Newsline — Thursday, June 7, 2012 13:00
Experiment Documents Real Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury
Sandler Foundation Gives UCSF $20 Million Gift for Neurological Research and Care
Thursday, June 7, 2012 8:00
University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has received a challenge gift of $20 million from the Sandler Foundation, which will provide major support for the university’s groundbreaking research and clinical care efforts in neurological diseases. In honor of the extraordinary commitment of Herbert and Marion Sandler and the Sandler Foundation to UCSF and the Department of Neurology, the new neurosciences building to open this month at the UCSF Mission Bay campus will be named the Sandler Neurosciences Center. To meet the challenge, the university plans to match the gift dollar-for-dollar, with additional donations in support of the facility and programs headquartered in the building. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Researchers Investigate New Treatments for Cancer That Killed Ted Kennedy
Wednesday, June 6, 2012 13:00
Senator Edward Kennedy died 15 months after being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2008 — close to the median survival time for the disease. Researchers at two California-based biotechnology companies, ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd. (IMUC) and Tocagen Inc., along with the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, now are leading efforts to create drugs and treatments to fight the form of cancer that killed Kennedy, which is deadlier and spreads more quickly than any other. New therapies hold out the promise of more than doubling the life expectancy of those who suffer from glioblastoma multiforme. The treatments are based on strategies that are growing in popularity among cancer scientists — using viruses and the body’s immune system to attack tumors. The approach may have broad implications for patients suffering from other forms of cancer with few current treatment options. For more information, click here to read the full article.
Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Researcher Receives Double Honors
Wednesday, June 6, 2012 9:00
At Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Clifford Jack Jr., MD, is synonymous with cutting-edge imaging and Alzheimer’s research. This month, he was honored by two different groups for his accomplishments in both areas. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Johns Hopkins Scientists Discover Protein That Regulate Role of Stem Cells
Tuesday, June 5, 2012 8:00
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered a protein that appears to play an important regulatory role in deciding whether stem cells differentiate into the cells that make up the brain, as well as countless other tissues, according to research published in the April issue of Developmental Cell. The finding could eventually shed light on developmental disorders, plus a variety of conditions that involve the generation of new neurons into adulthood, such as depression, stroke and posttraumatic stress disorder. Researchers have long known that a small group of proteins called Notch plays a pivotal role in helping the immature cells found in embryos to develop into the variety of cells that exist throughout the body, including those that make up the brain, blood, kidneys and muscles. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Fifteen-year-old Athlete’s Concussion Story Puts Spotlight on Girls’ Soccer
Monday, June 4, 2012 13:00
Once a rising soccer star in her home state of Pennsylvania, 15-year-old Allison Kasacavage now is slowly recovering from the five concussions she suffered while playing the sport she loved. She is only able to attend school four hours a day. Her room is lit in soft blue light to ease her headaches, and her family now eats dinner by candlelight. Kasacavage shared her story with Kate Snow on a recent edition of NBC’s “Rock Center.” Click here to read the full release and view the accompanying video.
Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs May Improve Stroke Outcomes When Taken in Hospital
Monday, June 4, 2012 8:00
Using cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins after a stroke may increase the likelihood of a patient’s returning home and lessen the chance of his or her dying in the hospital, according to a new study. This research appears in the May 22, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Statins are known to reduce the risk of further strokes, but the timing of when a statin should be started has been unclear,” says study author Alexander C. Flint, MD, PhD, with Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City, Calif., and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “Our research suggests that people should be given statins while they are in the hospital.” For more information, click here to read the full release.
Study Reveals How Quick Therapy Can Help Patients Overcome Fear
Friday, June 1, 2012 9:00
A new study from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., shows how the human brain reorganizes itself to maintain “fear extinction.” The research was conducted by Katherina Hauner, a postdoctoral neurology fellow at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, who used “exposure therapy” to treat a student for fear of spiders … and cured him. The results of her work have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and documents the immediate and long-term brain changes after treatment for a phobia. Click here to read the full article in the Chicago Tribune.
Degenerative Brain Disease in Athletes Similar to That Found in Combat Veterans
Thursday, May 31, 2012 9:00
Scientists studying a degenerative brain disease in athletes found the same condition in combat veterans who were exposed to roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their conclusion: Such explosions injure the brain in ways strikingly similar to tackles and punches. The researchers also discovered what they think is the mechanism by which explosions damage brain tissue and trigger the wasting disease — chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — by studying simulated explosions on mice. Just two weeks after exposure to a single simulated blast, the animals developed evidence of the disease, researchers discovered. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Obama Administration Releases Nationwide Plan to Fight Alzheimer’s
Wednesday, May 30, 2012 8:00
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced an ambitious national plan to fight Alzheimer’s disease. The plan was called for in the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), which President Obama signed into law in January 2011. The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease consists of five goals, including the development of effective prevention and treatment approaches for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias by the year 2025. In February 2012, the administration announced that it would take immediate action to implement parts of the plan, such as making additional funding available in fiscal year 2012 to support research, provider education and public awareness. Now, Sebelius has announced additional specific actions, including the funding of two major clinical trials, jumpstarted by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) infusion of additional funds directed at Alzheimer’s; the development of new high-quality, up-to-date training and information for our nation’s cliniciansm; and a new public education campaign and website to help families and caregivers find the services and support they need. For more information, click here to read the…
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