Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

New Research Challenges Views on Human Brain Evolution

Modern humans, Neanderthals, and other recent relatives on our human family tree evolved bigger brains much more rapidly than earlier species, a new study of human brain evolution has found.

2 Dec 2024

The Immune System’s Role in Neurodegenerative Disease

Researchers have discovered a new connection between Parkinson’s disease development and the immune system.

2 Dec 2024

Novel Role for Viscoelasticity in Cellular Signaling and Response

An important mechanism in fat cells (adipocytes) that allows them to safely enlarge to store energy has been discovered by a team at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), led by Professor Miguel Ángel del Pozo Barriuso, who leads the CNIC's Mechanoadaptation and Caveolae Biology group.

29 Nov 2024

The Critical Role of TRiC in Brain Development and Function

In 1992, Judith Frydman, PhD, discovered a molecular complex with an essential purpose in all of our cells: folding proteins correctly.

29 Nov 2024

Mathematical Approach Helps Understand Complex Neural Systems

In an article published in the scientific journal PNAS Nexus, researchers from the Neuromorphic Engineering Laboratory at the University of Liège reveal a fascinating brain mechanism: the ability of neurons to maintain reliable functions despite significant variability in their physiological components.

29 Nov 2024

Study Reveals Molecular Mechanism Behind Neural Fate Commitment

The Wistar Institute's Alessandro Gardini, Ph.D., and lab have shed new light on how certain biological processes determine the development of neural cells. Their findings on a molecular "bridge" complex demonstrate a new level of detail in the understanding of early neural development -; which is fundamental for the further understanding of neurodevelopmental syndromes.

27 Nov 2024

Study Links MICOS10 Gene Defect to Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome

Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MTDPS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a marked decrease in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

27 Nov 2024

Unveiling the Epigenetic Landscape of Blood Cancers

In recent years, biomedical laboratory research has undergone tremendous change, to the extent that computers have frequently replaced test tubes.

27 Nov 2024

Dopamine and Serotonin Act as Opposing Forces in Learning and Reward

If you've heard of two of the brain's chemical neurotransmitters, it's probably dopamine and serotonin. Never mind that glutamate and GABA do most of the work -; it's the thrill of dopamine as the "pleasure chemical" and serotonin as tender mood-stabilizer that attract all the headlines.

26 Nov 2024

Locus Coeruleus Identified as Crucial for Maintaining Sleep Cycles

Researchers at the University of Lausanne have identified a novel role for the brain's 'locus coeruleus' in sleep and its disruptions.

26 Nov 2024

Novel Genetic Variant Associated with Severe Mitochondrial Dysfunction

The rare hereditary condition known as mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MTDPS) is typified by a significant reduction in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

26 Nov 2024

New Method for Understanding Brain Function and Dysfunction

An international group of researchers from FutureNeuro, the Research Ireland Centre for Translational Brain Science, and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have created a novel technique to characterize gene activity in the living human brain.

26 Nov 2024

Unveiling the Hidden Potential of SnoRNAs

Dynamic, reversible modifications of DNA and RNA regulate how genes are expressed and transcribed, which can influence cellular processes, disease development, and overall organismal health.

25 Nov 2024

Simplified Model Predicts Neuronal Activity in Zebrafish Gaze Control

Working with week-old zebrafish larva, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and colleagues decoded how the connections formed by a network of neurons in the brainstem guide the fishes' gaze.

25 Nov 2024

Deep Neural Connections Drive Social Thought, Study Says

We've all been there. Moments after leaving a party, your brain is suddenly filled with intrusive thoughts about what others were thinking. "Did they think I talked too much?" "Did my joke offend them?" "Were they having a good time?"

24 Nov 2024

Rutgers Researchers Uncover How Brain Cells Form Functional Networks

Rutgers researchers at the Brain Health Institute (BHI) and Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR) have uncovered how different types of brain cells work together to form large-scale functional networks in the human brain – interconnected systems that support everything from sensory processing to complex decision-making – paving the way for new insights into brain health and disease.

23 Nov 2024

EPFL Brain Models Break New Ground in Understanding Neural Connectivity

The hippocampus is one of the most fascinating brain regions. Associated with the formation of memories, it also helps us to navigate through the world without getting lost.

23 Nov 2024

Human Cell Atlas Consortium Makes Major Progress in Understanding the Human Body

Researchers with the global Human Cell Atlas (HCA) consortium report significant progress in their quest for a better understanding of the cells of the human body in health and disease, with the publication today (20 November) of a Collection of more than 40 peer-reviewed papers in Nature and other Nature Portfolio journals.

22 Nov 2024

TRISCO Reveals 3D RNA Structures at Cellular Resolution

A novel microscopy technique created by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital allows for in-depth, three-dimensional (3D) RNA analysis at the cellular level in complete, undamaged mouse brains.

22 Nov 2024

Immunotherapy Advances: CAR T Cells Targeting GD2 Offer Hope for Glioma Patients

Findings suggest GD2-specific CAR T-cell therapy is a viable option for H3K27M-mutant gliomas, with significant tumor shrinkage and clinical benefits observed.

22 Nov 2024