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.

Gat3 Knockout Disrupts Visual Information Encoding in Mice

Cells called astrocytes are about as abundant in the brain as neurons, but scientists have spent much less time figuring out how they contribute to brain functions.

23 Jul 2025

New Insights into How Cilia Move and Power Cellular Motion

A team led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers has uncovered the atomic structure of a protein complex pivotal to the function of motile cilia, the hair-like structures extending from the surfaces of many cell types that generate their movement.

23 Jul 2025

Misfolded Proteins in Mitochondria Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

Aging-related diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disorders and type 2 diabetes, are associated with defects in protein synthesis and folding.

23 Jul 2025

OHSU Team Identifies Gene Essential for Brain's Protective Layer

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered a gene that is critical to the brain’s ability to form myelin, a protective layer around nerves, potentially leading to new treatments for an extremely uncommon childhood disorder and more common diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

23 Jul 2025

Researchers Identify Gene Duplications That May Shape the Human Brain

What makes the human brain distinctive? A new study published July 21 in Cell identifies two genes linked to human brain features and provides a road map to discover many more.

23 Jul 2025

Gene Editing Reverses Symptoms of Rare Brain Disorder in Mice

Scientists have corrected gene mutations in mice causing an ultra-rare disease by editing DNA directly in the brain with a single injection, a feat with profound implications for patients with neurological diseases.

22 Jul 2025

New Chemical Tool Protects Mitochondrial DNA from Environmental Damage

When environmental stress harms DNA, it can set off a cascade of failures linked to heart conditions, neurodegeneration, and chronic inflammation.

22 Jul 2025

mRNA Vaccine Supercharges Immunotherapy Against Cancer

An experimental mRNA vaccine improved the tumor-fighting benefits of immunotherapy in a mouse model study, bringing researchers one step closer to their aim of generating a universal vaccination to “wake up” the immune system against cancer.

21 Jul 2025

Brain Cells Show Unexpected Self-Sufficiency in Energy Use

A new Yale study has revealed that neurons - the energy-hungry cells that connect and direct activity in the brain - are equipped with "backup batteries" that kick in to keep the brain running during periods of metabolic stress.

18 Jul 2025

Brain Ripples Help Segment Experience Into Memories

A research team from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Barcelona, the UB Institute of Neurosciences (UBneuro) and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) has identified, for the first time in humans, and in a realistic environment, a key neurophysiological mechanism in memory formation: ripple-type brain waves -high-frequency electrical oscillations that mark and organize the different episodes or fragments of information that the brain stores as memories.

18 Jul 2025

Hormone-Sensitive Brain Circuit Drives Mating Behaviors in Mice

In animals with social structures, the drive to reproduce is a complex process; governed by the brain, it's influenced by both internal cues such as hormones and external factors such as interactions with potential mates.

17 Jul 2025

New Study Identifies Five Core Principles Preserving Tissue Structure

The human body undergoes a daily replacement of billions of cells, but the tissues remain flawlessly organized. How can that be?

16 Jul 2025

Rutgers Scientists Uncover Protein Key to Learning and Memory

Scientists have discovered how a key protein helps maintain strong connections between brain cells that are crucial for learning and memory.

14 Jul 2025

Microglia Replacement Halts Progression of Fatal Neurological Disease in Mice and Humans

Adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) is a progressive neurological disease with an average age of onset of 43 years and an average life expectancy of only 3 to 5 years after symptoms begin.

11 Jul 2025

Machine Learning Uncovers Hidden Role of Glial Cells

Long overlooked and underestimated, glial cells – non-neuronal cells that support, protect and communicate with neurons – are finally stepping into the neuroscience spotlight.

9 Jul 2025

Obesity-Related Cognitive Deficits Improved Through Astrocyte Modulation

Fatty diets and obesity affect the structure and function of astrocytes, the star-shaped brain cells located in the striatum, a brain region involved in the perception of pleasure generated by food consumption.

8 Jul 2025

Evidence for Neural Stem Cell-Based Therapies in Multiple Sclerosis

Research indicates that neural stem cell transplants could promote myelin repair in progressive multiple sclerosis, paving the way for innovative treatments.

8 Jul 2025

New AI Tool Illuminates Bacterial Impact on Body Chemistry

Gut bacteria are well-known for playing an important role in a variety of health issues. However, their quantity and variety are immense, as are the ways in which they interact with the body’s chemistry and with one another.

7 Jul 2025

Engineered Macrophages Enable CAR T Cells to Overcome Glioblastoma Barriers

A team of researchers from the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET, Milan), led by Nadia Coltella and Luigi Naldini, has unveiled a powerful strategy to rejuvenate the effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy against glioblastoma, one of the most lethal and treatment-resistant brain tumors.

4 Jul 2025

Small Genetic Change in Humans Weakens Immune Attack on Solid Tumors

New research from UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center has uncovered an evolutionary change that may explain why certain immune cells in humans are less effective at fighting solid tumors compared to non-human primates.

4 Jul 2025