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.

The proper implementation of stem cell-based disease models

Scientists have learned how to manufacture induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from regular cells through genetic reprogramming during the last ten years.

29 Mar 2023

Beneficial microbes in the infant gut use nitrogen from human milk to support pediatric development

A University of Massachusetts Amherst nutrition scientist who has spent his career studying breast milk has demonstrated how beneficial microbes in the gut of infants use nitrogen from human milk to support pediatric nutrition and development.

28 Mar 2023

Myeloid cells contribute to a long-lived HIV reservoir, study shows

A subset of white blood cells, known as myeloid cells, can harbor HIV in people who have been virally suppressed for years on antiretroviral therapy, according to findings from a small study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

28 Mar 2023

Common Epstein-Barr virus may be a trigger for multiple sclerosis

In 1868, French physician Jean-Martin Charcot, known as the founder of modern neurology, defined a disease entity in which multiple plaques formed in the brain and spinal cord, with varying physical symptoms, called Sclérose en plaques, or in English as multiple sclerosis (MS).

24 Mar 2023

Learning how the brain makes choices could help better understand neurological disorders

New research published by investigators at Cedars-Sinai advances scientific understanding of how the brain weighs decisions involving what people like or value, such as choosing which book to read, which restaurant to pick for lunch-;or even, which slot machine to play in a casino.

24 Mar 2023

Eye color genes play important roles in maintaining retinal health

Metabolic pathways consist of a series of biochemical reactions in cells that convert a starting component into other products.

24 Mar 2023

Using AI to screen for genetic mutations in cancerous brain tumors in under 90 seconds

Using artificial intelligence, researchers have discovered how to screen for genetic mutations in cancerous brain tumors in under 90 seconds -; and possibly streamline the diagnosis and treatment of gliomas, a study suggests.

24 Mar 2023

Brain scans link signs of cellular aging to symptoms of Alzheimer’s

According to a new study led by Anya Topiwala of Oxford Population Health, a division of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and published on March 22nd, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s disease are connected to telomeres shortening, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells age.

23 Mar 2023

New type of neural implant could restore limb function to amputees

Researchers have developed a new type of neural implant that could restore limb function to amputees and others who have lost the use of their arms or legs.

23 Mar 2023

Foods with a high fat and sugar content change our brain, shows study

Chocolate bars, crisps and fries - why can't we just ignore them in the supermarket? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne, in collaboration with Yale University, have now shown that foods with a high fat and sugar content change our brain: If we regularly eat even small amounts of them, the brain learns to consume precisely these foods in the future.

23 Mar 2023

Wearable microscopes produce real-time images of mouse spinal cord activity

The spinal cord acts as a messenger, carrying signals between the brain and body to regulate everything from breathing to movement.

23 Mar 2023

Study identifies 238 amyloid toxicity protective or activator genes

An international study led by the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at the UPF Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) identifies new genes that modulate the toxicity of the protein β-amyloid, responsible for causing Alzheimer's disease.

22 Mar 2023

Deactivating mosquito sperm to control populations of Culex

New UC Riverside research makes it likely that proteins responsible for activating mosquito sperm can be shut down, preventing them from swimming to or fertilizing eggs.

22 Mar 2023

Genetic signature might be shared across multiple substance use disorders, new study reveals

A new study has revealed a common genetic signature that seems to underlie multiple substance use disorders.

22 Mar 2023

T cell-driven changes in the gut may affect brain function associated with depression

In experiments with mice and humans, a team led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers says it has identified a particular intestinal immune cell that impacts the gut microbiome, which in turn may affect brain functions linked to stress-induced disorders such as depression.

21 Mar 2023