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.

Discovery Connects Dopamine Receptor Desensitization to Everyday Motivational Fatigue

Our brain's reward system processes and reinforces pleasurable experiences, motivating us to seek out and engage in rewarding activities ranging from eating to social interactions to recreational drug use.

21 Nov 2025

New Multi-Target CAR-T Cells Eradicate Glioblastoma in Preclinical Models

With a five-year survival rate of less than 5%, glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer.

21 Nov 2025

Lecanemab doesn’t improve early brain waste-clearance in Alzheimer’s

Imaging findings reveal lecanemab's early impact on amyloid plaques does not extend to glymphatic activity, highlighting challenges in Alzheimer's treatment.

20 Nov 2025

Innovative Human Cell Model Shows How Melanoma Thrives in the Brain

Using human cells and cutting-edge technology, the team created a three-dimensional (3D) model that accurately simulates the brain invaded by aggressive cancer.

19 Nov 2025

Discovery Reveals Greater Epigenetic Complexity in Unicellular Life

Multicellular organisms (animals, plants, human) all have the ability to methylate the cytosine © base in their DNA. This process, a type of epigenetic modification, plays an important role in conditions such as cancer and processes such as aging.

19 Nov 2025

Neurons and Other Nondividing Cells Respond Differently to CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing

The gene editing tool known as CRISPR-Cas9 is changing what's possible for treating a wide range of diseases caused by genetic mutations.

18 Nov 2025

Researchers Reveal How the Brain Forms Hidden-State Inferences

Animals survive in changing and unpredictable environments by not merely responding to new circumstances, but also, like humans, by forming inferences about their surroundings-for instance, squirrels understand that certain bird noises don't signal the presence of a predator, so won't seek shelter when they later hear these same sounds.

18 Nov 2025

Targeted Genetic Testing Revolutionizes Diagnosis of X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism

Scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School have developed a targeted genetic test to improve diagnosis for X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP), a rare and disabling movement disorder that affects primarily men of Filipino ancestry.

17 Nov 2025

Understanding Genetic Diversity Through Short Tandem Repeats

Scientists at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have revealed a previously overlooked layer of genetic variation that could help explain why people experience disease differently, and why some treatments work better for certain populations.

17 Nov 2025

Animal Testing to Be Phased Out Faster as UK Unveils Roadmap for Alternative Methods

Animal testing in science is set to be phased out faster under a new plan to deliver on the government’s manifesto commitment, unveiled by Science Minister Lord Vallance today (Tuesday 11 November).

13 Nov 2025

Brain Immune Cells Found to Act as Accelerators and Brakes for Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions in America, affecting about one in five people nationwide.

12 Nov 2025

Rare Stress-Sensitive Neurons Hold the Key to Healthy Brain Blood Flow

While the exact causes of neurodegenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia are still largely unknown, researchers have been able to identify a key characteristic in affected brains: reduced blood flow.

12 Nov 2025

CellWhisperer Enables Natural Language Exploration of Single-Cell Biology

Using sophisticated RNA sequencing technology, biomedical researchers can measure the activity of our genes across millions of single cells, creating detailed maps of tissues, organs, and diseases.

12 Nov 2025

New Tool Merges Ex-Vivo and In-Vivo Brain Data for White Matter Research

BraDiPho is an innovative tool for the study of white matter connections in the human brain. A realistic map developed by a group of researchers from the University of Trento, the Provincial Healthcare Service of Trento, Fondazione Bruno Kessler and the Universities of Bordeaux and Sherbrooke.

7 Nov 2025

Hidden Role of Biliverdin Reductase A in Fighting Oxidative Damage

According to a new study from Johns Hopkins Medicine, the enzyme biliverdin reductase A (BVRA) protects neurons directly from oxidative stress, regardless of whether it produces the yellow pigment bilirubin.

5 Nov 2025

RNA Molecules Alter Genome Structure to Silence Critical Neuronal Genes During Stress

What if the brain's response to stress could be read not in fleeting neurotransmitter bursts, but in the quieting of genes deep inside chromatin? Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have now shown that stress hormones may silence crucial neuronal genes through an unexpected class of RNA molecules that operate not by encoding proteins, but by reshaping the genome's architecture.

5 Nov 2025