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.

Losartan prevents immunotherapy-related edema, improves survival in glioblastoma mouse models

Patients with glioblastoma-;the deadliest type of primary brain tumor-;may potentially benefit from immunotherapy medications called immune checkpoint inhibitors that stimulate an immune response against cancer cells.

3 Feb 2023

Microbiome therapeutic linked to quality of life improvement in patients with recurrent C. diff infection

Kevin Garey, professor of pharmacy practice and translational research at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy is reporting the first well-controlled study to demonstrate that a microbiome therapeutic, SER-109, is associated with significant quality of life improvement in patients with the debilitating recurrent infection and disease caused by Clostridium difficile (or C. diff).

1 Feb 2023

Nearly two million-euro ERC Consolidator Grant supports research on fruit fly's locomotion

When we try walking in a straight line with our eyes closed, after a few steps forward we inevitably deviate from our intended path.

1 Feb 2023

Study identifies genetic mutation in the SPTSSA gene as cause of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

A genetic mutation in the SPTSSA gene is identified as the cause of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, a rare disease that causes progressive weakness, stiffness and spasticity in the lower extremities, according to a study, "SPTSSA variants alter sphingolipid synthesis and cause a complex hereditary spastic paraplegia," published in Brain on on Jan. 30.

1 Feb 2023

Research supports the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy

Research findings published in Frontiers in Immunology show that cancer immunotherapy does not interfere with COVID-19 immunity in previously vaccinated patients.

1 Feb 2023

Cochlear organoids provide a platform to understand sensorineural hearing loss

Disabling hearing loss affects one in every ten people and up to 25% of people over 60, according to the World Health Organization, and can have both genetic and environmental causes such as infections and noise exposure.

1 Feb 2023

Deep learning model can accurately predict the growth of deadly brain tumors

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have created a computational model to predict the growth of deadly brain tumors more accurately.

31 Jan 2023

Exploring how smoking cannabis alters the oral microbiome and its impact on the brain

Inspiration strikes when you least expect it. For Wei Jiang, M.D., a professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), inspiration came in 2018 on a smoke-filled boat tour around Amsterdam during an international conference.

30 Jan 2023

Long-term deep meditation may have a beneficial effect on gut microbiota, study suggests

Regular deep meditation, practised for several years, may help to regulate the gut microbiome and potentially lower the risks of physical and mental ill health, finds a small comparative study published in the open access journal General Psychiatry.

30 Jan 2023

The 12-hour cyclic gene activity abnormalities in schizophrenic brains

The first proof of 12-hour cycles of gene activity in the human brain is presented by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the United States.

From University of Pittsburgh 26 Jan 2023

Researchers use supercomputer to unveil new methods for DNA mosaic recognition

As humans, we each have trillions of cells. And each cell has a nucleus with individual genetic information –DNA – that can mutate to create an abnormality.

25 Jan 2023

Studying the association between gut microbe and Parkinson’s disease

A new study by the University of Surrey suggests that Parkinson’s disease may begin in the gut and pass on to the brain.

From University of Surrey 18 Jan 2023

Interpretable framework to investigate the spatial organization of cells

In cells that are similar in form and function throughout tissues and organs, genes that are activated and expressed produce patterns. Identifying these patterns increases the understanding of cells, which could lead to the discovery of disease mechanisms.

18 Jan 2023

Ten years and 1,000 studies later, epigeneticists discover problems in their arsenal

Twenty years ago, following the initial sequencing of the human genome, geneticists started carrying out extensive genome-wide association studies to find genomic regions connected to human disease.

16 Jan 2023

New open-access database provides a map of the proteome signature

The recently released cancer protein profile database, which was created using AI and machine learning, has helped with cancer prediction medicine. The new open-access Disease Blood Atlas, unveiled by KTH Royal Institute of Technology Professor Mathias Uhlén, gives the first-ever map of the proteome signature in cancer patients’ blood.

11 Jan 2023

Investigating the molecular mechanisms that govern cilia force sensing

Although the human body is superficially symmetric along the left–right axis, most internal organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, stomach, and brain, have noteworthy left–right asymmetries in their structure and placement.

6 Jan 2023

Researchers study how cells use their sense of touch to make decisions during embryogenesis

Building tissues and organs is one of the most complex and important tasks that cells must accomplish during embryogenesis.

6 Jan 2023

Discovery of a new cellular element crucial to sense of smell

Researchers at Umeå University have found an organelle, a previously unidentified cellular component, inside the neurons that are responsible for the ability to smell. The finding might have repercussions for future studies on COVID-19 symptoms like impaired smell sense.

5 Jan 2023

New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease

A figure from the paper depicts pathways perturbed in Alzheimer's disease. Below examples are listed for each pathway by major brain cell type. Image Credit: The Picower Institute.

4 Jan 2023

The detrimental effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy

For the first time, researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland examined the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the epigenome and gene function of the placenta. The epigenome is a molecular coating on a DNA strand that controls how genes are expressed.

4 Jan 2023

Brain News and Research

Losartan prevents immunotherapy-related edema, improves survival in glioblastoma mouse models

Microbiome therapeutic linked to quality of life improvement in patients with recurrent C. diff infection

Nearly two million-euro ERC Consolidator Grant supports research on fruit fly's locomotion

Study identifies genetic mutation in the SPTSSA gene as cause of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

Research supports the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy

Cochlear organoids provide a platform to understand sensorineural hearing loss

Deep learning model can accurately predict the growth of deadly brain tumors

Exploring how smoking cannabis alters the oral microbiome and its impact on the brain

Long-term deep meditation may have a beneficial effect on gut microbiota, study suggests

The 12-hour cyclic gene activity abnormalities in schizophrenic brains

Researchers use supercomputer to unveil new methods for DNA mosaic recognition

Studying the association between gut microbe and Parkinson’s disease

Interpretable framework to investigate the spatial organization of cells

Ten years and 1,000 studies later, epigeneticists discover problems in their arsenal

New open-access database provides a map of the proteome signature

Investigating the molecular mechanisms that govern cilia force sensing

Researchers study how cells use their sense of touch to make decisions during embryogenesis

Discovery of a new cellular element crucial to sense of smell

New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease

The detrimental effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy

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