Researchers at Kumamoto University have identified mutations in the proteoglycan Tsukushi as a cause of hydrocephalus. The study, which was published in the March 31, 2021, issue of Science Translational Medicine, adds to the evidence that a significant proportion of hydrocephalus are due to genetic alterations.

An international research team has identified a bacterial/viral combination more likely to be present in children with postinfectious hydrocephalus.

An international research team has identified a bacterial/viral combination more likely to be present in children with postinfectious hydrocephalus.

Boston-based startup Cerevasc Inc. scooped up $43.9 million in a series A round that was led by Perceptive Xontogeny Venture (PXV) Fund and Aton Partners LLC. The funds are earmarked to support a first-in-human trial of the company’s Eshunt system for the treatment of hydrocephalus, as well as subsequent clinical studies to support regulatory approvals.

Hydrocephalus involves the buildup of excess fluid in the brain. It affects more than 1 million people in the U.S. – most of them children – and can result in brain damage and related neurological impairments. Shunt implants are the standard treatment to drain that fluid, but more than half of them fail within the first couple of years of placement.