Newsline — Friday, February 10, 2012 11:12
Neurosurgeon Performs Brain Surgery Without Cutting into Skull
2012 Neuro Film Festival Invites Public to Vote
Thursday, February 9, 2012 8:00
The 2012 Neuro Film Festival now is accepting votes for favorite video entry through March 8, 2012, at www.NeuroFilmFestival.com. The contest, now in its third year, is held by the American Academy of Neurology Foundation to help raise awareness about why more research is needed to cure brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, autism, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The winner of the “Fan Favorite” award will receive a certificate and recognition at the 2012 Neuro Film Festival on April 22, 2012, in conjunction with the American Academy of Neurology’s 64th Annual Meeting — the world’s largest meeting of neurologists, with some 10,000 attendees. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Study Reveals How Parkin Gene Mutations Cause Parkinson’s Disease
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 14:00
Parkinson’s researchers at the University at Buffalo in New York have discovered how mutations in the parkin gene cause the disease, for which there is no cure. The results of the study — which was funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research; the National Institutes of Health (NIH); SUNY REACH, a research network of SUNY academic medical centers; and NYSTEM, New York State’s stem cell initiative — are published in the current issue of Nature Communications. The findings reveal potential new drug targets for the disease, as well as a screening platform for unearthing new treatments that might mimic the protective functions of parkin. The University of Buffalo has applied for patent protection on the screening platform. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Researchers Investigate Gene’s Protective Role in Parkinson’s
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 11:09
Parkinson’s is estimated to affect 1 million Americans, yet treatments have yet to prove effective in slowing the progression of the debilitating disease. However, Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based University of Alabama researchers have determined how a specific gene protects dopamine-producing neurons from dying in both animal models and human neuron cultures, reports a scientific article that appears in the Feb. 8 edition of The Journal of Neuroscience. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Max Planck Florida Institute Adds Two New Research Group Leaders
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 14:00
Neuroscientists Hyungbae Kwon, PhD, and Hiroki Taniguchi, PhD, are joining the Max Planck Florida Institute (MPFI) as research group leaders. As a result, MPFI now will have eight research groups, each dedicated to investigating different aspects of the structure and function of neural circuits, which form the complex synaptic networks of the brain that determine who we are, how we think, and how we behave. “We are delighted to have these two outstanding young neuroscientists join our Institute,” says David Fitzpatrick, PhD, CEO, scientific director of the institute, and leader of the research group, Functional Architecture and Development of Cerebral Cortex. “The addition of Dr. Taniguchi and Dr. Kwon is part of our plan to build the best team of scientists who can significantly advance our understanding of neural circuits and, ultimately, develop more effective treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.” For more information, click here to read the full story.
Non-Invasive Procedure Kills Off Cancerous Brain Tumors
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 8:00
Recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive, common kinds of brain tumors. Each year in the U.S., approximately 10,000 patients are affected by GBM. A novel investigational device, available only at clinical trial sites, now is offering new hope to these patients. The non-invasive procedure — called Tumor Treating Fields (TTF) — is delivered using a portable device: the NovoTTF-100A System from Novocure. The TTF procedure uses alternating electrical fields to disrupt the rapid cell division exhibited by cancer cells. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Experimental Device Better Removes Blood Clots from Blocked Brain Arteries Than Traditional Treatment
Monday, February 6, 2012 14:40
The standard mechanical treatment used for removing blood clots in stroke patients was dramatically outperformed by an experimental device, according to research presented on Feb. 3 by UCLA Stroke Center Director Dr. Jeffrey L. Saver at the American Stroke Association’s 2012 international conference in New Orleans. The SOLITAIRE Flow Restoration Device is one of an entirely new generation of devices built to remove blood clots from blocked brain arteries in those experiencing stroke. It has a self-expanding, stent-like design. Once inserted into a clot through the use of a thin catheter tube, it compresses and traps the clot, which then is removed by withdrawing the device and, thus, reopening the blocked blood vessel. For more information, click here to read the full release.
HIV-Positive Patients Living Longer, Increasing Chance of HIV-related Cancer
Monday, February 6, 2012 8:00
Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy is less effective for patients who have HIV when compared to the recurrence and overall survival rates in patients without HIV, reports a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. Advancements in HIV treatment have resulted in longer lives for patients who, as a result, have a much higher chance of developing an HIV-related cancer. However, despite using treatments that are successful in HIV-negative cancer patients, HIV-positive patients experience much worse outcomes. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Researchers Create Stem Cell-Derived, In Vitro Alzheimer’s Models
Friday, February 3, 2012 14:00
Led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine scientists have, for the first time, created stem cell-derived, in vitro models of sporadic and hereditary Alzheimer’s disease (AD). They did so using induced pluripotent stem cells from patients suffering from the neurodegenerative disorder. “Creating highly purified and functional human Alzheimer’s neurons in a dish – this has never been done before,” says the study’s senior author, Lawrence Goldstein, PhD, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program. “It’s a first step. These aren’t perfect models. They’re proof of concept. But now we know how to make them. It requires extraordinary care and diligence, really rigorous quality controls to induce consistent behavior, but we can do it.” For more information, click here to read the full release.
Routine PET/CT Scans Can Detect Cancer Recurrences Sooner
Friday, February 3, 2012 8:00
New research says that the routine use of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans in head and neck cancer patient follow-up can detect local recurrences in advance of their become clinically apparent and may improve the outcome of subsequent salvage therapy — that’s according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. PET scan is a relatively new test whose use as a routine follow-up for head and neck cancer patients is considered controversial. Most head and neck cancer follow-up studies use Fluorodeoxyglucose-PET (FDG-PET) scans when recurrence is suspected, but few studies have been done to establish the value of PET scans in fixed intervals post-treatment. For more information, click here to read the full release.