Neurodegenerative Diseases News and Research

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Researchers evaluate potential of stem cells, therapeutic agents in neurodegenerative diseases

As the brain has limited capability for self-repair or regeneration, stem cells may represent the best therapeutic approach for counteracting damage to or degeneration of brain tissue caused by injury, aging, or disease.

24 Oct 2017

New synthetic genetic tool measures and manipulates protein aggregation in live cells

A common thread ties seemingly unlinked disorders like Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes together. This thread is known as protein aggregation and happens when proteins clump together. These complexes are a hallmark of many diseases but have recently been linked to beneficial functions as well.

20 Oct 2017

Penn researchers functionally dissect gene variant linked to FTLD

Seven years ago, Penn Medicine researchers showed that mutations in the TMEM106B gene significantly increased a person's risk of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), the second most common cause of dementia in those under 65.

19 Oct 2017

Migraine attacks may actively protect and repair the brain from oxidative stress

A new perspective article highlights a compelling theory about migraine attacks: that they are an integrated mechanism by which the brain protects and repairs itself. Recent insightful findings and potential ways to use them to help migraine sufferers are published in Headache.

19 Oct 2017

New imaging system offers better way to monitor brain changes from Alzheimer's in mouse models

An estimated 5.5 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Although treatments can slow the worsening of symptoms, scientists are still working to better understand the neurodegenerative disease so that curative and preventative medicines can be developed.

17 Oct 2017

Columbia scientists receive grant from CZI to construct atlas of cells in human spinal cord

Scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute today received a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative donor advised fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, to construct an atlas of gene activity of all cells in the human spinal cord.

17 Oct 2017

Einstein scientists share $9 million NIH grant for longevity research

Scientists now believe that the Fountain of Youth flows from our genes, or at least from the genes of people who live healthy lives to age 100 or later.

16 Oct 2017

Researchers propose LSD1 protein as central player in Alzheimer's and FTD

Removal of a regulatory gene called LSD1 in adult mice induces changes in gene activity that that look unexpectedly like Alzheimer's disease, scientists have discovered.

9 Oct 2017

UC Berkeley researchers to develop new ultra-high-resolution MRI brain scanner

Functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, has transformed our view of the brain, allowing researchers to pinpoint areas associated with everything from depression and dementia to playing chess and engaging in sex.

6 Oct 2017

Impairing critical partnership between brain cells can lead to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have discovered that impairing a critical partnership between brain cells can lead to neurodegeneration. The study published in Cell Metabolism reports a mechanism by which two types of brain cells, neurons and glia, normally support each other's functions.

30 Sep 2017

Scientists explore the reason behind impaired sense of smell in Parkinson's disease

The first symptom of Parkinson's disease is often an impaired sense of smell. This neurodegenerative disease primarily causes irreparable damage to nerve cells in a brain area involved in movement control.

30 Sep 2017

Researchers discover new class of molecules that may protect brain from injury or diseases

Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans, has discovered a new class of molecules in the brain that synchronize cell-to-cell communication and neuroinflammation/immune activity in response to injury or diseases.

28 Sep 2017

NIH awards $1.5 million grant to support education in Alzheimer's disease at RPI

We know Alzheimer's as a brutal disease that dismantles our loved ones and condemns them to death. But science and engineering researchers look inside the disease to identify early warning signs and develop the imaging techniques to see them, to unravel the biochemical puzzle that creates a toxic clump of misfolded proteins, and to develop and test new drugs and therapies that chip away at cognitive decline.

28 Sep 2017

FAU neuroscientist develops innovative program to prevent dementia

More than 5 million Americans today are affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). If nothing is done to stop this upward trajectory, there will be more than 16 million people with AD in the United States and more than 60 million people with AD worldwide by 2050.

27 Sep 2017

Research finds new therapeutic strategy to prevent infections in spinal cord injury patients

New research led by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent infections in patients with spinal cord injuries.

22 Sep 2017

New discovery about high-risk Alzheimer’s gene suggests potential therapeutic target

Nearly a quarter century ago, a genetic variant known as ApoE4 was identified as a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease- one that increases a person's chances of developing the neurodegenerative disease by up to 12 times.

21 Sep 2017

Researchers identify connections between toxoplasmosis and several brain disorders

More than 2 billion people – nearly one out of every three humans on earth, including about 60 million people in the United States – have a lifelong infection with the brain-dwelling parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

14 Sep 2017

Protein research could pave way to potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

Research carried out at the University of Kent has the potential to influence the future search for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases that are linked to a family of protein molecules known as 'amyloid'.

11 Sep 2017

Retinal imaging may help doctors confirm or rule out frontotemporal degeneration

Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that is present in tens of thousands of Americans, but is often difficult to diagnose accurately.

8 Sep 2017

Top German University uses Syngene’s G:BOX Chemi XX6 for rapid analysis of genes and proteins

Syngene, a world-leading manufacturer of image analysis solutions, today announced its G:BOX Chemi XX6 multi-application imager is being utilized by scientists at a top University in Germany to speed up analysis of genes and proteins associated with neurodegenerative conditions.

From Syngene 8 Sep 2017