Brain Cell News and Research

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Hidden Neuronal Lattice May Shield the Brain From Alzheimer’s

Brain cells are constantly swallowing material from the fluid that surrounds them - signaling molecules, nutrients, even pieces of their own surfaces - in a process known as endocytosis that is essential for learning, memory and basic neural upkeep.

12 Feb 2026

Natural Molecular Brake Prevents Uncontrolled DNA Replication in Cells

For almost 60 years, scientists have tried to understand why DNA doesn't replicate wildly and uncontrollably every time a cell divides – which they need to do constantly. Without this process, we would die.

29 Jan 2026

Large African Ancestry Genetic Study Reveals Shared Biology Of Schizophrenia

A team of researchers led by scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, and the Department of Veterans Affairs has conducted the largest and most comprehensive genome-wide association study (GWAS) to date of schizophrenia in individuals of African ancestry.

24 Jan 2026

Stem Cells Mimic Earliest Stages of Brain Development in a Dish

Researchers have made great strides to understand early signs of autism. Studies have found that certain factors like genetics, sleep deprivation, excess fluid in the brain-and brain size-can increase the risk of neurodevelopmental conditions, like autism.

26 Dec 2025

Stem Cell Models Offer Insights Into Early Brain Development and Autism

24 Dec 2025

Researchers Uncover Gene Control Elements Tied to Alzheimer’s Disease

When most of us think of DNA, we have a vague idea it's made up of genes that give us our physical features, our behavioral quirks, and keep our cells and organs running.

19 Dec 2025

New Technique Reveals Synaptic Vesicle Dynamics in Living Brain Tissue

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have used a "zap-and-freeze" technology to watch hard-to-see brain cell communications in living brain tissue from mice and humans.

25 Nov 2025

Fruit Fly Study Reveals New Details on Alzheimer's Disease Risk Genes

Scientists have identified hundreds of genes that may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease but the roles these genes play in the brain are poorly understood.

30 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

Prime Editing Reverses Symptoms of Severe Childhood Neurological Disease

Scientists use a precise form of gene editing called prime editing to correct the most common genetic mutations that cause alternating hemiplegia of childhood, a rare and severe neurological disorder that begins in infancy.

From The Jackson Labs 6 Aug 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

Hippocampal Neurons Show Surprising Flexibility in Brain Signal Processing

The brain is constantly mapping the external world like a GPS, even when we don't know about it. This activity comes in the form of tiny electrical signals sents between neurons -- specialized cells that communicate with one another to help us think, move, remember and feel.

17 Jun 2025

Same Gene Mutations Can Require Different Treatments in Autism and Schizophrenia

For patients with disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, mutations in the same gene could require different treatments, according to new research from Yale School of Medicine (YSM).

6 May 2025

Complete Reference Genomes Unlocked for Six Ape Species

Comprehensive reference genomes have now been assembled for six ape species: siamang (a Southeast Asian gibbon), Sumatran orangutan, Bornean orangutan, gorilla, bonobo and chimpanzee.

12 Apr 2025

Study Sheds Light on Development and Evolution of the Human Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is a small but critical region at the base of the brain that controls the autonomic nervous system, regulates body temperature, signals hunger and thirst, exerts hormonal control over the pituitary gland, helps set circadian rhythms, influences sexual behavior and reproduction, and plays a role in instinctive behaviors like fear, aggression, and maternal bonding.

9 Apr 2025

Blocking Cholesterol Metabolite May Prevent Parkinson's Disease Progression

Researchers led by Zhentao Zhang at Wuhan University, China have discovered a cholesterol metabolite that plays a critical role in the development of Parkinson's disease in mice.

19 Feb 2025

Generative AI Decodes the 3D Structure of DNA

Although the genetic sequence is the same in every cell in the body, only a subset of those genes is expressed by each cell.

3 Feb 2025

New Insights into the Biological Basis of Bipolar Disorder

According to research published in Nature on January 22nd, 2025, an international team of psychiatric genetics researchers has discovered 298 regions of the genome with DNA variations that increase the risk for bipolar disorder, more than four times the number previously found.

24 Jan 2025

Study Unveils Surprising Cause of Brain Cell Death in Huntington's Disease

Scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Harvard Medical School, and McLean Hospital have discovered a surprising mechanism by which the inherited genetic mutation known to cause Huntington's disease leads to the death of brain cells.

17 Jan 2025

Mapping the Aging Brain: A Single-Cell View of Transcriptomic Changes

Research reveals how aging impacts gene expression across brain cell types, identifying critical changes in the hypothalamus linked to health and function.

9 Jan 2025