Brain Cell News and Research

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Scientists tackle huntingtin protein

McMaster scientists are very close to defining small molecule drugs that should be able to redirect the huntingtin protein from accumulating in the wrong place within brain cells, which could potentially translate to a therapy for Huntington's Disease (HD).

29 Jan 2007

SH2B1 protein plays a key role in controlling body weight, response to insulin and leptin

A single protein in brain cells may act as a linchpin in the body's weight-regulating system, playing a key role in the flurry of signals that govern fat storage, sugar use, energy balance and weight, University of Michigan Medical School researchers report.

29 Jan 2007

Manipulation of proliferation and differentiation of human bone marrow derived neural stem cells in vitro and in vivo

Stem cells taken from adult human bone marrow have been manipulated by scientists at the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to generate aggregates of cells called spheres that are similar to those derived from neural stem cells of the brain.

28 Jan 2007

Canadian researchers discover distinct dopamine signalling complex in the brain

Composed of two different types of dopamine receptors, this novel target may have a significant role in understanding and treating schizophrenia.

23 Jan 2007

Stem cells derived from human amniotic fluid appear to offer many of the benefits of embryonic stem cells

...including the ability to grow into brain, muscle, bone and other tissues -- according to a study published in the Jan. 7 online edition on the journal Nature Biotechnology, the Washington Post reports.

9 Jan 2007

New hope for Krabbe disease sufferers

By all expectations, it shouldn't have worked as well as it did. A combination of bone marrow transplantation and gene therapy greatly lengthened the lives of laboratory mice doomed by a rapidly progressing, fatal neurodegenerative disorder also found in people.

9 Jan 2007

TrkB and its role in learning and memory

For the first time researchers investigate the molecular basis of memory in living mice.

9 Jan 2007

Interleukin-13 receptor-targeted nanovesicles are a potential therapy for glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme is among the most aggressive and difficult cancers to treat. Now, researchers at Penn State University have shown that a lipid-based nanoparticle, designed to bind to a specific receptor found on malignant brain cells but not healthy ones, improves the potency of a common anticancer drug and slows significantly the growth of glioblastoma in mice.

8 Jan 2007

Herpes appears to play a role in bringing about Alzheimer's disease

A gene known to be a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease puts out the welcome mat for the virus that causes cold sores, allowing the virus to be more active in the brain compared to other forms of the gene.

3 Jan 2007

A central thermogenic-like mechanism in feeding regulation

During periods of fasting, brain cells responsible for stimulating the appetite make sure that you stay hungry.

2 Jan 2007

Stem cells grown into brain cells on a new 3D scaffold of tiny protein fragments

An MIT engineer and Italian colleagues will report the invention-which may one day replace the ubiquitous Petri dish for growing cells-in PLoS ONE.

2 Jan 2007

Chemo drugs damage healthy brain cells

According to new research chemotherapy drugs which are used to treat cancer, damage the brain.

4 Dec 2006

Human embryonic stem cells show potential in treating rats with Parkinson's symptoms

Brain cells derived from human embryonic stem cells improved the condition of rats with Parkinson's-like symptoms dramatically, but the treatment caused a significant problem - the appearance of brain tumors - that scientists are now working to solve.

2 Dec 2006

Guanfacine no more effective than a placebo

Guanfacine, a medication commonly prescribed to alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, is no more effective than a placebo, according to a study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

2 Dec 2006

Researchers discover protein interaction that may explain how Huntington's disease affects the brain

The findings, published in and featured on the cover of the current issue of Human Molecular Genetics, show how the mutated Huntington's protein interacts with another protein to cause dramatic accumulation of cholesterol in the brain.

2 Dec 2006

Researchers use gene therapy to reduce the development of epileptic seizures

For the first time, researchers have inhibited the development of epilepsy after a brain insult in animals. By using gene therapy to modify signaling pathways in the brain, neurology researchers found that they could significantly reduce the development of epileptic seizures in rats.

8 Nov 2006

Effective test for screening Huntington's disease drugs

A test using cultured cells provides an effective way to screen drugs against Huntington's disease and shows that two compounds - memantine and riluzole - are most effective at keeping cells alive under conditions that mimic the disorder, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

30 Oct 2006

Scientists discover how brain turns on system designed to protect nerve cells from toxic "free radicals"

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report they have found how the brain turns on a system designed to protect its nerve cells from toxic "free radicals," a waste product of cell metabolism that has been implicated in some degenerative brain diseases, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and aging.

20 Oct 2006

Scans reveal differences in autistic brains

Researchers at the University of Washington's Autism Center have found new evidence that some regions in the brains of people with the developmental disorder autism may not communicate with each other as efficiently as they do in other people.

17 Oct 2006

Overweight in middle age could mean dementia later in life

To add further fuel to the debate over obesity, researchers in France are saying that being overweight in middle age may indicate a higher risk of dementia later in life.

10 Oct 2006

Brain Cell News and Research

Scientists tackle huntingtin protein

SH2B1 protein plays a key role in controlling body weight, response to insulin and leptin

Manipulation of proliferation and differentiation of human bone marrow derived neural stem cells in vitro and in vivo

Canadian researchers discover distinct dopamine signalling complex in the brain

Stem cells derived from human amniotic fluid appear to offer many of the benefits of embryonic stem cells

New hope for Krabbe disease sufferers

TrkB and its role in learning and memory

Interleukin-13 receptor-targeted nanovesicles are a potential therapy for glioblastoma multiforme

Herpes appears to play a role in bringing about Alzheimer's disease

A central thermogenic-like mechanism in feeding regulation

Stem cells grown into brain cells on a new 3D scaffold of tiny protein fragments

Chemo drugs damage healthy brain cells

Human embryonic stem cells show potential in treating rats with Parkinson's symptoms

Guanfacine no more effective than a placebo

Researchers discover protein interaction that may explain how Huntington's disease affects the brain

Researchers use gene therapy to reduce the development of epileptic seizures

Effective test for screening Huntington's disease drugs

Scientists discover how brain turns on system designed to protect nerve cells from toxic "free radicals"

Scans reveal differences in autistic brains

Overweight in middle age could mean dementia later in life

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