Neurodegenerative Disease News and Research

RSS

Long-term exercise may benefit Spinal Muscular Atrophy patients

Long-term exercise appears to be beneficial for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) like mice, suggesting a potential of active physiotherapy for patient care; according to a study published today in the Journal of Physiology.

6 Mar 2016

New Notre Dame research may lead to a therapy for Niemann-Pick Type C disease

Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease is a rare, fatal neurodegenerative disease for which there is currently no cure. NPC primarily strikes children before and during adolescence and affects one in every 150,000 children. The disease causes cholesterol and other lipids to build up in the body's cells, which results in symptoms such as delayed motor development, deterioration of memory and balance, and seizures.

26 Feb 2016

New clinical trial focuses on respiratory drug ambroxol for treatment of Parkinson's disease

A medication approved to treat various respiratory diseases and that has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in preclinical studies is the focus of a new clinical trial for Parkinson's disease.

23 Feb 2016

Regrowing dopaminergic neurons may lead to new therapy for Parkinson's disease

While scientists are unsure of the molecular causes of Parkinson's Disease, they do know the disorder's tremors and other motor dysfunctions are linked to a loss of dopaminergic neurons located in the substantia nigra, a structure in the midbrain.

16 Feb 2016

Lamin nucleoskeleton disordered in Alzheimer's

Brain cell death in Alzheimer's disease is linked to disruption of a skeleton that surrounds the nucleus of the cells, a researcher in the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio said.

5 Feb 2016

Seafood consumption may benefit older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease

New research published Feb. 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that older adults with a major risk gene for Alzheimer's disease known as APOE?4 who ate at least one seafood serving per week showed fewer signs of Alzheimer's-related brain changes. In contrast, this association was not found in the brains of volunteers who ate fish weekly but did not carry the risk gene.

3 Feb 2016

New treatment could stop progression of ALS

Researchers at Oregon State University announced today that they have essentially stopped the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, for nearly two years in one type of mouse model used to study the disease - allowing the mice to approach their normal lifespan.

29 Jan 2016

Ageing 2016 summit to explore various aspects of processes, research on ageing and senescence

Ageing 2016 will be held from February 9 to 11, 2016 at Cineworld: The O2 Peninsula Square London SE10 0DX United Kingdom. The annual international summit will look at the various aspects of processes and research involved in ageing and senescence.

25 Jan 2016

Chronic exposure to environmental toxin may up risk of neurodegenerative illness

A new study published today in the science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B indicates that chronic exposure to an environmental toxin may increase risk of neurodegenerative illness. Conducted by scientists at the Institute for EthnoMedicine, a non-profit medical research organization, and the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank, the study provides a foundation for future research in Alzheimer's disease, ALS and Parkinson's disease.

25 Jan 2016

Dartmouth researchers discover rare natural products that promote regeneration of injured nerve cells

Nerve damage from neurodegenerative disease and spinal cord injury has largely been considered irreversible, but Dartmouth researchers report progress in the effort to synthesize rare natural products that promote regeneration and growth of injured nerve cells.

22 Jan 2016

Study reveals new clue to possible misdiagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Correctly diagnosing Alzheimer's disease remains a challenge for medical professionals. Now, a new study published in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease reveals a new clue to possible misdiagnosis.

21 Jan 2016

New UTMB study reveals link between traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's disease

A new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston fills an important gap in understanding the link between traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

13 Jan 2016

Scientists discover molecular mechanism responsible for degeneration of Purkinje cells in SCA1

Scientists from Bern have discovered a mechanism which is responsible for the degeneration of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum in a neurodegenerative disease called Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. The results of their study open up new avenues for the future treatment of cerebellum associated degenerative disorders.

7 Jan 2016

Study identifies genetic factors that play role in AMD

An international study has identified the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the worldwide leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

23 Dec 2015

New study examines single 'transformer' proteins involved in cancer

A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital shows how a protein involved in cancer twists and morphs into different structures.

22 Dec 2015

Aquinnah secures $5 million private equity investment from Takeda

Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has received a $5 Million investment from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Limited, in it's first private equity financing. The company has assembled a world-class team of drug developers and an exceptional Scientific Advisory Board in the fields of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), protein and RNA regulation, and neurodegenerative diseases.

21 Dec 2015

Novel drug candidate prevents nerve cell damage in mouse model of Parkinson's disease

A team of scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Longevity Biotech, Inc., has demonstrated that neuroprotection could be attained in preclinical models by a novel drug candidate that changes immune responses.

18 Dec 2015

Biogen begins ISIS-SOD1 Rx Phase 1/2 clinical study in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its partner, Biogen, has initiated a Phase 1/2 clinical study of ISIS-SOD1 Rx (BIIB067) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

11 Dec 2015

Low levels of BRCA1 protein in the brain linked to dementia

Mutant forms of breast cancer factor 1 (BRCA1) are associated with breast and ovarian cancers but according to new findings, in the brain the normal BRCA1 gene product may also be linked to Alzheimer's disease. The results, published in Nature Communications, suggest that low levels of BRCA1 protein in the brain may contribute to dementia.

1 Dec 2015

Protein aggregates as harmful as neurodegenerative-disease-related proteins, shows study

Scientists at the forefront of cutting-edge research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have shown that the mere presence of protein aggregates may be as important as their form and identity in inducing cell death in brain tissue.

20 Nov 2015