Brain Cell News and Research

RSS

Four commonly used chemotherapy drugs disrupt birth of new brain cells, shows study

Researchers have developed a novel animal model showing that four commonly used chemotherapy drugs disrupt the birth of new brain cells, and that the condition could be partially reversed with the growth factor IGF-1.

18 Dec 2009

Neurologist performs catheter procedure on stroke patient

Most strokes are caused by blood clots in brain vessels. Brain cells die when deprived of blood and oxygen. But if a patient gets to the hospital in time, fast treatment often can restore blood flow and minimize damage.

17 Dec 2009

RORalpha protein revealed as an essential regulator of inflammatory factors

How do the brain cells called astrocytes ensure the protection of neurons? By studying the protagonists in the protection and satisfactory functioning of neurons, scientists at the Laboratoire Neurobiologie des Processus Adaptatifs (CNRS/UPMC) have found a mechanism that clarifies the role of astrocytes.

15 Dec 2009

Researchers discover enzyme activity behind sleep deprivation

There is hope for those who miss one night too many or whose children keep them up at night. The unwelcome effects of a bad night's sleep - forgetfulness, impaired mental performance - can be dealt with by reducing the concentration of an enzyme in the brain. These are the conclusions of research published by Rubicon-grant winner Robbert Havekes and colleagues in the 22 October issue of Nature.

14 Dec 2009

Autism research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia named among top ten medical breakthroughs

Autism research led by scientists at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has been named one of the top ten medical breakthroughs of 2009 by Time Magazine.

14 Dec 2009

Asymmetrical arm swings while walking can be an early sign of Parkinson's disease

Irregular arm swings while walking could be an early sign of Parkinson's disease, according to neurologists who believe early detection may help physicians apply treatments to slow further brain cell damage until strategies to slow disease progression are available.

11 Dec 2009

Cell transplants may yield new therapies for dementia patients

Nerve cells transplanted into brain-damaged rats helped them to fully recover their ability to learn and remember, probably by promoting nurturing, protective growth factors, according to a new study.

10 Dec 2009

Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute supplies stem cells to aid Huntington's disease research

The Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute is to provide stem cells to a five-member National Institutes of Health consortium of researchers for development of potential therapies to treat Huntington's disease.

8 Dec 2009

Aston University researchers receive stimulus funds to study fundamental processes of human vision

A team of researchers led by Professor Mark Georgeson and Dr Timothy Meese at Aston University in Birmingham, UK have been awarded over £1 million pounds worth of funding from the BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) and the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) to investigate some of the fundamental processes involved in human vision.

8 Dec 2009

$225,000 funding for promising epilepsy research

The Epilepsy Research Foundation (ERF), a unique joint venture of non-profit epilepsy organizations, and the Milken Family Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation, today announced two new grants recognizing promising epilepsy research in clinical development, totaling $225,000 in funding. The grant awards were announced by the Epilepsy Therapy Project and the Epilepsy Foundation, as well as the Milken Family Foundation, during the 7th Judith Hoyer Lecture in Epilepsy at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in Boston, MA.

7 Dec 2009

UCB presents data on Vimpat AED at AES meeting

UCB today announced new findings on its antiepileptic drug (AED) Vimpat® that offer additional clinical evidence supporting the use of this AED as adjunctive therapy in adult patients with partial-onset seizures. Results of presented research demonstrate sustained efficacy in adult patients taking Vimpat® for up to three years, and a consistent long-term tolerability profile.

7 Dec 2009

AES: Progress in epilepsy management not reached millions of people around the world

Substantial progress has been made over the last 15 years in the healthcare community's ability to diagnose and treat epilepsy and its complications. Yet this progress in epilepsy management has not reached most of the 50 million people around the world, including many of the nearly three million people in the United States who have the disorder.

5 Dec 2009

Health experts address treatment gap in epilepsy management at AES Annual Meeting

5 Dec 2009

Combination of green tea and DAPH-12 chemicals may help prevent brain disorders

Scientists at Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) and the University of Pennsylvania have found that combining two chemicals, one of which is the green tea component EGCG, can prevent and destroy a variety of protein structures known as amyloids. Amyloids are the primary culprits in fatal brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases.

4 Dec 2009

NIH approves new stem cell lines for research

The National Institutes of Health announced approval of embryonic stem cell lines for federally funded research. The Washington Post reports the decision is "opening the way for millions of taxpayer dollars to be used to conduct research that was put off-limits by President George W. Bush.

3 Dec 2009

DiaMedica to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Sanomune

DiaMedica Inc. (TSX VENTURE:DMA)("Diamedica"), a biopharmaceutical company that has discovered and is developing a novel approach to treating diabetes, announces it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Sanomune Inc.

2 Dec 2009

Brain study may yield better treatment for brain injuries associated with stroke and heart attack

Two University of Illinois at Chicago researchers report in the Dec. 9 issue of NeuroReport (now on-line) that adult naked mole rat brain tissue can withstand extreme hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, for periods exceeding a half-hour -- much longer than brain tissue from other mammals.

1 Dec 2009

Neurotoxic heavy metal can slow the progression of Lou Gehrig's disease

New discoveries have been made about how an elevated level of lead, which is a neurotoxic heavy metal, can slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease - findings that could point the way to a new type of therapy.

1 Dec 2009

Study explores brain's rewiring processes during motor learning

New connections begin to form between brain cells almost immediately as animals learn a new task, according to a study published this week in Nature. Led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the study involved detailed observations of the rewiring processes that take place in the brain during motor learning.

30 Nov 2009

Dr. Sarit Larisch receives the prestigious Johnson & Johnson Focused Funding grant

Dr. Sarit Larisch, Head of the Cell Death Research Laboratory in the University of Haifa's Department of Biology, has been awarded the prestigious Johnson & Johnson Focused Funding grant for her research exploring the cause of brain cell damage in Parkinson's disease.

26 Nov 2009