Brain Research:Type of electromagnetic field therapy improves survival for patients with brain tumor ♦ Reduce epileptic seizures following traumatic brain injury

Type of electromagnetic field therapy improves survival for patients with brain tumor Early research indicates that the use of tumor-treating fields, a type of electromagnetic field therapy, along with chemotherapy in patients with a brain tumor who had completed standard chemoradiation resulted in prolonged progression-free and overall survival.

Brain’s GPS depends on visual landmarks to triangulate location Researchers have found that space-mapping neurons -- the GPS system in the brain -- have a strong dependence on what is being looked at when triangulating location, a finding that resolves a neurological mystery that has vexed scientists for more than four decades.

Using network science to help pinpoint source of seizures The ability to reliably pinpoint the anatomical source of epileptic seizures, different for each patient, remains elusive. New research looks at networks of electrical activity in the brain just prior to the onset of a seizure by studying the recordings of 88 seizures from 22 patients.

Scientists identify mechanisms to reduce epileptic seizures following TBI Halting production of new neurons in the brain following traumatic brain injury can help reduce resulting epileptic seizures, cognitive decline, and impaired memory

Cancer Research:Survival rates for patients with prostate cancer better ♦ Preoperative use of blood-thinning drugs is safe for cancer patients ♦ Study uncovers hard-to-detect cancer mutations

Study uncovers hard-to-detect cancer mutations Current approaches to genome analysis systematically miss detecting a certain type of complex mutation in cancer patients' tumors, new research shows. Further, a significant percentage of these complex mutations are found in well-known cancer genes that could be targeted by existing drugs, potentially expanding the number of cancer patients who may benefit.

Experimental drugs that change energy supply in cells could slow brain tumor growth Experimental drugs that alter cell metabolism also halted tumor growth and extended survival in mice with cancers linked to changes in the same gene.

Preoperative use of blood-thinning drugs is safe for cancer patients Among patients undergoing major cancer operations, the preoperative use of blood-thinning drugs such as heparin does not increase rates of major bleeding or transfusions, and is associated with a decreased risk of blood clots.

Survival rates for patients with prostate cancer better with surgery versus radiotherapy A rigorous evaluation of survival rates has shown that cancer patients with localised prostate cancer -- the most common form of prostate cancer -- have a better chance of survival if treated by surgery than by radiotherapy. This is the most robust analysis (meta-analysis) to date of published literature comparing surgery and radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer

Cancer Research: Improveing breast cancer treatment ♦ Adding ultrasound to breast screening results in higher rate of detection ♦ New breast cancer stem cell clues may help develop therapeutics

Researchers strive to improve breast cancer treatment Creating a chemotherapeutic-resistant breast cancer cell line begins with a complete understanding of what causes resistant tumors and how to prevent them. Researchers are striving to do just that.

Adding ultrasound to breast screening results in higher rate of detection for women Adding ultrasound to standard mammography tests in breast screening could result in improved rates of detection for breast cancer in women in Japan.

Targeted treatment produces rapid shrinkage of recurrent, BRAF-mutant brain tumor Investigators report the first successful use of a targeted therapy to treat a patient with BRAF-mutant craniopharyngioma, a debilitating, recurrent brain tumor.

New breast cancer stem cell clues may help develop therapeutics Researchers have identified a new regulatory pathway that may play an important role in basal-like breast cancer, a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer often referred to as 'triple negative.' This pathway may serve as a target for the development of an effective therapeutic.

Brain Research: Brain's immune system could be harnessed to fight Alzheimer's ♦ Spot on for brain research: Controlling nerve cells with light

Chemotherapy-induced hearing loss affects neurocognition in pediatric brain tumor survivors Platinum-based chemotherapy may not only impact hearing, but that the hearing loss may then contribute to long-term neurocognitive deficits.

Spot on for brain research: Controlling nerve cells with light Gero Miesenböck was the first to insert a light-controlled on/off switch into brain cells. His pioneering method allows scientists to switch nerve cells on and off selectively and observe how the behavior of, for example, fruit flies or mice changes as a result. In this way, researchers can learn in a step-by-step process what behavior the studied brain circuits control and what goes awry in disease

Brain imaging reveals possible depression signature in traumatic brain injury Individuals with depression in addition to traumatic brain injury (TBI) are prone to poorer recovery, reductions in cognitive performance, greater functional disability, increased suicide attempts and other social and sexual difficulties. Since depression symptoms vary greatly, teasing apart a diagnosis in the context TBI is often difficult. However, researchers have identified a potential brain-based biomarker for depressive symptoms that could simplify the process

Brain's immune system could be harnessed to fight Alzheimer's The brain's immune system could potentially be harnessed to help clear the amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests. The findings are the culmination of years of investigation after a surprising discovery while studying mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers observed that amyloid beta plaques -- which scientists believe play a major role in the disease -- were being cleared in animals with chronic brain inflammation

Brain Research: Inflammation in the brain is linked to risk of schizophrenia, ♦ New treatments for Parkinson's ♦ Laser-based imaging tool could increase accuracy, safety of brain tumor surgery

Laser-based imaging tool could increase accuracy, safety of brain tumor surgery Researchers are testing technology that gives brain surgeons real-time microscopic vision of tumors, potentially allowing the surgical decision-making process to become data driven, instead of subjective "best guesses,".

Scientists make advancements that may lead to new treatments for Parkinson's A research team has made breakthrough advancements on a new molecular mechanism that may provide a means to “melt” pathological clumps known as Lewy clumps. These clumps are a hallmark sign of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease protein controls movement of precious cargo inside cells, A new study marks a step toward understanding the Huntingtin protein (Htt) is responsible for Huntington's disease. The research shows that Htt controls the movement of precious cargo traveling up and down neurons, the cells that form the core of the nervous system in animals.

Inflammation in the brain is linked to risk of schizophrenia,  A new study is the first to find that immune cells are more active in the brains of people at risk of schizophrenia as well as those already diagnosed with the disease.

Brain Research:Hint of increased brain tumor risk five years before diagnosis ♦ Detect early brain damage from hypertension ♦ Potential for treatment of schizophrenia

Hint of increased brain tumor risk five years before diagnosis Changes in immune function can occur as long as five years before the diagnosis of a brain tumor that typically produces symptoms only three months before it is detected.

New imaging technique detects early brain damage from hypertension Some people with high blood pressure also have early signs of brain damage, a new imaging technique has found. The damage is linked to difficulties in certain cognitive skills, decision-making, and the ability to regulate emotions. Researchers suggest physicians should start to consider potential brain damage as they treat patients with high blood pressure.

Parkinson's disease: Everyday activity more beneficial than occasional strenuous exercise Parkinson’s patients often become sedentary because of motor symptoms such as gait, balance problems or falls. However, new research finds that non-exercise physical activity, more than occasional trips to the gym, is linked to less severe motor symptoms.

Repairing the brain: Two genes unlock potential for treatment of schizophrenia Research has linked the abnormal behavior of two genes (BDNF and DTNBP1) to the underlying cause of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder that affects nearly 1 percent of the total human population. These findings have provided a new target for schizophrenia treatment.

Cancer Research: Anti-inflammatory drug acts against ovarian cancer ♦ Prostate cancer is five different diseases ♦ Red grape chemical may help prevent bowel cancer

New tool uses 'drug spillover' to match cancer patients with treatments A new article describes a new tool that improves the ability to match drugs to disease: the Kinase Addiction Ranker predicts what genetics are truly driving the cancer in any population of cells and chooses the best 'kinase inhibitor' to silence these dangerous genetic causes of disease

Anti-inflammatory drug acts against ovarian cancer A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) called ketorolac helped women with ovarian cancer to survive longer, researchers report. Ketorolac, marketed as Toradol®, is approved for clinical use in the United States for pain after surgery.

Prostate cancer is five different diseases Scientists have, for the first time, identified that there are five distinct types of prostate cancer and have found a way to distinguish between them.

Targeted therapy shows effectiveness against a subtype of the brain tumor medulloblastoma A subset of medulloblastoma tumors briefly stopped growing or disappeared entirely during treatment with vismodegib, researchers report after a trial with both adults and children.

Red grape chemical may help prevent bowel cancer but less is more Resveratrol, a chemical found in red grapes, is more effective in smaller doses at preventing bowel cancer in mice than high doses, according to new research. Previous research looked at high doses of purified resveratrol to study its potential to prevent cancer. This is the first study to look at the effects of a lower daily dose -- equivalent to the amount of resveratrol found in one large (approx. 250ml) glass of red wine -- comparing it with a dose 200 times higher.

Brain Research: New therapy slows spread of deadly brain tumor cells ♦ Insulin resistance increases risk for Alzheimer's disease ♦ biomarkers key to early intervention in Alzheimer's diseas

New therapy slows spread of deadly brain tumor cells The rapid spread of a common and deadly brain tumor has been slowed down significantly in a mouse model by cutting off the way some cancer cells communicate.

Insulin resistance increases risk for Alzheimer's disease A strong association between insulin resistance and memory function decline has been found by researchers who suggest that this link increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Low-dose lithium reduces side effects from most common treatment for Parkinson's disease Low-dose lithium reduced involuntary motor movements -- the troubling side effect of the medication most commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease (PD) -- in a mouse model of the condition that is diagnosed in about 60,000 Americans each year. The third in a series of studies from involving PD and low-dose lithium, the results add to mounting evidence that low-doses of the psychotropic drug could benefit patients suffering from the incurable, degenerative condition.

Identifying bio markers key to early intervention in Alzheimer's disease Researchers are looking for bio markers that might serve as an early warning system for Alzheimer's disease. The process is not without complications, but these scientists possess a collective “Rosie the Riveter” spirit.

National study of deep brain stimulation for depression fails to demonstrate efficacy Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and treatment-resistant symptoms of depression have a terrible personal and societal cost. They can devastate lives, careers, and families. Some severely ill patients may be unable to attend to even the basic elements of self-care, while others attempt or complete suicide. Now researchers report the results of the first large-scale, randomized, sham-controlled trial of deep brain stimulation treatment for treatment-resistant symptoms of depression.

Cancer News: 'Jumping genes' may drive esophageal cancer ♦ Gene therapy advance thwarts brain cancer in rats ♦ Critical genes responsible for brain tumor growth identified

'Jumping genes' may drive esophageal cancer 'Jumping genes' may add to the genetic chaos behind more than three-quarters of esophageal cancer cases, scientists have discovered. 'Jumping genes', called L1 elements, can uproot themselves and move to new areas in the DNA, sometimes accidentally moving into genes that control the cell's growth.

Critical genes responsible for brain tumor growth identified After generating new brain tumor models, scientists have identified the role of a family of genes underlying tumor growth in a wide spectrum of high grade brain tumors.

Gene therapy advance thwarts brain cancer in rats A nanoparticle gene delivery system has been developed by scientists that destroys brain gliomas in a rat model, significantly extending the lives of the treated animals. The nanoparticles are filled with genes for an enzyme that converts a prodrug called ganciclovir into a potent destroyer of the glioma cells.

Study advances potential of tumor genome sequencing and DNA-based blood tests in precision treatment In a genome-sequencing study of pancreatic cancers and blood in 101 patients, scientists say they found at least one-third of the patients' tumors have genetic mutations that may someday help guide precision therapy of their disease. Results of blood tests to detect DNA shed from tumors, they say, also predicted cancer recurrence more than half a year earlier than standard imaging methods.

License for cutting: How intracellular signaling regulates growth factor production Cancer cells need life-essential molecules to proliferate. These so-called growth factors are activated by ectodomain shedding of precursor proteins on the outside of the plasma membrane, mainly carried out by three human cleavage enzymes. A pharmaceutical blocking of these enzymes could hinder cancer from growing but would also inhibit other life-essential processes. Now, researchers have shown that the factor-precursor-producing cells themselves determine if and when cleavage may occur. This is decided by intracellular signaling. Interfering with defined signaling in cells producing cancer growth factors could be developed into a new way of cancer treatment.

Cancer Research: Nanotechnology identifies brain tumor types ♦ Tumor surroundings are shown to affect progression ♦ Resistant breast cancer mechanism revealed

Nanotechnology identifies brain tumor types through MRI 'virtual biopsy' A tiny drug-delivery system has been invented that can identify cancer cell types in the brain through 'virtual biopsies' and then attack the molecular structure of the disease. The results could be used to deliver nano-scale drugs that can distinguish and fight tumor cells in the brain without resorting to surgery.

How DNA is organized in our cells A critical role for two proteins in chromatin structure has been uncovered by researchers. Their breakthrough helps explain how DNA is organized in our cells. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of what causes certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma.

Therapy-resistant breast cancer mechanism revealed A cluster of defined, non-coding RNAs are mechanistically involved in endocrine therapy resistance in human breast cancer cells. Furthermore, resveratrol, a kind of polyphenol, was found to repress these RNAs and inhibit the proliferative activity of breast cancer cells which had acquired resistance

Two new, very large classes of RNAs found to be linked to cancer biomark Two new classes of RNAs have been identified that are closely associated with a protein known to be a prognostic biomarker for breast cancer and could play a role in progression of prostate cancer.

Tumor surroundings are shown to affect progression of different cancer subtypes Our environment can have a major impact on how we develop, and it turns out it's no different for cancer cells. A team of researchers reports that two different mouse models of breast cancer progressed differently based on characteristics of the tumor microenvironment -- the area of tissue in which the tumor is embedded.

Brain Research: Predict people at risk of schizophrenia ♦ Game changer for Parkinson's ♦ Breaking through the blood-brain barrier

Hacked Kinect controller game changer for Parkinson's Microsoft's Kinect games controller has been hacked by researchers to relieve one of the most distressing symptoms of Parkinson's - freezing of gait. Many patients are afflicted by freezing of gait when suddenly, in mid-stride, the muscles freeze and they are left unable to move forward or they simply fall over.

Breaking through the blood-brain barrier The bacteria that sneak past the brain's defenses to cause deadly bacterial meningitis are clever adversaries. New research investigates the molecular tricks bacteria use to convince their host that they are harmless and cause

First cancer-promoting oncogenes discovered in rare brain tumor of children and adults Researchers have identified three genes that play a pivotal role in the brain tumor choroid plexus carcinoma, a discovery that lays the groundwork for more effective treatment of this rare, often fatal cancer

Advanced MRI scans could help predict people at risk of schizophrenia Scientists have long known that the symptoms of schizophrenia are partly explained by disordered connectivity in the brain. Now new scanning methods that map the wiring of the brain could provide a valuable new tool to predict people at risk of schizophrenia, according to a new study

Brain Research: Potential cause of schizophrenic symptoms ♦ Tracking defects caused by brain tumor mutation ♦ Locating the brain's SAD center

Potential cause of schizophrenic symptoms identified Researchers believe they have discovered an abnormality in the schizophrenic brain that could be responsible for many of the disease's symptoms and could provide a drug target for therapeutic treatments.

Tracking defects caused by brain tumor mutation yields insight to advance targeted therapy Scientists have gained ground toward developing more targeted therapies for the most common childhood brain tumor. The findings involve the DDX3X gene. In 2012, other work highlighted DDX3X as a promising focus for efforts to develop targeted therapies against medulloblastoma. Such treatments target the genetic mistakes that give rise to the brain tumor’s four subtypes.

It doesn't take a brain injury to have headache, dizziness and cognitive impairment

Researchers have provided an explanation for why many people with even very trivial head injuries, or even injuries to other parts of their bodies, experience incapacitating post-concussion like syndromes.

Locating the brain's SAD center Biologists have known that variations in the amount of sunlight a person receives and her or his circadian clock play a role in the disorder. They have also proposed that the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin may be involved. However, they have not yet identified the underlying neurobiological mechanisms responsible. Biologists have now localized the seasonal light cycle effects that drive seasonal affective disorder to a small region of the brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus.

Brain Research: We think better on our feet ♦ Switching on one-shot learning ♦ Brain-injured patients need therapies based on cognitive neuroscience

We think better on our feet, literally A new study finds students with standing desks are more attentive than their seated counterparts. Preliminary results show 12 percent greater on-task engagement in classrooms with standing desks

Switching on one-shot learning in the brain Most of the time, we learn only gradually, incrementally building connections between actions or events and outcomes. But there are exceptions--every once in a while, something happens and we immediately learn to associate that stimulus with a result. Scientists have discovered that uncertainty in terms of the causal relationship -- whether an outcome is actually caused by a particular stimulus -- is the main factor in determining whether or not rapid learning occurs.

Brain-injured patients need therapies based on cognitive neuroscience Patients with traumatic brain injuries are not benefiting from recent advances in cognitive neuroscience research -- and they should be, scientists report. Now, cognitive neuroscientists have identified dozens of brain networks, each of which engages a specific set of brain structures to perform particular tasks. This information should factor into the therapies that these patients receive.

Brain tumor patients should be screened for depression Because depression in brain cancer patients is a common but often overlooked condition, oncologists should regularly screen tumor patients for depression. The authors also propose that more studies be completed to explore the efficacy of antidepressant treatments, as well as the value of depression biomarkers for future brain tumor research.

Strengthening the immune system’s fight against brain cancer

When cancer strikes, it may be possible for patients to fight back with their own defenses, using a strategy known as immunotherapy. According to a new study published in Nature, researchers have found a way to enhance the effects of this therapeutic approach in glioblastoma, a deadly type of brain cancer, and possibly improve patient outcomes. The research was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke as well as the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which are part of the National Institutes of Health.

“The promise of dendritic cell-based therapy and other immunotherapies for brain cancer has been upheld for some time, but an important implication of this work is a demonstrated capacity to significantly improve the clinical impact of immunotherapy for patients with this very difficult disease,” said Duane A. Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program at the University of Florida in Gainesville and co-lead author of the study.

Dendritic cells are specialized immune cells that normally capture microorganisms, and then migrate to the lymph nodes to prepare other immune players, such as T cells, to fight off the invaders.

Dendritic cells have been used for immunotherapy to target a variety of tumor types, including those that affect the brain. These cells are taken from the patient, engineered to express antigens from the tumor­ to create a vaccine, and then injected back into the patient. Once in the patient, the engineered dendritic cells activate T cells, which can fight the tumor and also prevent it from coming back, via an immune memory response.

Dr. Mitchell and his colleagues wanted to know if increasing dendritic cell migration to lymph nodes would improve the effects of the vaccine. To test this idea, a group of glioblastoma patients was randomized to receive a tetanus booster shot before getting the tumor-antigen expressing dendritic cell vaccine. The booster was designed to set off an inflammatory response at the site of the vaccination, prepping the immune system for a larger battle. The other group of patients were injected with their own native dendritic cells instead of a tetanus shot, and then treated with the tumor-antigen expressing dendritic cell vaccine. Both sets of patients were treated with the vaccine which was being tested for effectiveness against glioblastoma.

The vaccine used in this study was targeted against cytomegalovirus (CMV). Studies have shown that CMV is found in glioblastoma tumors, but it is unclear if the virus causes tumors or contributes to disease progression. Glioblastomas are a devastating form of brain cancer with five year survival rates under 10 percent. From the time of diagnosis, average survival time is less than two years.

“The role of CMV in glioblastoma has been a controversial area of research for several years. These new findings, and especially the dramatic survival rates, suggest that the virus may be an effective target for immunotherapy. The results presented by Dr. Mitchell and his colleagues should stimulate more basic research on CMV and its potential therapeutic role in brain tumors and possibly other cancers,” said Jane Fountain, Ph.D., program director at the NINDS.

The results showed that administering a tetanus booster before the vaccine increased dendritic cell migration to lymph nodes and also had a significant effect on clinical outcomes. The patients who received the tetanus booster lived more than 36.6 months after diagnosis compared to an average survival time of 18.5 months in those who received dendritic cells alone.

“We did not expect that enhancing dendritic cell migration would be associated with such a dramatic improvement on clinical outcomes in our patients,” said Dr. Mitchell.

Next, the investigators used a mouse model to determine how the tetanus booster increased dendritic cell migration to the lymph nodes. The results suggested that giving a booster shot to mice that have received the tetanus vaccine activated a recall response in the exposed T cells. Acting through a chemical messenger known as CCL3, those T cells increased dendritic cell migration to the lymph nodes, which ultimately enhanced the effect of the dendritic cell vaccine on tumor growth suppression.

“Dendritic cell vaccines targeting glioblastoma can be very effective by enhancing migration of dendritic cells. We now understand how we may improve outcomes for patients receiving this type of therapy,” said Dr. Mitchell. He added that larger clinical studies need to be conducted to confirm these results.

In addition, more research is necessary to define the role of CMV in glioblastoma and further determine mechanisms to enhance efficacy of vaccines in cancer therapy.

Adding Chemotherapy Following Radiation Treatment Improves Survival for Adults

Adding chemotherapy following radiation treatment improves survival for adults with low-grade gliomas, a slow-growing type of brain tumor

Adults with low-grade gliomas, a form of brain tumor, who received a chemotherapy regimen following completion of radiation therapy, lived longer than patients who received radiation therapy alone, according to long-term follow-up results from a National Institutes of Health-supported randomized controlled clinical trial.

Since all three chemotherapy drugs in the regimen are commercially available, the treatment used in the clinical trial is available for use now. However, this form of chemotherapy is associated with some toxicities, such as reduced white blood cell counts leading to increased infection risk, and trial investigators recommend that it should be utilized only by physicians experienced with managing the side-effects that may occur.

Low-grade gliomas grow more slowly and have a better outcome than the more common type of brain tumor in adults, which is classified as glioblastoma.

The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), a clinical trials organization funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of NIH, and NCI are making the results public today because a long-term follow-up analysis showed significantly longer survival for those people on the trial who received chemotherapy. Full details from this analysis are to be presented at a scientific meeting in 2014 and in a peer-reviewed publication.

The study, RTOG 9802, enrolled 251 patients with low-grade gliomas between October 1998 and June 2002 to address the role of chemotherapy following radiation treatment. Patients enrolled were at high risk compared to other low-grade glioma patients because they were 40 years of age or older or had a less than complete surgical removal of their tumor if they were under 40 years of age.

All patients started treatment with surgery followed by radiation therapy. By random assignment, half of patients stopped treatment after radiation therapy and the other half received six cycles of chemotherapy after completing radiation therapy. Patients receiving chemotherapy got three drugs: procarbazine (P); CCNU (C), which generically is known as lomustine; and vincristine (V). This chemotherapy, termed PCV, was given over 21 days and repeated every eight weeks for a total of six cycles.

A significant improvement in overall survival was noted for study participants who received PCV chemotherapy plus radiation therapy (13. 3 years median survival time) compared to those receiving radiation therapy alone (7.8 years median survival time), which is a difference of 5.5 years. Median follow-up after initial enrollment has been almost 12 years.

Analysis of how patients are doing based upon the molecular and genetic characteristics of their tumors is ongoing. These studies will be important since molecular characteristics of related brain tumors have been able to identify patients most likely to benefit from chemotherapy.

“The results of this study are practice-changing,” said co-lead investigator Jan Buckner, M.D., professor of oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. “Additionally, ongoing analysis of patient tumor samples should allow us to further identify the patients who will, and who will not, benefit from chemotherapy, taking yet another step toward individualized therapy.”

It is estimated that over 23,000 people will be diagnosed with primary brain tumors in the United States in 2014 and that 10 percent to 15 percent will have low-grade gliomas.