Neurodegenerative Disease News and Research

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UAB scientists explore gene therapy for frontotemporal dementia

Gene therapy has shown promise for treating a neurodegenerative disease known as frontotemporal dementia and a related condition called neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, according to new findings presented in the Journal of Neuroscience by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

1 Mar 2018

Father's age can affect offspring lifespan, mice study shows

How does the father's age at conception affect his children? Researchers at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and fellow scientists have studied this question in mice.

20 Feb 2018

Therapeutic target for glaucoma could have treatment ramifications for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

A therapeutic target to preserve vision in glaucoma patients could have treatment ramifications for age-related neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, according to findings released today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

20 Feb 2018

Deletion of specific enzyme leads to improvement in memory and cognitive functions

A new study in mice has made a possible breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research. The team of researchers at the Cleveland Clinic has noted that deleting a single enzyme can reverse the deposition of harmful plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This could improve cognitive functions as demonstrated in lab mice. The study appeared this week in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

17 Feb 2018

Novel motion capture-like technology for tracking how proteins fold into certain shape

In many modern animated movies, the trick to achieving realistic movements for individual characters and objects lies in motion-capture technology.

13 Feb 2018

Fight for Sight awards new grants for 13 vital eye research projects

Fight for Sight, the leading eye research charity, has awarded grants totaling over £180,000 for thirteen vital research projects in partnership with nine different organizations.

2 Feb 2018

The effects of Huntington’s disease can be seen as early as conception, finds new study

In a breakthrough study, scientists at the Rockefeller University have observed the effects of Huntington’s disease in neurons as early as conception.

30 Jan 2018

Rockefeller scientists develop system to model Huntington’s in human embryonic stem cells

With new findings, scientists may be poised to break a long impasse in research on Huntington's disease, a fatal hereditary disorder for which there is currently no treatment.

29 Jan 2018

Postnova Analytics to hold second annual seminar on advanced separation techniques

Postnova Analytics has announced its second annual 1-day seminar exploring how advanced separation techniques are extending the frontiers of characterization of nanoparticles, polymers and proteins.

24 Jan 2018

Neuronal loss is very limited in Alzheimer’s disease, shows new study

Frequently encountered in the elderly, Alzheimer's is considered a neurodegenerative disease, which means that it is accompanied by a significant, progressive loss of neurons and their nerve endings, or synapses.

17 Jan 2018

Study finds overall pattern of commonality between Huntington's and Parkinson's

A new study strongly suggests that the brains of people who have died of Huntington's disease (HD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) show a similar response to a lifetime of neurodegeneration, despite being two very distinct diseases.

12 Jan 2018

Researchers awarded grant to repurpose FDA-approved drugs for treating Alzheimer's patients

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and collaborators have received a five-year, $2.8 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to identify FDA-approved medications that could be repurposed to treat Alzheimer's disease.

9 Jan 2018

Researchers develop drug that supports cellular traffic jam theory in ALS/FTD

Neurodegeneration in ALS/FTD may be caused by TDP-43 aggregation in the cytoplasm, causing cellular traffic jams. The trial drug can sequester TDP-43.

9 Jan 2018

UCLA study reveals positive effects of estrogen treatment in people with MS

A study by UCLA researchers reveals the cellular basis for how the hormone estrogen protects against damage to the central nervous system in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

28 Dec 2017

Researchers find more precise, neuroprotective approach to fix MS-damaged nerves

Gene expression in specific cells and in specific regions can provide a more precise, neuroprotective approach than traditional treatments for neurological diseases.

26 Dec 2017

FDA-approved drug to treat high blood pressure increases life span in worms

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers find that an FDA-approved drug to treat high blood pressure seems to extend lifespan in worms via a cell signaling pathway that may mimic caloric restriction.

21 Dec 2017

Newly discovered molecular chaperones may soon be part of therapies for Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disease. It is always fatal. The disease is caused by a defect in the Huntingtin gene. To this day, no therapy will put a stop to the insidious disintegration of brain cells.

12 Dec 2017

Research brings scientists one step closer to understanding development of ALS

University of Michigan-led research brings scientists one step closer to understanding the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS.

8 Dec 2017

Study points to possible targets for therapeutic intervention in the fight against ALS

Scientists at the University of Alberta may have found possible targets for therapeutic interventions in the fight against Lou Gehrig's disease.

1 Dec 2017

Chemotherapy-generated debris from dead and dying cancer cells can stimulate tumor growth

Cancer therapies including radiation and chemotherapy seek to treat the disease by killing tumor cells. Now a team including researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have shown that the dead and dying cancer cells generated by chemotherapy and targeted cancer therapy paradoxically trigger inflammation that promotes aggressive tumor growth.