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Successful reduction in the levels of aggregated Abeta with GSMs

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals today reported the successful reduction in the levels of aggregated Abeta or Beta-Amyloid in an aged transgenic model (Tg2576) of Alzheimer's disease with its lead gamma-secretase modulator (GSM) EVP-0962. The aggregated Abeta, containing predominately oligomeric and larger Abeta fibrillar species, is considered to be the toxic entity in Alzheimer's disease.

9 Dec 2009

New evidence finds link between nutrition, obesity and immune system

Fresh evidence that fatty food is bad for our health has come to light: mice fed a lard-based diet over a long period got worse at fighting bacteria in the blood, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.

8 Dec 2009

Anesiva to merge with Arcion Therapeutics

Anesiva, Inc. announced today that the stockholders of Anesiva approved the merger with Arcion Therapeutics, Inc. ("Arcion") during its December 3, 2009 shareholder meeting. In connection with the merger, Anesiva stockholders also approved a one-for-forty reverse stock split, which will be effected upon the close of the merger.

8 Dec 2009

Study: Besides nerves, skin has a unique sensory system

The human sensory experience is far more complex and nuanced than previously thought, according to a groundbreaking new study published in the December 15, 2009 issue of the journal Pain (http://www.painjournalonline.com/article/S0304-3959%2809%2900526-0/abstract).

8 Dec 2009

Caffeinated energy drink does not neutralize alcohol intoxication, says new study

People who drink may want to know that coffee won't sober them up, according to new laboratory research. Instead, a cup of coffee may make it harder for people to realize they're drunk.

8 Dec 2009

Two Brown University faculty members receive federal funding for new neuroscience research projects

Two Brown University faculty members have received federal funding for innovative new neuroscience research projects focusing on brain development in infants and bipolar disorder in children.

7 Dec 2009

Zogenix closes its $35M second tranche of Series B preferred stock financing

Zogenix, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company, announced today that it has closed a $35 million second tranche of a Series B preferred stock financing. The Series B round was increased from $51 million, previously announced in September, to $71 million. The additional $20 million investment was made by Chicago Growth Partners, which will now be represented on the Zogenix Board of Directors by Dr. Arda Minocherhomjee.

7 Dec 2009

Albert Einstein College of Medicine receives SU2C grant for cancer research

Matthew Levy, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, has been awarded more than $700,000 by Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) for his high-risk/high-reward cancer research.

7 Dec 2009

'Brain advantages' for effective business leadership

Business leaders are in charge-of people, of budgets, of production lines. Most leaders also believe that they are in charge of their greatest resource-their own brain. But how true is that? The more we understand about how the brain works, the clearer it becomes that often our brain kicks in before we do.

5 Dec 2009

FDA approves Zyprexa in tablet form for schizophrenia and manic treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Zyprexa® (olanzapine) in tablet form as an option for the treatment of schizophrenia and manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adolescents aged 13-17 years old.

4 Dec 2009

Study shows smiles and scowls provide cues for gender identification

"Why is it that men can be bastards and women must wear pearls and smile?" wrote author Lynn Hecht Schafran. The answer, according to an article in the Journal of Vision, may lie in our interpretation of facial expressions.

4 Dec 2009

FDA approves once-daily SEROQUEL XR Extended Release Tablets

AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved once-daily SEROQUEL XR® (quetiapine fumarate) Extended Release Tablets as adjunctive (add-on) treatment to antidepressants in adults with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

4 Dec 2009

New evidence of a deep biological link between human music and speech

A pair of studies by Duke University neuroscientists shows powerful new evidence of a deep biological link between human music and speech.

4 Dec 2009

Cannabis can reduce spasticity in MS patients

Cannabis can reduce spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. A systematic review, published in the open access journal BMC Neurology, found that five out six randomized controlled trials reported a reduction in spasticity and an improvement in mobility.

4 Dec 2009

Study suggests brain can integrate new information without jeopardizing established memories

Our ability to learn new information and adapt to changes in our daily environment, as well as to retain lifelong memories, appears to lie in the minute junctions where nerve cells communicate, according to a new study by NYU Langone Medicine Center researchers. The study is published online this week in the journal Nature.

4 Dec 2009

Master gene linked to childhood brain tumor

The master gene Math1 is involved in the genesis of the most common childhood brain tumor, medulloblastoma, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in a report in the current issue of the journal Science.

4 Dec 2009

GIND scientists identify drug treatments that can normalize neuron development in AD

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) have discovered that two main causes of AD amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides and apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) impair the growth of new neurons born in adult brains. What is more, they have identified drug treatments that can normalize the development of these cells even in the presence of Aβ or apoE4. The findings are described in two separate papers published in the current issue of Cell Stem Cell.

4 Dec 2009

Researchers discover new strategy against invasive parasite

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered a possible strategy against an invasive parasite that infects more than a quarter of the world's population, including 50 million Americans.

4 Dec 2009

Fruit flies are valid models for studying drug addiction in humans, says scientists

Fruit flies may seem like unlikely heroes in the battle against drug abuse, but new research suggests that these insects - already used to study dozens of human disease - could claim that role. Scientists are reporting that fruit flies can be used as a simpler and more convenient animal model for studying the effects of cocaine and other drugs of abuse on the brain.

3 Dec 2009

MaRS teams up with Baycrest to develop and market brain fitness products

One of the world's leading cognitive science institutes announced today it has created a new company with MaRS, Canada's premiere innovation centre, to develop and market brain fitness products to help adults extend their memory and cognitive abilities longer in the lifespan.

3 Dec 2009