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.

Specific brain circuit linked to food impulsivity discovered

You're on a diet, but the aroma of popcorn in the movie theater lobby triggers a seemingly irresistible craving.

11 Dec 2019

Epigenome editing could repair genetic brain disorder

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications shows that it may be possible to reverse gene mutations that cause brain disorders, using a very precisely targeted epigenome editing technique. This type of gene editing does not change the gene’s DNA sequence itself but is focused on correcting epigenome changes only. The condition that was corrected in the study is called the WAGR syndrome and is associated with obesity and intellectual disability in people.

11 Dec 2019

Experimental Alzheimer’s drugs show promise

Researchers from Salk have found that two experimental drugs named CMS121 and J147 may improve memory functions and reduce the progression of memory decline and brain degeneration in mice models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The researchers published their work in the latest issue of the journal eLife. The study was titled, “Elevating acetyl-CoA levels reduces aspects of brain aging.”

11 Dec 2019

New system enables real-time observations of individual cells in the colon

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a system that allows for real-time observations of individual cells in the colon of a living mouse.

11 Dec 2019

Children of all age groups around the world at risk from decline in physical activity

Emphasis on particular groups hinders efforts to address the problem of declining physical activity in children, according to a study led at the University of Strathclyde.

11 Dec 2019

Genetic code doesn't dictate whether a person is guaranteed to develop Alzheimer's

The colour of our eyes or the straightness of our hair is linked to our DNA, but the development of Alzheimer's disease isn't exclusively linked to genetics, suggest recently published findings.

11 Dec 2019

Chemical found in tropical flower could help to treat deadly pancreatic cancer

An international team of scientists led by the University of Bath have made drug-like molecules inspired by a chemical found in a tropical flower, that they hope could in the future help to treat deadly pancreatic cancer.

11 Dec 2019

Collaborative Frontiers grant to help predict behavior of the brain under metabolic stress

More than 30 million Americans have diabetes, with the vast majority having Type 2 disease. Characterized by insulin resistance and persistently high blood sugar levels, poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes has a host of well-recognized complications: compared with the general population, a greatly increased risk of kidney disease, vision loss, heart attacks and strokes, and lower limb amputations.

11 Dec 2019

Cannabis use in the U.S. increases rapidly among persons with depression

Results of a new study suggest that over the past decade (2005-2017), the prevalence of cannabis use in the United States has increased among persons with and without depression, though the increase is significantly more rapid among those with depression.

11 Dec 2019

Scientists evaluate mouse models used for developing new treatments for Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable and fatal hereditary disease. Developing disease-modifying drugs to treat patients with HD depends on studying them in animal models. Scientists evaluated the mouse models used for developing new treatments for mood disorders in HD and recommended which of these models are most relevant to their studies.

11 Dec 2019

Study could help improve GENUS to become a therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease

The sweeping extent to which increasing 40Hz "gamma" rhythm power in the brain can affect the pathology and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in mouse models has been surprising, even to the MIT neuroscientists who've pioneered the idea. So surprising, in fact, they can't yet explain why it happens.

11 Dec 2019

Treatment combination improves survival in advanced HER2-positive breast cancer patients

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today reported study results showing the addition of tucatinib to capecitabine (Xeloda) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, with and without brain metastasis according to results of the HER2CLIMB clinical trial.

11 Dec 2019

Blood pressure drug could be beneficial in treating alcohol use disorders

A drug used to treat high blood pressure may alleviate anxiety induced by long-term heavy alcohol use, and also halt the damage such drinking can cause to the brain's ability to grow new cells, research at the Queensland University of Technology shows.

11 Dec 2019

Researchers use stem cells to create in-vitro 3D neural tissue model

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have successfully used stem cells to engineer living biohybrid nerve tissue to develop 3D models of neural networks with the hopes of gaining a better understanding of how the brain and these networks work.

11 Dec 2019

Mice study shows the impact of taking antidepressants during pregnancy

Exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy and the first weeks of life can alter sensory processing well into adulthood, according to research in mice recently published in eNeuro.

From Society for Neuroscience 11 Dec 2019

Researchers create 'lab on a chip' devices to help medics monitor patients’ health in real-time

Researchers have identified a way of allowing medics to use tiny laboratories to monitor their patients’ health in real-time and deliver a greater level of personal care than ever before.

11 Dec 2019

Meaning in life associated with better health and well-being

Over the last three decades, meaning in life has emerged as an important question in medical research, especially in the context of an aging population.

10 Dec 2019

Study may help explain why deep-brain stimulation does not work for everyone

People with severe Parkinson's disease or other neurological conditions that cause intractable symptoms such as uncontrollable shaking, muscle spasms, seizures, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are sometimes treated with electric stimulators placed inside the brain.

10 Dec 2019

Evaluating safety and efficacy of migraine preventive treatment for children, adolescents

Cephalalgia, the official journal of the International Headache Society, published the article entitled "Cinnarizine and sodium valproate as the preventive agents of pediatric migraine: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial", by Man Amanat, and Mahmoud Reza Ashrafi from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

10 Dec 2019

Huntington's disease patients need to better understand the risks and benefits of new therapies

For patients with Huntington's disease (HD), clinical trials can offer hope when there are no treatments available despite unknowns about whether the therapy will work or is safe.

10 Dec 2019

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Specific brain circuit linked to food impulsivity discovered

Epigenome editing could repair genetic brain disorder

Experimental Alzheimer’s drugs show promise

New system enables real-time observations of individual cells in the colon

Children of all age groups around the world at risk from decline in physical activity

Genetic code doesn't dictate whether a person is guaranteed to develop Alzheimer's

Chemical found in tropical flower could help to treat deadly pancreatic cancer

Collaborative Frontiers grant to help predict behavior of the brain under metabolic stress

Cannabis use in the U.S. increases rapidly among persons with depression

Scientists evaluate mouse models used for developing new treatments for Huntington's disease

Study could help improve GENUS to become a therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease

Treatment combination improves survival in advanced HER2-positive breast cancer patients

Blood pressure drug could be beneficial in treating alcohol use disorders

Researchers use stem cells to create in-vitro 3D neural tissue model

Mice study shows the impact of taking antidepressants during pregnancy

Researchers create 'lab on a chip' devices to help medics monitor patients’ health in real-time

Meaning in life associated with better health and well-being

Study may help explain why deep-brain stimulation does not work for everyone

Evaluating safety and efficacy of migraine preventive treatment for children, adolescents

Huntington's disease patients need to better understand the risks and benefits of new therapies

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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