Through a series of studies, Dr. Andréa LeBlanc, a principal investigator at the Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, has discovered elevated levels of the protein Caspase-6 in the area of the brain – namely, the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and cognition – first damaged by Alzheimer’s disease. This phenomenon is seen from the very earliest stages of cognitive impairment. Continue reading
New study sheds light on most common and deadly form of brain cancer
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and deadly form of primary malignant brain cancer accounting for approximately 15% of all brain tumours and occurring mostly in adults between the ages of 45 and 70. The aggressive recurrent nature of this cancer is only temporarily contained by combined surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The recurrence of GBM is usually fatal, resulting in an average patient survival time of less than two years. A new study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro – at McGill University, published in Nature Communications, identifies two specific key players in the growth of GBM. Continue reading
Scientists from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital in Canada have discovered that two genes linked to hereditary Parkinson’s disease are involved in the early-stage quality control of mitochondria. The protective mechanism, which is reported in The EMBO Journal, removes damaged proteins that arise from oxidative stress from mitochondria. Continue reading
New research shows that preterm babies with slower brain development as they reach their due dates are more likely to have delayed cognitive, language and motor development at 18 months of age. The researchers also found that preterm babies with significant injury to the brain’s white matter were more likely to have slower motor development as toddlers. Continue reading
Researchers identify mechanism implicated in brain cancer and a drug that decreases brain tumour growth
Researchers at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) have made a discovery that could lead to better treatment for patients suffering from brain cancer.
Despite current treatment strategies, the median survival for patients with the most aggressive brain cancer – called glioblastoma, is 15 months. Less than five per cent of patients survive beyond five years. Continue reading
A team of Montréal researchers at the IRCM led by Dr. Nabil G. Seidah, in collaboration with Dr. William C. Wetsel’s team at Duke University in the United States, discovered that the protein PC7 plays a critical role in the brain by affecting certain types of cognitive performance such as anxiety, learning and emotional memory. Their results, recently published in the scientific journals Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and Nature, could have a significant impact on regulating behaviour related to anxiety disorders and trauma. Continue reading
In April 2009, a Quebec family experienced the worst tragedy for parents: before the age of one, one of their sons died of a rare genetic disease causing congenital microcephaly, intellectual disability, cerebral atrophy, and refractory seizures. The event was even more tragic because it was the third infant to die in this family from the same disease.
This tragedy led Dr. Jacques Michaud, professor in the Faculty of Medecine of Université de Montréal and Doctor at CHU Ste-Justine Hospital, to discover the genetic abnormality responsible for this developmental disorder. Continue reading
One of the smallest parts of the brain is getting a second look after new research suggests it plays a crucial role in decision making.
A University of British Columbia study published today in Nature Neuroscience says the lateral habenula, a region of the brain linked to depression and avoidance behaviours, has been largely misunderstood and may be integral in cost-benefit decisions. Continue reading
Researchers show that these immune cells attack one of the main manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease
An article published in the journal Cell Reports by researchers from Université Laval reveals the existence of a natural mechanism to prevent one of the manifestations of Alzheimer’s in the brain. Using medical imaging techniques to view live events that occur in living mice with Alzheimer’s, researchers have discovered that a type of white blood cells – patrolling monocytes – selectively attack amyloid aggregates attached to the inner lining of blood vessels in the brain. Continue reading
It is well known that there are events that happen in utero that can impact the child’s health as an adult. Changes in the maternal environment can have lasting effects for the child decades later. A new study led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is the first to demonstrate how disturbances (like infections) during pregnancy can result in a surge of brain stem cells in offspring. The study, published in the November 7 online edition of Cell Stem Cell, shows what occurs in the brain when the fetal environment is disturbed. Continue reading