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.

UCL Study Uncovers Astrocytes' Role in Brain Energy Boosting Mechanism

A key mechanism which detects when the brain needs an additional energy boost to support its activity has been identified in a study in mice and cells led by UCL scientists.

4 Jul 2024

TRPC5 Gene Alterations: A Key Player in Obesity and Postpartum Depression

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Cambridge and collaborating institutions have discovered that alterations in the human gene TRPC5 cause obesity and postpartum depression.

3 Jul 2024

Common Fat Cells Converted to Calorie-Burning Beige Fat in Mice

According to recent research from UC San Francisco, it is now possible to convert common white fat cells, which store calories, into beige fat cells, which burn calories to regulate body temperature.

2 Jul 2024

Understanding the Origins of Brain Disorders Through Neural Pruning

The brain does not store everything for eternity. Trillions of neurons need to be assembled or destroyed at specific times and locations as human brains come together.

2 Jul 2024

Study Offers Insights Genetic Variants Influencing Pubertal Timing

Genes can indirectly influence the age at which girls have their first period by accelerating weight gain in childhood, a known risk factor for early puberty, a Cambridge-led study has found.

2 Jul 2024

DeepEvo: Revolutionizing Protein Engineering with Artificial Intelligence

Engineering proteins for desirable traits has been the holy grail of modern biotechnology.

1 Jul 2024

New Research Aims to Improve CAR-T Cell Therapy Effectiveness

CARISMa scientists at Goethe University Frankfurt introduced innovative CAR therapy that recognizes and specifically kills tumor cells. This cancer therapy is the focus of new federally funded LOEWE research.

1 Jul 2024

Mice Studies Shed Light on Serotonin and Memory

Memory regulation in humans and animal models is regulated by the serotonin 2C receptor in the brain, according to research from Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and affiliated institutions.

1 Jul 2024

Novel Epigenetic Tool CHARM Offers Hope for Prion Disease Treatment

In a new study in mice, researchers introduce "CHARM," a compact and versatile epigenetic editor that can be used to silence prion protein throughout the brain.

28 Jun 2024

New High-Throughput Platform for Rapid Evaluation of Plant-Derived Molecules

Plants are powerhouses of molecular manufacturing. Over the eons, they have evolved to produce a plethora of small molecules -; some are beneficial and valuable to humans, others can be deadly.

28 Jun 2024

New Model Unveils Synaptic Mechanisms in Neurological Diseases

Newly released research from Colorado State University provides basic answers to questions regarding brain cellular connectivity that may be helpful in the development of therapies for neurological conditions like schizophrenia, epilepsy, and autism.

27 Jun 2024

Breakthrough in Understanding Connexin-Drug Interactions

Researchers have gained new knowledge of how drugs bind to connexin molecules. These molecules form channels that allow neighboring cells to send direct messages to one another.

27 Jun 2024

Study Uncovers a Biological Explanation for Long-Term Memories

Whether it's a first-time visit to a zoo or when we learned to ride a bicycle, we have memories from our childhoods kept well into adult years.

27 Jun 2024

Neuroscientists Discover Brain Mechanisms Behind Escape Behavior

Neuroscientists have discovered how the brain bidirectionally controls sensitivity to threats to initiate and complete escape behavior in mice.

27 Jun 2024

One Size Doesn't Fit All: Study Reveals Stark Sex Differences in Mitochondrial Activity

Study comparing the genetic activity of mitochondria, the cell’s power plants, in males and females finds extreme differences, suggesting certain disease therapies must be tailored to each sex.

26 Jun 2024

CRISPR-Derived Protein Controls Exon Inclusion and Exclusion

The University of Toronto researchers have successfully and precisely controlled the process of RNA splicing by using CRISPR, a bacterial immune defense system.

25 Jun 2024

High-resolution 3D maps of diseased tissues at the subcellular level

Molecular maps from patient tissue samples can be created with subcellular precision using an open-source platform created by researchers in the lab of Nikolaus Rajewsky at the Max Delbrück Center. This allows for in-depth analysis and may improve routine clinical pathology. The research was published in the journal Cell.

25 Jun 2024

Researchers Develop New Way to Simulate Personalized, Microbiome-Mediated Diet Responses

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are beneficial molecules created by the bacteria residing in our gut that are closely tied to improved host metabolism, lower systemic inflammation, better cardiovascular health, lower cancer risk, and more.

25 Jun 2024

Ultrasound-Triggered Nanodroplets for Targeted Drug Delivery

Conventional drug delivery is often like cracking a nut with a sledgehammer. Whether the drug is swallowed, injected, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin, it ultimately diffuses to most parts of the body, including those where it isn’t needed – or where it even might cause harm.

22 Jun 2024