Newsline — Thursday, August 21, 2014 9:00
Biomarker Could Reveal Why Some Develop PTSD
Bioengineers Create Functional 3D Brain-like Tissue
Wednesday, August 20, 2014 13:00
Bioengineers at the Tissue Engineering Resource Center at Tufts University have created 3D brain-like tissue that functions like and has structural features similar to tissue in the rat brain. The 3D brain-like tissue — which can be kept alive in the lab for more than two months — also exhibits grey-white matter compartmentalization. The tissue could provide a superior model for studying normal brain function as well as injury and disease, assisting in the development of new treatments for brain dysfunction. The key to developing the brain-like tissue was the creation of a novel composite structure that consisted of two biomaterials with different physical properties; a spongy scaffold made out of silk protein; and a softer, collagen-based gel. The scaffold served as a structure onto which neurons could anchor themselves, and the gel encouraged axons to grow through it. To achieve grey-white matter compartmentalization, the researchers cut the spongy scaffold into a donut shape and populated it with rat neurons. Over a period of several weeks, the researchers conducted experiments to determine the health and…
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Study Maps Brain Growth in First Three Months of Life
Wednesday, August 20, 2014 9:00
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii demonstrated a new approach to measuring early brain development of infants, resulting in more accurate whole-brain growth charts. The new approach provides the first estimates for growth trajectories of subcortical areas of the brain during the first three months after birth. Assessing the size, asymmetry and rate of growth of different brain regions could be key in detecting and treating the earliest signs of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism or perinatal brain injury. For the first time, researchers used MRI technology of the newborn brain to calculate the volume of multiple brain regions and to map out regional growth trajectories; the study followed the brain growth of full term and premature babies with no neurological or major health issues. To read more about this study, click here.
Brain Tumors Fly Under the Body’s Radar Like Stealth Jets
Tuesday, August 19, 2014 13:00
New research published in the journal Cancer Research found that brain tumors fly under the radar of the body’s defense forces by coating their cells with extra amounts of a specific protein. Like a stealth fighter jet, the coating allows the cells to evade detection by the early-warning immune system, which would normally detect and kill them. The stealth approach lets the tumors hide until it’s too late for the body to defeat them. The findings of the mouse-model study show the key role of a protein called galectin-1, found in some of the most dangerous brain tumors — high grade gliomas. Although the new discovery opens the door to new treatment approaches, much more work is needed before the mouse-based approach can help human patients. To read more about this study, click here.
Study Traces Origins of Neurocognitive Deficits
Tuesday, August 19, 2014 9:00
Researchers from the University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, have traced the origins of ADHD, substance abuse and conduct disorder, and found that they develop from the same neurocognitive deficits — which in turn explains why they often occur simultaneously. “Psychopathology exists on a multiple continua of brain function. Some of these dimensions contribute to a multitude of problems, others contribute to specific problems. Together, they explain patterns of comorbidity, such as why ADHD and conduct problems co-occur with substance misuse at such a high rate,” explained the study’s lead author. The implications of the study suggest that clinicians can manage multiple psychiatric problems by focusing on how a young person is functioning on a few key neurocognitive dimensions. The next step involves developing evidence-based intervention strategies that will target three areas of the brain function. To read more about this study, click here.
Frequent Marijuana Use has Significant Negative Effects on Teen Brains
Monday, August 18, 2014 13:00
According to a 2012 longitudinal study discussed at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention, frequent marijuana use can have a significant negative effect on the brains of teenagers and young adults; including cognitive decline, poor attention and memory, and decreased IQ. “It needs to be emphasized that regular cannabis use, which we consider once a week, is not safe and may result in addiction and neurocognitive damage, especially in youth,” said the director of the brain imaging and neuropsychology lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The research findings also suggest that a more accepting attitude toward medical marijuana may have a greater effect on marijuana use among teens, allowing them to view it as less risky. To read more about this study, click here.
3D Microscope Method to Look Inside Brains
Monday, August 18, 2014 9:05
A recent discovery by a research team from the University of Utah found a method for turning a small, $40 dollar needle into a 3D microscope capable of taking images up to 70 times smaller than the width of a human hair. The new method produces high-quality images comparable to expensive microscopes, and can also be implanted into the brains of living mice for imaging at the cellular level. The lead author of the study says this will allow researchers to not only take images far smaller than those taken by current miniature microscopes, but will allow it for a fraction of the cost and will open up new avenues for research. To read more about this study, click here.
Triple Therapy Revs Up Immune System Against Common Brain Tumor
Friday, August 15, 2014 13:00
According to a recent study published in the journal PLOS One and conducted by scientists at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, a triple therapy for glioblastoma — including two types of immunotherapy and targeted radiation — has significantly prolonged the survival of mice with this type of brain cancer. Mice with implanted, mouse-derived glioblastoma cells lived an average of 67 days after the triple therapy compared with mice that lived 24 days after receiving only two immunotherapies. Additionally, half of the mice who received the triple therapy lived 100 days or more and were protected against further tumors when new cancer cells were re-injected under the animals’ skins. The combination of treatment consists of highly focused radiation therapy targeted specifically to the tumor and strategies that lift the brakes and activate the body’s immune system, allowing anti-cancer drugs to attack the tumor. None of the treatments are new, but were used by the research team to demonstrate the value of combining treatments that augment the immune response against glioblastomas, the most common brain tumor in…
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Birth Order Matters for Wiring Brain’s Vision Centers
Friday, August 15, 2014 9:00
In a recent study, researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found evidence suggesting that neurons in the developing brains of mice are guided by a simple but elegant birth-order rule that allows them to find and form their proper connections. The brain starts with just one neuron that increasingly divides up to 250,000 new neurons per minute at times during early development. Scientists have been trying to figure out exactly how these neurons decide which other neurons to connect to, a process neuroscientists call target selection. To better understand how a young brain gets wired, researchers focused on the development of retinal ganglion cells (RCGs) in mice, which connect the eyes and brain. During the study, scientists tagged RCGs and watched where they directed their axons during development. The study’s main find is that early RCGs — those created early in the sequence of brain division — make a lot of connections to other neurons in addition to a lot of mistakes—which they correct by repositioning or removing their axons….
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Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Alters Development of Brain Function
Thursday, August 14, 2014 13:00
In a new study, researchers from The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles found that children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) showed weaker brain activation during specific cognitive tasks compared to their unaffected counterparts. The new findings suggest a possible neural mechanism for the persistent attention problems seen in individuals with FASD. FASD encompasses the broad spectrum of symptoms that are linked to in utero alcohol exposure; including cognitive impairment, deficits in intelligence and attention and central nervous system abnormalities. During the two-year study, researchers found that between two groups of children — one group unaffected by FASD and one group with FASD — there were significant differences seen in developmental brain activation even though they did not differ in task performance, when asked to perform tasks related to visuo-spatial attention. The results suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure can change how brain signaling develops during childhood and adolescence, long after the damaging effects of alcohol exposure in utero. To read more about this study, click here.