National Brain Research Centre is a research institute in Manesar, Gurugram, India. It is an autonomous institute under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. The institute is dedicated to research in neuroscience and brain functions in health and diseases using multidisciplinary approaches. This is the first autonomous institute by DBT to be awarded by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, formerly known as the Ministry of Human Resource Development, in May 2002. NBRC (National Brain Research Centre) was dedicated to the nation by the Honorable President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in December 2003. The founder chairman of NBRC Society is Prof. Prakash Narain Tandon, whereas the founder director Prof. Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath was followed by Prof. Subrata Sinha and Prof. Neeraj Jain. The current director of NBRC is Prof. Krishanu Ray. The National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) is India's only institute dedicated to neuroscience research and education. The institute's primary objectives are to understand brain functions in both healthy and diseased states, train human resources capable of conducting interdisciplinary research in neuroscience, and promote neuroscience in India by networking with national institutions. Scientists and students at NBRC come from diverse academic backgrounds, including biological, computational, mathematical, physical, engineering, and medical sciences.

History

On 5 October 1995, the proposal for founding NBRC was put forward. The creation was subsequently declared on 14 November 1997 as a part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of India's Independence and the birth date of the former Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. A Management Advisory Committee was further formed. In 2000, the institute commenced functioning as an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology from its temporary location at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi. NBRC was awarded the status of Deemed University by Ministry of Education in 2002. On 16 December 2003, NBRC was moved to the foothills of the Aravalli Range in Manesar. In the year 2006, National Neuroimaging facility was established that was fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, such as a 3 tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner, electroencephalography, and evoked potential recording. In the following year, a Translational and Clinical Neuroscience Unit was formed along with a Neurology Outpatient Department to Civil Hospital, Gurgaon, to help common people and assess the occurrence of neurological cases in this region. Further, the Centre of Excellence for Epilepsy, jointly administered by NBRC and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, was established in 2005. Two major flagship programs by NBRC were initiated in the past few years. By 2017, National Dementia Program was initiated under NBRC's leadership, whereas by 2019, a flagship program entitled "Comparative mapping of common mental disorders (CMD) over the lifespan" was launched to understand the science of well-being.

Academics

NBRC has integrated multidisciplinary teaching programmes in Life Sciences, such as 2-year M.Sc. program in Neuroscience with broad overview of different aspects of Neuroscience. Eligibility criteria: NBRC offers 5-year Ph.D. program in Neuroscience to students from diverse backgrounds who have a master's degree in any branch related to Neuroscience as mentioned below: Eligibility criteria: NBRC conducts summer training programs wherein trainees attend seminars and journal clubs organized at the institute and get exposure to neuroscience.

Research

Research faculty studies the complexities of brain functions and cognition in health and diseases. Research at NBRC is organized into five divisions: 1) Cellular neuroscience and Molecular neuroscience, 2) Systems neuroscience, 3) Cognitive neuroscience, 4) Computational neuroscience, and 5) Translational neuroscience. Nevertheless, faculty collaborates across divisions and other scientists. Research develops therapeutic tools and platforms to assess and cure brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia, Japanese encephalitis, Zika virus disease, NeuroAIDS, brain tumor, spinal cord injury, and stroke. The research focuses on detailed understanding of our senses of touch, hearing, speech learning, memory, and spatial navigation. Moreover, basic research helps plan clinical trials for the development of rational therapy for brain disorders. Researchers have also been studying the implications of SARS-CoV-2 on the brain.

Major research programmes

Technological advancement

Major research breakthroughs

Scientists have been studying the early biomarkers for AD using brain chemicals. Monitoring glutathione (GSH), an antioxidant molecule in the brain, aids in the early identification of AD and mapping out therapeutic invention. Scientists have demonstrated that hippocampus, frontal, and cingulate cortical regions responsible for memory and higher cognitive functions, respectively, show significant GSH depletion, leading to cognitive decline. Using 31P MRS, scientists discovered that pH of the left hippocampal formation in AD shifts towards alkalinity. Research has also demonstrated the existence of two open-and-closed conformations of GSH in healthy young participants. Presently, they are investigating the role of two GSH conformations and link between iron deposition and oxidative stress (OS) in the hippocampal formation in AD. Although the exact cause of AD remains unknown, OS is considered a potential factor. Additionally, researchers at NBRC have proposed a novel prospective single-center parallel-arm double-blinded placebo-controlled phase III randomized trial using GSH as a dietary supplement for MCI patients, while monitoring brain GSH levels and cognitive profile using non-invasive MRS and neuropsychological testing, respectively. Considering the elevating cases of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with COVID-19, scientists have been mapping brains of patients who recovered from or were asymptomatic to COVID-19. This first global study analyzed structural, spectroscopic, and behavioral changes in the brains of recovered/asymptomatic patients using a novel non-invasive MRS neuroimaging technique. Findings suggest that glutamate and GABA levels are potential parameters to monitor mental health and psychiatric disease-associated conditions. Moreover, antioxidants and neurotransmitters in the study have potential implications for psychiatric disorders in COVID-19-affected patients. Scientists studied the specific role of the human thalamus as causal outflow hub in reorganizing directed information flow and connectivity among large-scale major neurocognitive networks during brain aging. This reorganization of directed functional connectivity with age during spontaneous activity highlights the importance of subcortical areas even during stimulus independent processing. Outcomes lead to understanding the crucial role of the thalamus as a major integrative hub in addition to insular network for mediating key cognitive functional dynamics and their role during maintenance of cognitive functions during healthy aging process in the human brain. In this collaborative study, it was discovered that dengue and JE viruses activate platelet inside host and induce them release platelet factor 4 (PF4). PF4 inhibits the activity of immune cells, thus stopping interferon production. PF4 acts through its receptor CXCR3, which when blocked with an antagonist AMG487 inhibits dengue and JE replication both in vivo and in vitro. This study indicates the possibility of developing an antiviral agent. This study focused on delineating molecular mechanisms, role of miRNAs, and involvement of ZV E protein in ZV-induced microcephaly. The protein promotes premature but faulty formation of neurons, which affects normal properties of brain stem cells. This is the potential reason behind ZV-induced small head size in infants. Nearly 25 miRNAs, regulating genes and protein expression in cells, were identified as important factors impacting the cell division, proliferation and stemness of the brain stem cells. This work on focused on the regeneration of nervous system, wherein lost neuronal function was found to be restored after injury in roundworm model. The findings established that the axon fusion process has functional significance in the maintenance of neuronal integrity throughout the life span of an organism. The researchers also demonstrated how to control this process genetically for treating nerve injuries in humans in future. An active ingredient Glycyrrhizin in Mulethi (liquorice)—a commonly used herb—is a potential source for the development of a drug against COVID-19. HMGB1 is crucial for regulating susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, whereas S-receptor binding body (RBD) and Orf3a proteins are required for maximal SARS-CoV replication and virulence. The study investigated whether Glycyrrhizin affects SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD- and Orf3a-mediated HMGB1 release and cell death in lung cells expressing SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. Glycyrrhizin did not only reverse S-RBD- and Orf3a-induced extracellular HMGB1 release but also abrogated caspase-1 activation and rescued cell death. Benefits of anti-inflammatory properties in glycyrrhizin are: 1) Lowering the severity of the disease, 2) Mitigating viral replication by as much as 90%, and 3) Fighting the "storm of cytokines".

Facilities and services

Campus and infrastructure