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.

Breakthrough in Understanding How Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infects Human Brain Cells

The protein on human cells that tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) uses for infection has now been identified-a major step toward understanding how TBEV causes neurological disease and for developing antiviral drugs.

3 Oct 2025

How GBA Mutations Drive Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease causes both movement and cognitive deficits, and for a long time both were thought to be caused by the accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain.

3 Oct 2025

Hormones Activate Aggression Neurons in Mouse Mothers

A new study has found a system in the brain that explains why female mice, who are not normally aggressive, suddenly exhibit this behavior after becoming pregnant and giving birth.

3 Oct 2025

Protein Networks Expose New Therapeutic Targets for Alzheimer's

A recent study conducted by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provides one of the most thorough insights to date regarding the interactions of brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease, illustrating protein networks that expose communication breakdowns and highlight potential new therapeutic avenues for treatment.

26 Sep 2025

Discovery Reveals Spinal Neurons as Active Players in Sexual Behavior

For decades, it was thought that while the brain orchestrated male sexual behavior – arousal, courtship, and copulation – the spinal cord merely executed the final act: ejaculation. But a study from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) challenges that tidy division.

25 Sep 2025

Astrocytes Found to Integrate Signals from Multiple Neurons

A collaborative French-Swiss study reveals a previously unknown role for astrocytes in the brain's information processing.

25 Sep 2025

Cryo-EM Study Uncovers Hidden Steps in NMDA Receptor Activation

When it comes to brain proteins, small changes can make a dramatic difference. Researchers studying NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors, which are essential for learning, memory and moment-by-moment consciousness, know that even slight changes in their activity level can mean the difference between normal function and serious neurological disorders.

25 Sep 2025

Honeybee Food-Sharing Genes Linked to Human Social Behavior

The study links genetic variation to honeybee sociability, revealing insights into food-sharing behavior and its evolutionary significance in social networks.

25 Sep 2025

Gut Microbes Influence Human Genes and Health

The trillions of microbes that live in the human gut may play a bigger role in health than previously thought, according to a new research by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

24 Sep 2025

Study Uncovers the Molecular Basis of Synapse Development

A team of scientists from the University of Cologne’s Institute of Biochemistry has discovered a significant finding about the molecular basis of synapse development in the central nervous system.

22 Sep 2025

Study Uncovers How Cell Clustering Affects Glioblastoma Aggressiveness

A new study, led by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, captured details of glioblastoma that had never before been seen and revealed a surprise finding: Glioblastoma cells that "cluster" together with other cells of the same type are less deadly than those that disperse from these clusters.

22 Sep 2025

Understanding Proprioception and Motor Control in Fruit Flies

In a fruit fly, nerve cells that detect limb movement are silenced when the insect walks or grooms. This on-off switch may help the nervous system to shift between two states: one helps keep the body steady and the other readies it to move.

22 Sep 2025

The First Parent-Of-Origin Gene Atlas of The Mammary Gland

This study maps dynamic gene expression in mouse mammary glands, revealing insights into lactation, maternal health, and breast cancer risk through imprinting.

18 Sep 2025

Researchers Decipher the Rules Behind Cellular Quality Control In Humans

A research team at the University of Cologne and the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin has deciphered in detail the rules behind an important mechanism of cellular quality control in humans.

13 Sep 2025

Engineered Base Editor Corrects ACTA2 Mutation in Rare Childhood Disease

Multisystemic smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome (MSMDS) is a rare condition associated with stroke, aortic dissection (tearing) and death in childhood.

13 Sep 2025

Built Oral Biofilm Models Reveal How Peri-Implantitis Develops

The study establishes in vitro biofilm models, revealing key insights into dysbiosis in peri-implantitis and paving the way for diagnostic advancements.

12 Sep 2025

Metastatic Lung Cancer Cells Cozy Up to Neurons and Form Synapses

Small cell lung cancer cells that metastasize to the brain cozy up to neurons and form working electrical connections, called synapses, according to an upcoming study led by Stanford Medicine researchers.

11 Sep 2025

Researchers Develop New Technique to Detect Causality in Neural Spike Trains

Understanding the brain's functional architecture is a fundamental challenge in neuroscience. The connections between neurons ultimately dictate how information is processed, transmitted, stored, and retrieved, thus forming the basis of our cognitive functions.

10 Sep 2025