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.

TUM researcher develops self-learning algorithms to help analyze bioscientific image data

Imaging techniques enable a detailed look inside an organism. But interpreting the data is time-consuming and requires a great deal of experience.

29 Dec 2020

KAIST researchers identify mechanism underlying plasticity in adult brains

Developing brains constantly sprout new neuronal connections called synapses as they learn and remember. Important connections — the ones that are repeatedly introduced, such as how to avoid danger — are nurtured and reinforced, while connections deemed unnecessary are pruned away.

28 Dec 2020

Study shows how the brain navigates places and tracks someone else in the same location

As COVID cases rise, physically distancing yourself from other people has never been more important. Now a new UCLA study reveals how your brain navigates places and monitors someone else in the same location.

24 Dec 2020

Anti-diarrhea drug could be used to induce cell death in glioblastoma cell lines

The research group led by Dr Sjoerd van Wijk from the Institute of Experimental Cancer Research in Paediatrics at Goethe University already two years ago found evidence indicating that the anti-diarrhea drug loperamide could be used to induce cell death in glioblastoma cell lines.

23 Dec 2020

Machine intelligence can be used to improve brain-mapping technique

Scientists in Japan's brain science project have used machine intelligence to improve the accuracy and reliability of a powerful brain-mapping technique, a new study reports.

21 Dec 2020

Innovative gene therapy approach for regeneration of functional new neurons

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often causes disability and seriously compromises quality of life. While decades of research have made significant progress in axonal regeneration after SCI, most of the interventions have not been translated into clinical therapies.

18 Dec 2020

New model shows how the brain uses "gating" phenomenon to control information

Getting computers to "think" like humans is the holy grail of artificial intelligence, but human brains turn out to be tough acts to follow. T

17 Dec 2020

Scientists identify new target to deliver anti-cancer drugs to tumor cells

With the evolution of cancer, the quest for identifying efficient treatment techniques for cancer patients has remained challenging.

17 Dec 2020

Study: Fungi have proteins that allow them to sense consumable things

According to a new study, the same proteins responsible for enabling human senses, like smell, also enable some fungi to sense things they can consume.

17 Dec 2020

Water intake may effectively mitigate obesity and metabolic syndrome

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered that fructose stimulates the release of vasopressin, a hormone linked to obesity and diabetes.

16 Dec 2020

Researchers identify new therapeutic target to fight COVID-19 disease

In COVID-19 patients with severe lung disease, targeting the endothelial cells—that is, cells comprising the blood vessel wall, which control oxygen exchange between the bloodstream and airways—may be an innovative strategy to restore normal function of the lungs.

15 Dec 2020

Study sheds new light on a genetic developmental disorder

The rare hereditary developmental disorder, called Meier-Gorlin syndrome, or MGS for short, causes dwarfism, missing patella, a small brain, small ears, and other skeletal abnormalities. This condition leads to stillbirths and miscarriages in severe cases.

15 Dec 2020

Molecular markers in the blood can predict severe COVID-19 outcomes

Molecular markers in the blood shown to be predictive of severe COVID-19 outcomes resulting from SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection have been identified in a study by a Chinese research team.

15 Dec 2020

Microglia surveillance helps prevent seizure activity in the brain

An important part of the brain's immune system, cells called microglia constantly extend and retract "branches" from their cell body to survey their environment.

15 Dec 2020

Study shows tRNA fragments play a key role in ischemic stroke

An ischemic stroke occurs when the homeostasis of the body and brain is highly disrupted. The immune system, among other things, activates an inflammatory response that can either overshoot or change into an immune deficiency.

14 Dec 2020

New genetic associations predict susceptibility to Takayasu arteritis

A team of international collaborators, headed by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, have detected novel genetic associations that can estimate the susceptibility of individuals to Takayasu arteritis—a rare inflammatory disease.

14 Dec 2020