Brain Cell News and Research

RSS

Cognizin citicoline shows promise in patients with bipolar disorder and cocaine dependence

The results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial showed that Cognizin citicoline (Jarrow Formulas) was effective at reducing cocaine use, based on urine drug screens, in patients with bipolar disorder and cocaine dependence. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in Advance, included a total of 130 outpatients with bipolar I disorder and cocaine dependence, who received either Cognizin citicoline or placebo add-on therapy for 12 weeks.

7 Jul 2015

Changes in key biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease during midlife may help predict future dementia risk

Studying brain scans and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy adults, scientists have shown that changes in key biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease during midlife may help identify those who will develop dementia years later, according to new research.

7 Jul 2015

LSD1 enzyme turns off genes needed to maintain cancer stem cell properties in glioblastoma

Cancer's ability to grow unchecked is often attributed to cancer stem cells, a small fraction of cancer cells that have the capacity to grow and multiply indefinitely. How cancer stem cells retain this property while the bulk of a tumor's cells do not remains largely unknown. Using human tumor samples and mouse models, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center discovered that cancer stem cell properties are determined by epigenetic changes -- chemical modifications cells use to control which genes are turned on or off.

7 Jul 2015

UIC study shows that brain cell density remains constant in normal aging

New, ultra-high-field magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago provide the most detailed images to date to show that while the brain shrinks with age, brain cell density remains constant.

14 Jun 2015

Star-shaped brain cells control cerebral blood flow and blood pressure

A star-shaped brain cell called an astrocyte appears to help keep blood pressure and blood flow inside the brain on a healthy, even keel, scientists report.

10 Jun 2015

Academics from University of Zurich selected to receive EU's most prestigious research grant

Two male academics and one female academic from the University of Zurich have been selected to receive the EU's most prestigious research grant. Each will receive between 2.5 and 2.9 million Euro to support innovative research projects over the next five years.

1 Jun 2015

Scientists uncover mechanism behind 'tubulin code'

Driving down the highway, you encounter ever-changing signs -- speed limits, exits, food and gas options. Seeing these roadside markers may cause you to slow down, change lanes or start thinking about lunch. In a similar way, cellular structures called microtubules are tagged with a variety of chemical markers that can influence cell functions.

13 May 2015

Ground-breaking study characterizes early-stage Alzheimer's abnormalities in the intact brain

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that strikes at the heart of what makes us human: the ability to think, to feel, to remember and to communicate with those around us. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that there is currently no cure, no treatment, and no diagnostic method capable of identifying Alzheimer's at its early stages.

6 May 2015

Researchers uncover new connection between Alzheimer's disease and diabetes

Researchers have uncovered a unique connection between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, providing further evidence that a disease that robs people of their memories may be affected by elevated blood sugar, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

5 May 2015

Scientists report that enzyme that alters testosterone to estrogen has big impact in healthy, injured brain

An enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen appears to have significant impact in a healthy and injured brain, scientists report.

5 May 2015

Researchers identify potential treatment target for fragile X carriers

Fragile X syndrome, an inherited cause of autism and intellectual disability, can have consequences even for carriers of the disorder who don't have full-blown symptoms.

25 Apr 2015

New research links sleep apnea, heavy snoring with premature cognitive decline

Heavy snoring and sleep apnea may be linked to memory and thinking decline at an earlier age, according to a new study published in the April 15, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Apr 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers create the largest library of brain cells from ALS patients

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have transformed skin cells from patients with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), into brain cells affected by the progressive, fatal disease and deposited those human-made cells into the first public ALS cell library, enabling scientists to better study the disease.

15 Apr 2015

Plymouth researchers receive grant to develop effective therapy for Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is an hereditary disorder of the nervous system caused by a faulty gene on chromosome four. The faulty gene leads to nerve damage in the area of the brain resulting in gradual physical, mental and emotional changes. Those born to a parent with Huntington's disease have a 50:50 chance of developing it, and there is currently no cure.

9 Apr 2015

Researchers discover genetic factors key to POMC cells

The little voice inside your head that tells you to eat, or stop eating, isn't a little voice - it's actually a cluster of about 10,000 specialized brain cells. And now, an international team of scientists has found tiny triggers inside those cells that give rise to this "voice", and keep it speaking throughout life.

6 Apr 2015

Finding appears to support the hypothesis that Alzheimer's is an autoimmune disease

Brain levels of the lipid ceramide are high in Alzheimer's disease, and now scientists have found increased levels of an antibody to the lipid in their disease model.

10 Mar 2015

New genetic discovery may lead to effective treatments for Huntington's disease

A new genetic discovery in the field of Huntington's disease (HD) could mean a more effective way in determining severity of this neurological disease when using specific treatments. This study may provide insight for treatments that would be effective in slowing down or postponing the death of neurons for people who carry the HD gene mutation, but who do not yet show symptoms of the disease.

2 Mar 2015

New partnership aims to create stem cell resource to study psychiatric disorders

The New York Stem Cell Foundation and the Stanley Center at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard are partnering to create a foundational stem cell resource to study psychiatric disorders through the production of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines from individuals with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.

20 Feb 2015

Three leading research funders join forces to support brain disease research

Three leading research funders from the UK and North America have joined forces to launch a new global initiative called MEND or, MEchanisms of cellular death in NeuroDegeneration, with a fund of $1.25 million USD (£820,000/$1.56CDN) for targeted research into brain diseases that cause dementia, such as Alzheimer's.

11 Feb 2015

New study shows that the body's immune system may be able to clear Alzheimer's-associated plaques

New research from scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California shows that the body's immune system may be able to clear the brain of toxic plaque build-up that is the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, reversing memory loss and brain cell damage.

6 Feb 2015

Brain Cell News and Research

Cognizin citicoline shows promise in patients with bipolar disorder and cocaine dependence

Changes in key biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease during midlife may help predict future dementia risk

LSD1 enzyme turns off genes needed to maintain cancer stem cell properties in glioblastoma

UIC study shows that brain cell density remains constant in normal aging

Star-shaped brain cells control cerebral blood flow and blood pressure

Academics from University of Zurich selected to receive EU's most prestigious research grant

Scientists uncover mechanism behind 'tubulin code'

Ground-breaking study characterizes early-stage Alzheimer's abnormalities in the intact brain

Researchers uncover new connection between Alzheimer's disease and diabetes

Scientists report that enzyme that alters testosterone to estrogen has big impact in healthy, injured brain

Researchers identify potential treatment target for fragile X carriers

New research links sleep apnea, heavy snoring with premature cognitive decline

Johns Hopkins researchers create the largest library of brain cells from ALS patients

Plymouth researchers receive grant to develop effective therapy for Huntington's disease

Researchers discover genetic factors key to POMC cells

Finding appears to support the hypothesis that Alzheimer's is an autoimmune disease

New genetic discovery may lead to effective treatments for Huntington's disease

New partnership aims to create stem cell resource to study psychiatric disorders

Three leading research funders join forces to support brain disease research

New study shows that the body's immune system may be able to clear Alzheimer's-associated plaques

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

How microplastics and bacteria interact to drive antibiotic resistance

Single-cell proteomics: Revealing proteome diversity from cellular heterogeneity to non-canonical biology

Latest News