 Jul 2026

UC San Diego establishes hub to accelerate the delivery of data-driven, equitable health care

UC San Diego today announced the establishment of the Institute for Applied Health Intelligence, a multidisciplinary hub designed to leverage the latest digital technology to improve health care delivery and patient outcomes.

6 Jul 2026

Study provides new insights into biological processes linked to Huntington’s disease

A study conducted by the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) and Hospital de Sant Pau has identified for the first time in living individuals a brain pattern related to the tau protein that changes according to the stage of Huntington's disease.

6 Jul 2026

Study shows how brain activity reflects dramatic social relationships

When watching a drama, we quickly learn who is friends with whom–and, just as importantly, who stands against whom.

6 Jul 2026

BCG vaccine may remodel the human brain's immune environment

New research led by Mass General Brigham investigators suggests that the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine - which is delivered through the skin to prevent tuberculosis - may remodel the human brain's immune environment, offering a potential biological explanation for previously observed associations between BCG vaccination and lower Alzheimer's disease risk.

6 Jul 2026

Engineered scaffold restores skull growth in craniosynostosis mouse models

An engineered triphasic biomaterial scaffold successfully recreated the cranial suture stem cell niche lost in craniosynostosis, a condition that causes premature fusion of skull bones.

5 Jul 2026

Researchers uncover shared olfactory mechanisms across mice and humans

Picture a mouse taking rapid, staccato sniffs of a crumb it's found while foraging for food. Now compare that with a human, leaning in for a single, deep inhale to gauge if a cantaloupe is ripe.

3 Jul 2026

New AI model improves prediction of cancer immunotherapy success

Cancer immunotherapy drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can be miracle drugs for cancer patients, curing some and turning deadly disease into a manageable chronic condition in others.

3 Jul 2026

Experimental drug shields nerve cells from damage caused by ALS

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, received widespread awareness in the summer of 2014 thanks to an Ice Bucket Challenge. Millions of people participated in the challenge, drenching themselves in ice cold water to bring visibility to this devastating neurodegenerative disease and generate charitable donations for research.

3 Jul 2026

Sniffing chocolate could make your leg day workout easier, even on an empty stomach

When was the last time you went to the gym and found working out a bit harder than expected? Leg day in particular can be tough, but a new Frontiers in Physiology study found a promising trick that might make it easier: sniffing chocolate.

3 Jul 2026

Japan aligns human embryo model research with updated ethical oversight

Human embryo models can help researchers study early human development and infertility without relying solely on human embryos.

2 Jul 2026

Blood circRNAs may predict Alzheimer’s before symptoms emerge

Blood-based circular RNAs showed strong potential for identifying biomarker-confirmed Alzheimer’s disease and predicting progression to symptomatic disease. When combined with pTau217, the circRNA model produced the strongest predictive performance, but larger prospective validation is still needed.

2 Jul 2026

First-in-class experimental CAR T-cell therapy shows promise against solid tumors

Researchers with the Charbonneau Cancer Institute at the University of Calgary and McMaster University have identified a unique target present on a specific group of solid cancerous tumors.

2 Jul 2026

Psychological stress accelerates immune aging through the gut microbiota

Psychological stress is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for certain health conditions including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, especially when paired with an impaired immune response.

2 Jul 2026

Prenatal high fructose exposure impairs brain development and memory

Nutritional imbalance during pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on the health status and disease susceptibility of the offspring.

2 Jul 2026

Blocking nerve signaling may reduce cancer-associated cachexia

Researchers have uncovered a previously unrecognized pathway linking lung tumor genetics, diet, and the nervous system that drives cancer-associated cachexia, according to a new study in mice.

2 Jul 2026

Lung tumors hijack nervous system to drive cancer-related cachexia

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a quarter of cancer deaths can be attributed to one source: cachexia. Cachexia is a syndrome that accompanies underlying chronic illness and causes unwanted muscle and fat loss, reducing quality of life and sometimes even limiting treatment options.

2 Jul 2026

Study reveals impaired glymphatic function in people living with ME/CFS

The brain's waste clearance system is impaired in people living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) which can lead to various symptoms including brain fog, Griffith University researchers have discovered.

2 Jul 2026

Umbilical cord proteins may explain lifelong health effects of low birth weight

Researchers have long sought to discover why babies who weigh less than expected at birth, a condition known as small for gestational age, or SGA, are at higher risk for heart, lung and metabolic diseases as adults.

2 Jul 2026