�㽶��Ƶ News - brain

How the brain's 'internal compass' works

webfull — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 16:03:43 +0000

Scientists have gained new insights into the part of the brain that gives us a sense of direction, by tracking neural activity with the latest advances in brain imaging techniques. The findings shed light on how the brain orients itself in changing environments – and even the processes that can go wrong with degenerative diseases like dementia, that leave people feeling lost and confused.

Published: 22 March 2023

Fighting brain cancer at its root

webfull — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 15:10:36 +0000

�㽶��Ƶ researchers identify proteins that drive cancer stem cells. Targeting and supressing a particular protein called galectin1 could provide a more effective treatment for glioblastoma, in combination with radiation therapy.

Due to its resistance to therapy, glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive cancerous brain tumour in adults. It grows fast and spreads quickly. While treatments such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can help ease symptoms for a few months, in most cases tumour cells regrow after treatment and the cancer recurs.

Published: 31 August 2021

New use for an old drug: How does ketamine combat depression?

webfull — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 16:07:12 +0000

A group of proteins called 4E-BPs, involved in memory formation, is the key to unlocking the antidepressant effect of ketamine in the brain, according to researchers from three Canadian universities. The discovery could lead to better and safer treatments for certain patients suffering from major depression.

Published: 16 December 2020

CTV NEWS | �㽶��Ƶ researchers discover way to fight brain tumours' resistance to therapy

webfull — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 19:41:21 +0000

New findings out of �㽶��Ƶ in Montreal have revealed a potential way to overcome aggressive brain tumours' resistance to therapy: by deleting a specific gene. Researchers have long been searching for ways to treat Glioblastomas – the most stubborn type of brain tumour – as they’re well known for their resistance to treatment. A few years back, they were able to confirm the key role a gene called the OSMR gene plays in the process of brain cancer growth.

Published: 20 August 2020

Gene targeting helps overcome the resistance of brain cancer to therapy

webfull — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 13:12:58 +0000

New insight into a gene that controls energy production in cancer stem cells could help in the search for a more effective treatment for glioblastoma. A McGill-led study published in Nature Communications reveals that suppressing the OSMR gene can improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy.

This approach, led by the laboratory of Arezu Jahani-Asl, Assistant Professor of Medicine at �㽶��Ƶ, was successful in preclinical mouse models where the deletion of the OSMR gene resulted in a significant improvement of tumour response to therapy and expanded lifespan.

Published: 17 August 2020

Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives Launches the HBHL Neuro-Innovation Fund

webfull — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 19:29:35 +0000

The Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives (HBHL) initiative is happy to announce the launch of its Neuro-Innovation Fund. HBHL’s Neuro-Innovation Fund aims to close the gap between proof-of-concept research grants, and funding from traditional investors (angels, venture capitalist, institutional investors). The Fund will provide technology development grants to support further proof of principle and/or add value to new technologies or inventions related to the research themes of HBHL.

Published: 23 March 2018

TÉLÉ-QUÉBÉC | Brain’s biological clock stimulates thirst before sleep

webfull — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 15:28:01 +0000

On sait que le sommeil et la température de notre corps sont régulés par l'horloge biologique. Charles Bourque, du Centre de recherche du CUSM à Montréal, a découvert une nouvelle fonction qui le serait aussi : la soif. Il en a fait la preuve de façon éclatante chez la souris.

Télé-Québéc (Electrons libres)

Published: 20 March 2018

Brain genes related to innovation revealed in birds

webfull — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 18:00:32 +0000

Wild birds that are more clever than others at foraging for food have different levels of a neurotransmitter receptor that has been linked with intelligence in humans, according to a study led by �㽶��Ƶ researchers. The findings could provide insight into the evolutionary mechanisms affecting cognitive traits in a range of animals.

The study, published in Science Advances, was conducted by McGill biologists Jean-Nicolas Audet and Louis Lefebvre, in collaboration with researchers from Duke and Harvard universities.

Barbados birds

Published: 14 March 2018

Launch of the HBHL Knowledge Mobilization Program

webfull — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 21:40:30 +0000

Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives (HBHL) is a high profile, high priority multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral initiative located at �㽶��Ƶ made possible with support from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF). The HBHL Strategic Research Plan outlines the vision, deliverables, and overall goals of the initiative, and the research priorities of its four research themes.

Published: 6 March 2018

Launch of the McGill-Western Collaboration Grant Program

webfull — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:34:48 +0000

Canada First Research Excellence Fund's investment of $150 million in �㽶��Ƶ's Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives (HBHL) and Western University's BrainsCAN marks a pivotal step that will unlock the mysteries of the human mind and lay the groundwork for a pan-Canadian network of collaboration that promises to uncover new ways to treat, prevent and cure brain disorders.

Published: 6 February 2018