Brain Cell News and Research

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Autism spectrum disorders result from miswiring of connections in developing brain

Studying a rare disorder known as tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), researchers at Children's Hospital Boston add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that autism spectrum disorders, which affect 25 to 50 percent of TSC patients, result from a miswiring of connections in the developing brain, leading to improper information flow.

10 Jan 2010

Gene therapy may help correct molecular flaws that cause brain disease

Neuroscientists have forged an unlikely molecular union as part of their fight against diseases of the brain and nervous system.

9 Jan 2010

UCF research opens a new exploratory path for Alzheimer's disease

Despite a massive global research effort, many basics of Alzheimer's disease onset remain elusive. This has hampered development of treatments effective during the earliest stages of the disease, when prevention is most likely.

9 Jan 2010

Gene modification of human embryonic stem cells may yield potential treatments for genetic diseases

Biologists have developed an efficient way to genetically modify human embryonic stem cells. Their approach, which uses bacterial artificial chromosomes to swap in defective copies of genes, will make possible the rapid development of stem cell lines that can both serve as models for human genetic diseases and as testbeds on which to screen potential treatments, they say.

8 Jan 2010

Protein complex proves valuable for changing cell fate

The DNA contained within each of our cells is exactly the same, yet different types of cells - skin cells, heart cells, brain cells - perform very different functions. The ultimate fate of these cells is encoded not just in the DNA, but in a specific pattern of chemical modifications that overlay the DNA structure.

7 Jan 2010

Nutrient mix shows potential to improve memory in Alzheimer's patients

In the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, patients typically suffer a major loss of the brain connections necessary for memory and information processing. Now, a combination of nutrients that was developed at MIT has shown the potential to improve memory in Alzheimer's patients by stimulating growth of new brain connections.

7 Jan 2010

New tools show potential for treating brain disorders

Neuroscientists at MIT have developed a powerful new class of tools to reversibly shut down brain activity using different colors of light.

7 Jan 2010

New evidence suggests long-term exposure to cell phone signals may protect against Alzheimer's disease

The millions of people who spend hours every day on a cell phone may have a new excuse for yakking. A surprising new study in mice provides the first evidence that long-term exposure to electromagnetic waves associated with cell phone use may actually protect against, and even reverse, Alzheimer's disease.

6 Jan 2010

Study identifies novel factor that causes Alzheimer's disease

Inheritance of an extra copy of the gene- β -amyloid precursor protein, APP, in individuals with Down syndrome leads to the inevitable development of early onset Alzheimer's disease, known to be linked to the deposition of Amyloid β peptide or Aβ in the brain.

5 Jan 2010

New study reveals choline plays a critical role in fetal brain development

If you're pregnant and looking for an excuse to eat bacon and eggs, now you've got one: a new research study published in the January 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) by a team of University of North Carolina researchers shows that choline plays a critical role in helping fetal brains develop regions associated with memory. Choline is found in meats, including pork, as well as chicken eggs.

5 Jan 2010

Research may point to more effective therapeutic targets for prion diseases

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have determined for the first time that prions, bits of infectious protein devoid of DNA or RNA that can cause fatal neurodegenerative disease, are capable of Darwinian evolution.

4 Jan 2010

D-Pharm commences enrollment in MACSI Phase III clinical study for acute ischemic stroke

D-Pharm Ltd announced enrollment of patients with acute ischemic stroke into its Phase III clinical study of DP-b99 (MACSI). The first patient has been enrolled at the Wolfson Medical Center, Israel. The MACSI trial involves numerous medical centers in the US, Canada, Europe, Israel, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil. DP-b99 is D-Pharm's most advanced product developed for protection of brain cells suffering from restricted blood and oxygen supply (ischemia).

3 Jan 2010

First animal model for studying schizophrenia

Scientists have created what appears to be a schizophrenic mouse by reducing the inhibition of brain cells involved in complex reasoning and decisions about appropriate social behavior.

29 Dec 2009

Small molecules reverse protein trafficking and mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease models

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremors, muscle rigidity, and slowed movements. There is currently no cure for the disease, and current Parkinson's therapies only address disease symptoms, not the disease's cellular cause.

29 Dec 2009

Hunger hormone can intensify high-fat food consumption

The premise that hunger makes food look more appealing is a widely held belief - just ask those who cruise grocery store aisles on an empty stomach, only to go home with a full basket and an empty wallet.

28 Dec 2009

Brain circuit that holds the memory discovered

Ben W. Strowbridge, PhD, associate professor of neuroscience and physiology/biophysics, and Phillip Larimer, PhD, a MD/PhD student in the neurosciences graduate program at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, are the first to create stimulus-specific sustained activity patterns in brain circuits maintained in vitro.

28 Dec 2009

Test tube experiments show slight changes in protein chemistry can eliminate Huntington's disease in mice

In Huntington's disease, a mutated protein in the body becomes toxic to brain cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that a small region adjacent to the mutated segment plays a major role in the toxicity. Two new studies supported by the National Institutes of Health show that very slight changes to this region can eliminate signs of Huntington's disease in mice.

28 Dec 2009

Key molecular switch linked to HD identified

Scientists have identified a key molecular switch that may drive the onset of Huntington's disease (HD), an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that leads to severe disruptions in muscle coordination and cognitive function. The research, published by Cell Press in the December 24 issue of the journal Neuron, enhances the understanding of HD pathogenesis and may direct new strategies for treating this devastating brain disease.

24 Dec 2009

Discovery enables scientists to devise novel strategies to diagnose and treat brain cancer

A team of Columbia scientists have discovered two genes that, when simultaneously activated, are responsible for the most aggressive forms of human brain cancer.

23 Dec 2009

Autism study and gene therapy in vision are top scientific achievements in 2009

A landmark autism study and a dramatic success for gene therapy in reversing inherited blindness, both at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, were recognized among the top scientific achievements in 2009, according to three national publications: Time magazine, Discover magazine and the journal Science.

23 Dec 2009

Brain Cell News and Research

Autism spectrum disorders result from miswiring of connections in developing brain

Gene therapy may help correct molecular flaws that cause brain disease

UCF research opens a new exploratory path for Alzheimer's disease

Gene modification of human embryonic stem cells may yield potential treatments for genetic diseases

Protein complex proves valuable for changing cell fate

Nutrient mix shows potential to improve memory in Alzheimer's patients

New tools show potential for treating brain disorders

New evidence suggests long-term exposure to cell phone signals may protect against Alzheimer's disease

Study identifies novel factor that causes Alzheimer's disease

New study reveals choline plays a critical role in fetal brain development

Research may point to more effective therapeutic targets for prion diseases

D-Pharm commences enrollment in MACSI Phase III clinical study for acute ischemic stroke

First animal model for studying schizophrenia

Small molecules reverse protein trafficking and mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease models

Hunger hormone can intensify high-fat food consumption

Brain circuit that holds the memory discovered

Test tube experiments show slight changes in protein chemistry can eliminate Huntington's disease in mice

Key molecular switch linked to HD identified

Discovery enables scientists to devise novel strategies to diagnose and treat brain cancer

Autism study and gene therapy in vision are top scientific achievements in 2009

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

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