Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Activating brown adipose tissue may help combat obesity, type 2 diabetes

Activating a specialized type of fat, known as brown adipose tissue, may help combat obesity as well as result in better glucose control for type 2 diabetes, according to new research conducted by scientists at the UC Metabolic Diseases Institute.

12 Oct 2011

Omeros initiates OMS302 Phase 3 trial in intra-ocular lens replacement surgery

Omeros Corporation today announced that the first patients have been treated in the Company's Phase 3 clinical program evaluating OMS302 in intra-ocular lens replacement surgery.

11 Oct 2011

Roche's gantenerumab removes amyloid plaques from the brain of patients with AD

Roche today announced the publication of a study demonstrating that its monoclonal antibody gantenerumab removes amyloid plaques from the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The study "Mechanism of amyloid removal in patients with Alzheimer disease treated with gantenerumab" is published today in the October issue of Archives in Neurology.

11 Oct 2011

Leg-crossers more likely to have good recovery after severe stroke

People who are able to cross their legs soon after having a severe stroke appear to be more likely to have a good recovery compared to people who can't cross their legs.

11 Oct 2011

Targacept commences AZD3480 Phase 2b study in Alzheimer’s disease

Targacept, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel NNR Therapeutics™, today announced the initiation of a potential registration study of AZD3480 in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The study is the subject of a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

10 Oct 2011

BDNF methionine variation increases risk of suicidal behaviour

A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has found evidence that a specific gene is linked to suicidal behaviour, adding to our knowledge of the many complex causes of suicide. This research may help doctors one day target the gene in prevention efforts.

10 Oct 2011

BDNF met variation gene linked to suicidal behaviour

7 Oct 2011

UC Davis, UCSF seek to predict and prevent osteoarthritis in young people

How people walk, jump and run and how their knees look in an MRI scanner may hold the secret to predicting years or even decades in advance whether they will develop osteoarthritis, the common degenerative joint disease that strikes half of all Americans by the time they reach the age of 70.

7 Oct 2011

Scientists discover two HIV variants in cerebrospinal fluid of HAD patients

When the virus that causes AIDS infects the central nervous system, it can lead to the development of a severe neurological disease called HIV- associated dementia.

7 Oct 2011

Teriflunomide drug reduces relapse rate of people with MS

A new oral drug has been shown in a large international clinical trial to significantly reduce the relapse rate of people with multiple sclerosis and to slow the progression of the disease.

7 Oct 2011

Measurable changes in brain function may be a consequence of early HIV infection

Measurable changes in brain function and communication between brain regions may be a consequence of virus-induced injury during the early stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

7 Oct 2011

JCO publishes data from Celgene's ABRAXANE Phase II combination trial on pancreatic cancer

Celgene International Sàrl today announced that results from a clinical study of ABRAXANE in combination with gemcitabine in 67 patients with previously untreated advanced pancreatic cancer were published in an online article by the Journal of Clinical Oncology ahead of print.

7 Oct 2011

Researchers gain insight on how roundworm's brain operates as it moves

Using new optical equipment, a team of 11 researchers put roundworms into a world of virtual reality, monitored both their behavior and brain activity and gained unexpected information on how the organism's brain operates as it moves.

4 Oct 2011

NICU stress linked with alterations in brain structure and function of preterm infants

New research shows that exposure to stressors in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is associated with alterations in the brain structure and function of very preterm infants. According to the study now available in Annals of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, infants who experienced early exposure to stress displayed decreased brain size, functional connectivity, and abnormal motor behavior.

4 Oct 2011

Strong connection between preterm birth and risk of epilepsy

Being born prematurely may increase your risk of developing epilepsy as an adult, according to a new study published in the October 4, 2011, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Oct 2011

Alkermes initiates ALKS 37 phase 2b study in opioid-induced constipation

Alkermes plc today announced the initiation of a phase 2b study of ALKS 37, an orally active, peripherally restricted opioid antagonist for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation.

3 Oct 2011

Planned clinical trial of Adeona's zinc-based therapy for ALS patients to be featured at ALS Summit

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of innovative medicines for serious central nervous system diseases, announced today that its planned clinical trial of the Company's proprietary zinc-based therapy for patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, will be featured during the Hot Topics session at the 2011 California ALS Research Summit on Saturday, October 1, 2011.

1 Oct 2011

ViroPharma licenses worldwide rights from Intellect Neurosciences to OX1 for treatment of FA

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced the license of worldwide rights from Intellect Neurosciences, Inc. to its clinical stage drug candidate, OX1, being developed for the treatment of Friedreich's Ataxia (FA), a rare, hereditary, progressive neurodegenerative disease.

1 Oct 2011

UCI study shows promise of metabolic therapy for autoimmune diseases

A glucosamine-like dietary supplement suppresses the damaging autoimmune response seen in multiple sclerosis, according to a UC Irvine study.

1 Oct 2011

UCLA scientists create mouse model for autism

UCLA scientists have created a mouse model for autism that opens a window into the biological mechanisms that underlie the disease and offers a promising way to test new treatment approaches.

30 Sep 2011