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.

Study reveals genetic variants that increase the risk of nocturnal enuresis

In a large-scale study of Danish children and young people, researchers from Aarhus University have for the first time found genetic variants that increase the risk of nocturnal enuresis - commonly known as bedwetting or nighttime incontinence. The findings provide completely new insights into the processes in the body causing this widespread phenomenon.

20 Jan 2021

Gene therapy helps paralyzed mice to walk again

For the first time, scientists have successfully used gene therapy to make mice walk again after these animals suffered a complete cross-sectional injury.

18 Jan 2021

New type of stem cell with regenerative abilities could soon become a reality

A new type of stem cell - that is, a cell with regenerative abilities - could be closer on the horizon, a new study led by UNSW Sydney shows.

From The University of New South Wales (UNSW) 15 Jan 2021

Advanced nanomaterial-based biosensing platform detects COVID-19 antibodies within seconds

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University report findings on an advanced nanomaterial-based biosensing platform that detects, within seconds, antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

11 Jan 2021

Scientists use stem cells to reverse memory and learning deficits in mice with craniosynostosis

In an effort to regenerate portions of the skull, researchers have successfully used stem cells, corrected the shape of the skull, and thus reversed learning and memory deficits in young mice afflicted with craniosynostosis.

8 Jan 2021

Study addresses mystery of how chromosomes are inherited during cell division

Starting as a single cell, organisms undergo millions of generations of divisions to ultimately generate the bones, heart, brain and other components that make up a living being. The mainspring within this intricate process is the transfer of DNA through each subsequent cell split within discrete packets called chromosomes.

7 Jan 2021

Neurons in the brainstem circuit control fine motor skills

Writing, driving a screw or throwing darts are only some of the activities that demand a high level of skill.

7 Jan 2021

Abnormalities in cholesterol transport protein associated with schizophrenia

Scientists have suspected mutations in a cellular cholesterol transport protein are associated with psychiatric disorders, but have found it difficult to prove this and to pinpoint how it happens.

29 Dec 2020

Twist‐and‐squeeze mechanism of transporter protein confers cancer drug resistance

In 1986, cellular biochemist Kazumitsu Ueda, currently at Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, discovered that a protein called ABCB1 could transport multiple chemotherapeutics out of some cancer cells, making them resistant to treatment. How it did this has remained a mystery for the past 35 years.

29 Dec 2020

TUM researcher develops self-learning algorithms to help analyze bioscientific image data

Imaging techniques enable a detailed look inside an organism. But interpreting the data is time-consuming and requires a great deal of experience.

29 Dec 2020

KAIST researchers identify mechanism underlying plasticity in adult brains

Developing brains constantly sprout new neuronal connections called synapses as they learn and remember. Important connections — the ones that are repeatedly introduced, such as how to avoid danger — are nurtured and reinforced, while connections deemed unnecessary are pruned away.

28 Dec 2020

Study shows how the brain navigates places and tracks someone else in the same location

As COVID cases rise, physically distancing yourself from other people has never been more important. Now a new UCLA study reveals how your brain navigates places and monitors someone else in the same location.

24 Dec 2020

Anti-diarrhea drug could be used to induce cell death in glioblastoma cell lines

The research group led by Dr Sjoerd van Wijk from the Institute of Experimental Cancer Research in Paediatrics at Goethe University already two years ago found evidence indicating that the anti-diarrhea drug loperamide could be used to induce cell death in glioblastoma cell lines.

23 Dec 2020

Machine intelligence can be used to improve brain-mapping technique

Scientists in Japan's brain science project have used machine intelligence to improve the accuracy and reliability of a powerful brain-mapping technique, a new study reports.

21 Dec 2020

Innovative gene therapy approach for regeneration of functional new neurons

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often causes disability and seriously compromises quality of life. While decades of research have made significant progress in axonal regeneration after SCI, most of the interventions have not been translated into clinical therapies.

18 Dec 2020

New model shows how the brain uses "gating" phenomenon to control information

Getting computers to "think" like humans is the holy grail of artificial intelligence, but human brains turn out to be tough acts to follow. T

17 Dec 2020

Scientists identify new target to deliver anti-cancer drugs to tumor cells

With the evolution of cancer, the quest for identifying efficient treatment techniques for cancer patients has remained challenging.

17 Dec 2020

Study: Fungi have proteins that allow them to sense consumable things

According to a new study, the same proteins responsible for enabling human senses, like smell, also enable some fungi to sense things they can consume.

17 Dec 2020

Water intake may effectively mitigate obesity and metabolic syndrome

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered that fructose stimulates the release of vasopressin, a hormone linked to obesity and diabetes.

16 Dec 2020

Researchers identify new therapeutic target to fight COVID-19 disease

In COVID-19 patients with severe lung disease, targeting the endothelial cells—that is, cells comprising the blood vessel wall, which control oxygen exchange between the bloodstream and airways—may be an innovative strategy to restore normal function of the lungs.

15 Dec 2020