Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Optic nerve assessment predicts retinoblastoma outcomes

Magnetic resonance imaging scans taken pre- and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy for International Retinoblastoma Staging System stage III retinoblastoma can indicate a patient's likely event-free and overall survival, indicate study results.

22 Dec 2012

Researchers demonstrate significance of two proteins in nerve cell development

The study conducted by Prof. Frank Bradke's team provides indications on brain development and about the causes of diseases of the nervous system. The results have now been published in "Neuron".

21 Dec 2012

Novel virus-based gene therapy holds promise for Canavan disease

Research led by Paola Leone, PhD, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM), demonstrates the long term safety and benefit of a virus-based gene therapy that has been applied for the first time in a clinical setting.

21 Dec 2012

Study examines five varieties of cells after transplantation in the CNS

When different types of cells are transplanted with the intent of having them aid in repairing central nervous system (CNS) trauma, what is the fate and function of those cells? A Belgian research team carried out research aimed at answering this question by determining how five varieties of cells - neural stem cells, mouse embryonic fibroblasts, dendritic cells, bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) and splenocytes - functioned and survived after transplantation in the CNS.

21 Dec 2012

FUS RNA binding ability essential for development of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Research led by Dr. Udai Pandey, Assistant Professor of Genetics at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has found that the ability of a protein made by a gene called FUS to bind to RNA is essential to the development of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This discovery identifies a possible therapeutic target for the fatal neurological disease.

20 Dec 2012

GI bacteria exert some control over their hosts' appetites: Review

Over the last half decade, it has become increasingly clear that the normal gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria play a variety of very important roles in the biology of human and animals. Now Vic Norris of the University of Rouen, France, and coauthors propose yet another role for GI bacteria: that they exert some control over their hosts' appetites.

20 Dec 2012

Study helps reveal how nervous system modulates motor control patterns

Most people are impressed by how a toad jumps. UC Irvine biologist Emanuel Azizi is more impressed by how one lands. An assistant professor of ecology & evolutionary biology who specializes in muscle physiology and biomechanics, Azizi found that nature's favorite leapers possess a neuromuscular response that's specific to the intensity of a landing - a mechanism that protects muscles from injury upon impact.

20 Dec 2012

Lou Gehrig's disease may be treatable using neural stem cells

Promising new research provides evidence that ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, may be treatable using neural stem cells.

20 Dec 2012

People with chronic shortness of breath may soon have new way to help alleviate their discomfort

People experiencing chronic shortness of breath may soon have a new way to help alleviate their discomfort, according to a Penn State College of Medicine pulmonology researcher.

20 Dec 2012

High AngII levels put stress on the ER and cause hypertension

When the heart works too hard, the brain may be to blame, says new Cornell University research that is changing how scientists look at high blood pressure (hypertension). The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation in November, traces hypertension to a newfound cellular source in the brain and shows that treatments targeting this area can reverse the disease.

18 Dec 2012

AHA/ASA identify top cardiovascular and stroke research advances for 2012

Resuscitation, cell regeneration, a new high blood pressure treatment and developments in devices for treating stroke are among the key scientific findings that make up this year's top cardiovascular and stroke research identified by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

18 Dec 2012

e-Therapeutics’ ETS2101 cancer trials on track

e-Therapeutics plc today provides an update on the clinical trials of its cancer drug ETS2101. Two phase I studies, one in patients with primary or secondary brain cancer and the other in patients with various solid tumours, remain on track to report final data in Q4 2013 and Q1 2014, respectively. Interim data from the trials are expected in H1 2013.

18 Dec 2012

Study investigates muscle weakness in mouse model of Down syndrome

It is well known that people with Down syndrome (DS) suffer from marked muscle weakness. Even the simple tasks of independent living, such as getting out of a chair or climbing a flight of stairs, can become major obstacles. This can reduce the quality of life for those with DS and lead to a loss of independence. Now, a new study sheds light on some of the suspected causes of muscle weakness.

18 Dec 2012

New research reveals music's health benefits

Music has been incorporated into medical practice since before the ancient Greeks. However, though practitioners have been convinced of music's health benefits for thousands of years, there had been little peer-reviewed research to back them up. But recent studies are providing an empirical backbone for the anecdotal evidence.

17 Dec 2012

FDA approves Novartis Signifor injection for treatment of Cushing's disease

Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Signifor (pasireotide) injection for the treatment of adult patients with Cushing's disease for whom pituitary surgery is not an option or has not been curative.

14 Dec 2012

TU Darmstadt’s biosensor can diagnose African sleeping sickness before it breaks out

African sleeping sickness is an infectious disease that is widespread south of the Sahara Desert. Although the around sixty million people residing in tropical Africa run the risk of becoming infected with the disease every day, only around four million of them are monitored for the disease by disease-control authorities.

13 Dec 2012

GM604 target regulates over 4,000 genes: Genervon

Genervon scientists have confirmed that the target of GM604 regulates over 4,000 genes. More significantly, it modifies ALS disease progression by modulating at least 30 significant ALS related genes. It does this through at least 8 pathways, potentially more, and up to 22 biological processes.

13 Dec 2012

Skin vibrations convey information to the brain much the same way as auditory system

When you walk into a darkened room, your first instinct is to feel around for a light switch. You slide your hand along the wall, feeling the transition from the doorframe to the painted drywall, and then up and down until you find the metal or plastic plate of the switch. During the process you use your sense of touch to develop an image in your mind of the wall's surface and make a better guess for where the switch is.

12 Dec 2012

Study identifies KNDy neurons as a likely control switch of hot flushes

Hot flushes affect millions of people, and not just women. Yet, it is still unclear what causes the episodes of temperature discomfort, often accompanied by profuse sweating.

12 Dec 2012

Autism associated with reductions in cellular adhesion molecules in the blood

A new study published in Biological Psychiatry suggests that autism is associated with reductions in the level of cellular adhesion molecules in the blood, where they play a role in immune function.

12 Dec 2012