Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

NIA awards Aphios Phase I Fast Track SBIR grant for development of novel AD nanodrug

Aphios® Corporation today announced that it was awarded Phase I of a Fast Track SBIR grant from the National Institute of Aging (NIA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Developing a Novel Alzheimer's Disease Nanodrug.

30 Nov 2010

Scientists identify signaling pathway and receptor for thymosin beta 4

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. nnounced that scientists have identified a long sought-after extracellular signaling pathway and receptor for thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4). The observation that Tβ4 increases cell surface ATP (energy produced by cells), could explain its ability to protect and regenerate tissue after ischemic injury and hypoxia (oxygen deficiency).

30 Nov 2010

Neuraltus reports positive results from NP001 Phase 1 study for ALS

Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, a privately held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing high-impact therapeutics that address critical unmet medical needs, primarily for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, announced today top-line results from the Company's Phase 1 clinical study of NP001 for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease).

30 Nov 2010

Zogenix completes enrollment in ZX002 Phase 3 study for moderate to severe pain

Zogenix, Inc. today announced completion of enrollment in its open-label Phase 3 safety study (Study 802) of ZX002. ZX002 is a novel, oral, single-entity, controlled-release formulation of hydrocodone for the treatment of moderate to severe pain in patients requiring around-the-clock opioid therapy for an extended period of time.

30 Nov 2010

Cytheris' combinational therapy demonstrates possible therapeutic strategy for PML

Cytheris SA, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today announced the publication of a case study report based on successful treatment of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) with combination therapy consisting of two investigational agents, Cytheris' recombinant human interleukin-7 (CYT107) and CMX001, an investigational, oral broad-spectrum antiviral drug (Chimerix, Research Triangle Park, NC) in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

30 Nov 2010

Research: Mechanical stress plays a vital role in brain function

In the human brain, mechanical stress the amount of pressure applied to a particular area requires a delicate balance. Just the right force keeps neurons together and functioning as a system within the body, and proper nerve function is dependent on this tension.

30 Nov 2010

New tool helps doctors gauge how well they care for people with Parkinson's disease

The American Academy of Neurology has developed a new tool to help doctors gauge how well they are caring for people with Parkinson's disease. The new quality measures are published in the November 30, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

30 Nov 2010

Merck announces initial results from ISENTRESS Phase III study in HIV-1

Merck today reported initial results from the Phase III study investigating the efficacy and safety of a treatment regimen including ISENTRESS® (raltegravir) Tablets once daily in treatment-naïve adult patients infected with HIV-1. ISENTRESS is indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced adults.

29 Nov 2010

FDA extends review period of Cladribine Tablets for MS therapy

EMD Serono, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended its review period for Cladribine Tablets as a therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) by three months to February 28, 2011.

26 Nov 2010

New findings provide insight into brain development

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have identified key components of a signaling pathway that controls the departure of neurons from the brain niche where they form and allows these cells to start migrating to their final destination. Defects in this system affect the architecture of the brain and are associated with epilepsy, mental retardation and perhaps malignant brain tumors.

25 Nov 2010

Breastfeeding while remaining on epilepsy medications may not affect child's IQ

There's good news for women with epilepsy. Breastfeeding your baby while taking your seizure medication may have no harmful effect on your child's IQ later on, according to a study published in the November 24, 2010, online issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Nov 2010

Five technology-based high-tech ventures receive funding under QTDP grants

Five technology-based high-tech ventures that have achieved success in the health care field with the assistance of NJIT's Enterprise Development Center (EDC) are the recipients of more than a million dollars in funding awarded in 2009 and 2010 under the federal program Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Grants for the State of New Jersey.

24 Nov 2010

Plant-derived bioscavenger protects against pesticide and nerve agent organophosphate poisoning

The brain is forever chattering to itself, via electrical impulses sent along its hard-wired neuronal "Ethernet." These e-messages are translated into chemical transmissions, allowing communication across the narrow cleft separating one neuron from another or between neurons and their target cells. Of the many kinds of molecules involved in this lively chemical symposium, acetylcholine is among the most critical, performing a host of functions in the central and peripheral nervous system.

24 Nov 2010

DFG announces establishment of eleven new Collaborative Research Centres

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish eleven new Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) as of 1 January 2011. This decision was made recently by the responsible Grants Committee at its autumn meeting in Bonn. The new CRCs will receive a total of - 94.4 million (including a 20 percent programme allowance for indirect project costs) for an initial funding period of four years.

24 Nov 2010

Researchers find link between acrolein and multiple sclerosis

Researchers have found evidence that an environmental pollutant may play an important role in causing multiple sclerosis and that a hypertension drug might be used to treat the disease.

24 Nov 2010

GFAP levels predict brain injury, death in critically ill children on ECMO

Johns Hopkins Children's Center scientists have discovered that high blood levels of a protein commonly found in the central nervous system can predict brain injury and death in critically ill children on a form of life support called extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation or ECMO.

23 Nov 2010

Compugen announces development of Protein Family Members Discovery Platform

Compugen Ltd. announced today the development of its Protein Family Members Discovery Platform, designed for the discovery of novel protein members belonging to various known and clinically important protein families.

23 Nov 2010

Preclinical trial shows Chimerix’s CMX001 inhibits HSV replication

Chimerix, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing orally-available antiviral therapeutics, today announced that data demonstrating preclinical efficacy of Chimerix's lead antiviral compound CMX001 against herpes simplex virus (HSV) as well as its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier was published in the November 15, 2010 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

23 Nov 2010

Scientologists target Aborigines with “drug bombs”

The Northern Territory (NT) Health Department of Australia last Saturday warned the Church of Scientology that its drug detoxification therapy, being promoted to Aborigines in Australia by the church was dangerous for people with kidney problems.

21 Nov 2010

Chardan initiates independent equity research coverage on StemCells

StemCells, Inc. announced today that Chardan Capital Markets (Chardan) initiated independent equity research coverage on the Company with a "Buy" recommendation and a 12-month price target of $1.45 per share. The new report, issued yesterday, was authored by Keay Nakae, Senior Analyst at Chardan.

20 Nov 2010