Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

People with schizophrenia benefit from new evidence-based clinical program

People with schizophrenia report improved functioning after participating in a new, evidence-based clinical program, according to results announced today from a six-month pilot.

7 Mar 2012

Blocking Plexin B1 protein can prevent formation of breast cancer metastases

In particularly aggressive forms of breast cancer, cancer cells can settle in other organs and form metastases there. Once such metastases form, complete recovery is rare. Consequently, it is enormously important to prevent the metastasisation of the breast cancer cells. The success, however, achieved by using existing forms of therapy is limited.

6 Mar 2012

Tonix receives net proceeds of $2.0M in private placement offering

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing therapies for challenging disorders of the central nervous system, including fibromyalgia syndrome ("FM") and post-traumatic stress disorder, has received net proceeds of approximately $2.0 million in a private placement offering to institutional and accredited investors.

6 Mar 2012

Prazosin drug shows promise against PTSD-related nightmares

Mayo Clinic researchers this week will announce the use of the blood pressure drug prazosin as an effective treatment to curb post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related nightmares.

6 Mar 2012

ACADIA, Allergan extend drug discovery collaboration

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative treatments that address unmet medical needs in neurological and related central nervous system disorders, today announced that it has extended its drug discovery and development collaboration with Allergan, Inc..

5 Mar 2012

BioLineRx granted Israeli approval for BL-7040 Phase II clinical trial for IBD

BioLineRx a biopharmaceutical development company, announced today that it has received approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health for commencing a Phase II clinical trial of BL-7040, an orally available molecule for treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

5 Mar 2012

Concert, Fast Forward partner to advance new approach to treat spasticity and pain in MS

Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Fast Forward, LLC, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's subsidiary devoted to bridging the gap between research and drug development, today announced a new collaboration to fund the preclinical advancement of C-21191, a deuterium-modified subtype-selective GABAA modulator developed by Concert with the therapeutic potential of treating spasticity and pain in multiple sclerosis (MS).

5 Mar 2012

Study shows how hydra respond to light in the absence of eyes

In the absence of eyes, the fresh water polyp, Hydra magnipapillata, nevertheless reacts to light. They are diurnal, hunting during the day, and are known to move, looping end over end, or contract, in response to light.

4 Mar 2012

SK Biopharmaceuticals' YKP3089 receives Korea Drug Development Fund

South Korean pharmaceutical company SK Biopharmaceuticals announced that the lead drug, YKP3089, from its drug development program for the treatment of refractory epilepsy, has been awarded funding from the Korea Drug Development Fund to support clinical development for the next three years.

3 Mar 2012

New breakthrough in early mammalian embryo development

Pioneering work by a leading University of Nottingham scientist has helped reveal for the first time a vital process in the development of the early mammalian embryo.

3 Mar 2012

REST molecule acts as an adapter in stem cells, times neuronal development

Upon fertilisation, a single cell is formed when egg and sperm fuse. Our entire body, with more than 200 specialised cell types and billions of cells are formed from this single cell. It is a scientific mystery how the early stem cells know what cell type to become, but a precise timing of the process is crucial for correct development and function of our body.

3 Mar 2012

Scientists to develop new carbon-based biointerfaces

In the future, neural implants could replace destroyed sensory cells in the eye or ear - a dream come true for humanity. One of the greatest challenges yet to be addressed is designing the interface between medical technology and human tissue. In order to overcome the limitations of existing models, scientists from Forschungszentrum Juelich and eleven other institutions involved in the NeuroCare project, which kicked off on 1 March 2012, will develop novel biointerfaces made of carbon.

3 Mar 2012

CLR01 blocks toxic aggregations of proteins in mouse model of Parkinson's

Millions of people suffer from Parkinson's disease, a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and worsens over time. As the world's population ages, it's estimated that the number of people with the disease will rise sharply. Yet despite several effective therapies that treat Parkinson's symptoms, nothing slows its progression.

2 Mar 2012

AHRQ grants U-M $2.5M to study long-term health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of newborn screening

University of Michigan researchers will use a $2.5 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study long-term health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of newborn screening.

2 Mar 2012

Preliminary results from Genentech's ACTEMRA monotherapy study on RA

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced that preliminary results from the ADACTA (ADalimumab ACTemrA) study showed that patients who received ACTEMRA (tocilizumab) as monotherapy achieved a significantly greater reduction in disease activity after 24 weeks than those given adalimumab monotherapy.

2 Mar 2012

F-DOPA PET/CT imaging alters management plans for patients with brain cancer

Imaging amino acid transporters with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has been shown to significantly alter intended management plans for patients with brain tumors, according to research in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

2 Mar 2012

Similar mechanisms drive changes in puberty

It's one of life's special moments: a child finds a fat caterpillar, puts it in a jar with a twig and a few leaves, and awakens one day to find the caterpillar has disappeared and an elegant but apparently lifeless case now hangs from the twig.

1 Mar 2012

CNS invites press to annual meeting in Chicago

The Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) invites members of the press to attend its annual meeting, March 31- April 3, 2012, in Chicago at the Palmer House Hotel. See the latest scientific research in perception, action, memory, language - including the connections between sleep and memory, the neurological processes that govern our eating habits, and how we interpret and understand events in our lives.

1 Mar 2012

Aspirin may help postmenopausal women reduce risk of trans fat-related stroke

New research shows an increased risk of ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women who consume higher amounts of trans fatty acids, commonly found in baked goods, fried foods, and packaged products. Study findings now available in Annals of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, suggest aspirin use may moderate the stroke risk caused by a diet high in trans fats.

1 Mar 2012

Alzheimer's disease drugs may act like a bad electrician

Alzheimer's disease drugs now being tested in clinical trials may have potentially adverse side effects, according to new Northwestern Medicine research. A study with mice suggests the drugs could act like a bad electrician, causing neurons to be miswired and interfering with their ability to send messages to the brain.

29 Feb 2012