Brain News and Research

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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Two paralogous androgen receptor genes control social dominance

Rank in social hierarchy is a condition not solely claimed by humans. In the animal kingdom, male peacocks exhibit brightly colored plumes to illustrate dominance, and underwater, male fish show pops of bright colors to do the same.

11 Nov 2020

Targeting TAAR5 can provide a new treatment opportunity for neurodegenerative disorders

St Petersburg University researchers, led by Professor Raul R. Gainetdinov, Director of the Institute of Translational Biomedicine and Academic Supervisor of the St Petersburg University Hospital, have found a new role for recently discovered neurotransmitter system that uses the trace amine-associated receptor 5 (TAAR5) for neurotransmission.

11 Nov 2020

$4 million NIH grant supports research for tackling teenage depression

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), in 2017 approximately 13% of adolescents in the United States, or 3.2 million children aged 12 to 17, had at least one major episode of depression.

11 Nov 2020

Two studies focus on ethical aspects of brain-computer interface technologies

Brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies are no longer hypothetical, yet there are fundamental aspects of the technology that remain unaddressed by both ethicists and policy-makers.

10 Nov 2020

Scientists use bacteria to produce 3D objects made of nanocellulose

A team at Aalto University has used bacteria to produce intricately designed three-dimensional objects made of nanocellulose.

10 Nov 2020

Nearly 1 in 5 COVID-19 survivors develop mental illness within 90 days

A new study has found that people who have COVID-19 may have an increased risk of being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression, within 90 days after diagnosis.

10 Nov 2020

Promising new antivirals target arboviruses and SARS-CoV-2: Nodosome inhibitors

A new study describes two promising small molecules that inhibit a host cell factor, called nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), that inhibits the replication and spread of many arboviruses. This could lead to the development of broad-spectrum antivirals. The study's findings have been published on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

10 Nov 2020

Lowest risk for autism associated with mid-levels of immune marker measured at birth

The causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - including genetic and environmental factors - are not entirely understood. Many studies have already shown that serious maternal infection during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for offspring in both people and animals.

10 Nov 2020

Artificial olfactory system mimics the mammalian nose to assess meat freshness

A team of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore has invented an artificial olfactory system that mimics the mammalian nose to assess the freshness of meat accurately.

10 Nov 2020

Semi-automated approach accelerates artificial organoid growth and selection

The method currently used to produce stem cell-derived tissues has a very limited throughput. By semi-automating tissue differentiation, researchers from MIPT and Harvard have made the process nearly four times faster, without compromising on quality.

10 Nov 2020

Repairing brain damage caused by MS

Neurological symptoms as a result of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), such as loss of cognitive or motor function, lead to a great many problems for over 2.5 million people worldwide.

10 Nov 2020

Compound found in brown seaweeds could help treat malignant brain tumour

A compound found in brown seaweeds could help to treat one of the most common and aggressive forms of malignant brain tumour.

10 Nov 2020

New report highlights the value in preventing and reducing stroke

A report released today has found thousands of lives and billions of dollars could be saved annually by preventing stroke and improving access to treatment and care.

10 Nov 2020

Nanoparticles could treat neurodegenerative diseases, shows study

Researchers from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) have shown that nanoparticles could be used to deliver drugs to the brain to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

10 Nov 2020

Flinders University receives funding for new brain cancer research project

The human brain’s biochemistry may be a stumbling block that has been preventing an effective cure for brain cancer.

10 Nov 2020

Lupus Research Alliance announces the 2020 Lupus Innovation Awards

The Lupus Research Alliance proudly announced today the 2020 Lupus Innovation Awards. The projects represent a wide breadth of scientific exploration in lupus, probing the development and progression of lupus while pointing to potential treatment approaches.

10 Nov 2020

Researchers receive federal grant to develop tool that protects privacy in brain imaging analyses

Georgia State University faculty have received a five-year, $3 million federal grant to further develop a tool that will allow researchers around the world to participate in extensive brain imaging analysis without sharing protected patient data.

10 Nov 2020

New machine learning method can decode brain signal patterns for specific behaviors

At any given moment in time, our brain is involved in various activities. For example, when typing on a keyboard, our brain not only dictates our finger movements but also how thirsty we feel at that time.

10 Nov 2020

Scientists observe GABAA receptors and their organization on synaptic membrane

Synapses are specialized devices where learning and memory occur. The efficient transmission of synaptic signals relies on the delicate structure and complex molecular composition of the synapses. However, the small size (several hundred nanometers in diameter) and heterogeneous nature of the synapses pose significant challenges in direct observation of the molecules inside synapses.

10 Nov 2020

Exosome-mediated mRNA delivery generates broad immune response to multiple SARS-CoV-2 proteins

Recently, researchers from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA, and Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., Beverly Hills, CA, USA, described a new approach to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development using exosomes to deliver mRNAs that encode the antigens from multiple structural proteins of the virus.

9 Nov 2020