Nervous System

The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous system contains the brain and spinal cord.

Cancer and the Nervous System: Tumor Growth, Metastasis, and Neurobiology

Cancer neuroscience reveals a bidirectional relationship in which neural circuits, neurotransmitters, neurotrophic factors, and immune signaling can shape tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Tumors can, in turn, remodel nerves and exploit neural pathways, creating new opportunities and challenges for cancer therapy.

What are Schwann Cells?

Function of the Nervous System

Development of the Nervous System

Pathology of the Nervous System

The Impact of Hormones on the Nervous System

Bioelectronic Medicine: Hacking Nervous System Signals for Therapeutic Benefits

What is the Nervous System?

Latest Nervous System News and Research

UC San Diego receives funding to establish the Polysubstance Addiction Research Center

Researchers from University of California San Diego have received a $12.6 million award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to establish the Polysubstance Addiction Research Center (PARC), a multidisciplinary center designed to uncover the biological factors that contribute to addiction across multiple substances.

30 Sep 2026

Declining benzodiazepine use reflects more cautious medical prescribing practices

The number of benzodiazepine prescriptions like Xanax and Valium dispensed in the United States decreased over the past 10 years, potentially suggesting that doctors have become more cautious when prescribing these sedatives, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

30 Sep 2026

Laverock Therapeutics announces in vivo programs in oncology and genetic medicine

Laverock Therapeutics (‘Laverock’), a biotechnology company developing disease-responsive advanced therapies through its unique, programmable gene control technology, today announces its in vivo programs spanning CAR-T and genetic medicine

From Laverock Therapeutics 30 Sep 2026

Petrelintide produces double-digit weight loss with fewer side effects

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) and published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology shows that weekly injections with the new amylin-based obesity drug petrelintide can enable those treated to lose more than 10% of their body weight – generally lower than existing incretin-based (GLP-1 RA) drugs, but also with far fewer side effects.

29 Sep 2026

Study identifies three cell clusters driving pancreatic cancer-induced cachexia

Research published today in Cell identifies three small subclusters of cells driving pancreatic cancer-induced cachexia, a muscle-wasting and fat-loss condition that makes patients less tolerant of cancer treatment.

29 Sep 2026

New nanoparticles could protect soldiers from deadly nerve agents

Nanoparticles could someday provide a new way to help soldiers fight back against deadly nerve agents on the frontline.

29 Sep 2026

Blood markers linked to healthy eating may reflect more than food choices

Researchers analyzed dietary data from 204,938 UK Biobank participants and identified blood protein and metabolite profiles associated with adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet. These profiles showed stronger links to several health outcomes and modeled life expectancy than the diet score, but the observational study cannot establish that the diet caused those differences.

28 Sep 2026

Understanding how brain aging outside stroke injury zones affects aphasia

After a stroke, even areas of the brain that are not directly impacted by the injury can show signs of accelerated aging.

28 Sep 2026

Genomics and AI identify a candidate gene behind rare neurodevelopmental disorder

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, the Texome Project and collaborating institutions have identified variants in gene BRSK1 as a likely diagnosis for individuals with a rare and complex neurodevelopmental disorder who until now had not received an explanation for their condition.

28 Sep 2026

Childhood cancer survivors face severe mental health challenges as adults

Consultant and researcher Magnus Aasved Hjort believes that people who survive childhood cancer should receive far better support as adults.

28 Sep 2026

New framework maps the complex link between psychological status and cardiovascular health

CVD remains the leading cause of death worldwide, while the global burden of mental disorders continues to rise.

28 Sep 2026

Could the Mediterranean diet protect the brain through the gut?

A narrative review finds that the Mediterranean diet may support brain health through gut microbiome, immune, metabolic, and barrier-related pathways, but direct human evidence that microbiome remodeling mediates neuroprotection remains limited. The proposed mechanisms involve microbial metabolites, reduced inflammatory signaling, stronger intestinal and blood-brain barrier function, and possible effects on processes linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

27 Sep 2026

Heated tobacco users had more hypertension, but the story is not that simple

A large Japanese real-world cohort study found that current heated tobacco product users had a higher risk of developing hypertension than never-smokers in the primary adjusted analysis. However, the association weakened in several sensitivity analyses, and the observational study could not separate the effects of current heated tobacco use from previous cigarette exposure.

27 Sep 2026

Engineers use the human body to transmit wireless device signals

Using the human body to transmit signals, Georgia Tech engineers have created a wireless networking system that allows tiny implantable sensors and actuators to communicate with each other as well as wearable devices.

25 Sep 2026

Specialized immune cells bridge the nervous and immune systems

A collaborative team led by Professor Jie Zhou at Tianjin Medical University School of Basic Medicine and Professor Qiang Liu at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital published a comprehensive review in Volume 2 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation on September 8, 2026.

25 Sep 2026

Neuromedin U drives immune suppression in aggressive prostate cancer

A new study from The Wistar Institute has found a link between the nervous system and the rapid development of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), an aggressive form of the disease.

24 Sep 2026

Kidney rhythm mismatch linked to dangerous nighttime high blood pressure

Most people's blood pressure falls by 10 to 20 per cent while they sleep, giving the heart and blood vessels a chance to recover. But for some people, that nighttime dip never happens.

24 Sep 2026

Advances in chemistry and delivery are taking oligonucleotide medicines beyond rare diseases

A review in Cell Reports Medicine examines how advances in oligonucleotide chemistry and delivery have established ASOs and RNA interference therapies as a class of genetic medicines, with 21 oligonucleotides approved at the time of writing. It also identifies extrahepatic delivery, safety, target validation, individualized treatment, and data quality as priorities as the field expands into common diseases and explores AI-assisted development.

24 Sep 2026

Early treatment may improve outcomes in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome

More than 90% of children born with the rare bone marrow condition called Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS) survive beyond age 20. But fewer than 30% live beyond age 50.

23 Sep 2026

Transient ischemic attacks linked to increased long-term dementia risk

Having a transient ischemic attack (TIA) is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published September 23, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23 Sep 2026