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Scientists put forward a new theory of brain development

Your brain begins as a single cell. When all is said and done, it will house an incredibly complex and powerful network of some 170 billion cells.

2 Mar 2026

ATP delivery fixes dysfunctional dopamine packaging in Parkinson's neurons

A new study shows how dysfunctional packaging of the neurotransmitter dopamine triggers toxic processes in neurons - and how this can be repaired with simple delivery of energy (ATP).

2 Mar 2026

NIH’s continued investment fuels TMJ pain research

Chronic pain is one of the most common health conditions worldwide. Back pain is the most frequently reported type, followed closely by head and face pain linked to the jaw joint, in the form of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

27 Feb 2026

Engineered proteins track gene expression in living primate brains

Gene therapy has been successfully used to treat a number of diseases, including immune deficiencies, hereditary blindness, hemophilia and, recently, Huntington's disease, a fatal neurological disorder.

27 Feb 2026

Researchers reveal why SuperAgers retain youthful brain cell signatures into their 80s

Researchers used single-nucleus RNA sequencing and chromatin accessibility profiling to map human hippocampal neurogenesis across adulthood, aging, and Alzheimer’s disease. They found that chromatin accessibility changes, more than gene expression alone, distinguish healthy aging, preclinical pathology, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive resilience in SuperAgers.

26 Feb 2026

Superagers show greater neuron growth linked to strong memory

Brains of older adults with super healthy cognition grow more new neurons than those of their peers, according to a study from UIC, Northwestern University and the University of Washington.

25 Feb 2026

Study identifies PPP2R5C blood marker that may detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier

Emerging evidence suggests reduced plasma PPP2R5C levels may serve as an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease before overt clinical symptoms appear. The protein appears linked to tau regulation, autophagy pathways, and cognitive decline, supporting its potential diagnostic relevance.

22 Feb 2026

Ion channel TRPV4 found to regulate relief after scratching an itch

When you scratch an itch, something tells your brain when to stop. That moment of relief, when scratching feels "enough," is not accidental.

22 Feb 2026

Brain neurons after exercise drive long-term endurance gains

When you finish a run, your muscles may feel like they did all the work. But researchers at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) have discovered that what happens in your brain after a run may determine whether you gain endurance over time.

19 Feb 2026

Novel implant delivers tiny growth-promoting particles directly to injured nerve cells

Researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have developed a novel implant that delivers tiny growth-promoting particles directly to injured nerve cells, helping them to regrow after spinal cord injury.

18 Feb 2026

Exercise-induced activation of neurons mediates improvements in endurance

Exercise does more than strengthen muscles; it also rewires the brain. In a study publishing February 12 in the Cell Press journal Neuron, researchers reveal that the lasting gain in endurance from repeated exercise-such as the ability to run farther and faster over time-involves changes in brain activity that help muscles and hearts to become stronger.

13 Feb 2026

Brain circuit links past experiences to appetite control

Our past experiences shape how much we eat and where and what we choose to eat. Using preclinical models, researchers from Mass General Brigham and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have identified brain cells that translate contextual information into appetite control.

12 Feb 2026

FDA-approved anti-seizure drug could help fight Alzheimer's disease

While physicians and scientists have long known Alzheimer's disease involves the buildup of toxic protein fragments in the brain, they have struggled to understand how these harmful fragments are produced.

12 Feb 2026

Visual experience shapes feedback wiring in the brain

Visual experience triggers the formation of a web of neural connections in different brain areas in order to make sense of the world – and in particular, of feedback connections, which send information from higher-level visual centres back to earlier ones.

11 Feb 2026

Neuron lattice structure may guard against neurodegeneration

Brain cells are constantly swallowing material from the fluid that surrounds them - signaling molecules, nutrients, even pieces of their own surfaces - in a process known as endocytosis that is essential for learning, memory and basic neural upkeep.

11 Feb 2026

Defective ASTN1 gene linked to developmental delay and neurological disorders

Nearly 30 years ago, researchers began studying the gene Astn1, which encodes the cell adhesion protein astrotactin 1 in mice, and its role in brain development.

10 Feb 2026

'Partial reprogramming' of engram neurons restores memory performance in mice

Age-related memory decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's are often thought of as irreversible.

10 Feb 2026

Chronic brain compression triggers neuron death through multiple pathways

To think, feel, talk and move, neurons send messages through electrical signals in the brain and spinal cord.

9 Feb 2026

Study identifies genetic fingerprint of neuropathic pain neurons

Researchers from The University of Texas at Dallas and their international colleagues have determined the molecular signature of human sleeping - or silent - nociceptors: sensory neurons that are unresponsive to touch or pressure yet are key culprits in neuropathic pain.

4 Feb 2026