Neurodegenerative Diseases News and Research

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Short sleep linked to cognitive decline in older adults

Researchers at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) have found evidence that the less older adults sleep, the faster their brains age.

1 Jul 2014

Scientists one step closer to understanding the causes of Parkinson's disease

Scientists have taken a step closer to understanding the causes of Parkinson's disease, identifying what's happening at a cellular level to potentially help develop future treatments.

27 Jun 2014

Study reveals that inflammasomes remain active even after cell death

Even after a cell dies, components of the immune system remain active and continue to fuel inflammatory reactions.

23 Jun 2014

Alternative disposal process in optic nerve cells has implications for neurodegenerative diseases

Biologists have long considered cells to function like self-cleaning ovens, chewing up and recycling their own worn out parts as needed.

20 Jun 2014

Self-repairing mechanism of adult brain can help preserve brain function in Alzheimer's

New research, led by scientists at the University of Southampton, has found that neurogenesis, the self-repairing mechanism of the adult brain, can help to preserve brain function in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Prion or Parkinson's.

19 Jun 2014

Researchers explore role of stem cells in treating neuroinjury and neurodegenerative disorders

Researchers at the University of Florida, USA, led by Dr. K. Wang have demonstrated that inhibition of Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) and subsequent cofilin dephosphorylation is mediating neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells.

18 Jun 2014

Increase in protein helps store dopamine and protects from Parkinson's disease

Researchers from Emory's Rollins School of Public Health discovered that an increase in the protein that helps store dopamine, a critical brain chemical, led to enhanced dopamine neurotransmission and protection from a Parkinson's disease-related neurotoxin in mice.

18 Jun 2014

REM sleep disorder: A sign of impending neurodegenerative disease

How many millions of people suffer from sleep disturbance? One sleep disorder in particular, called REM behavior disorder, could be a sign of impending neurodegenerative disease, including Parkinson's and dementia, say scientists presenting their research at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging's 2014 Annual Meeting.

10 Jun 2014

Cellular blockages in nerve cells of insect's brain can form and dissolve in 30 seconds

Motorists in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other gridlocked cities could learn something from the fruit fly.

9 Jun 2014

Neurobiologist Thomas Jessell to be honored with 2014 Gruber Neuroscience Prize

Thomas Jessell, PhD, the Claire Tow Professor of Motor Neuron Disorders in the Departments of Neuroscience and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Columbia University, is the recipient of the 2014 Neuroscience Prize of The Gruber Foundation.

4 Jun 2014

Researchers reveal potential new drug target for dementia

Researchers at King's College London have discovered how a molecular 'scaffold' which allows key parts of cells to interact, comes apart in dementia and motor neuron disease, revealing a potential new target for drug discovery.

4 Jun 2014

Researchers create experimental blood test that determines BHI by gauging performance of mitochondria

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine have created an experimental blood test that, for the first time, determines a "Bioenergetic Health Index," or BHI, by gauging the performance of mitochondria, the cell's energy powerhouses.

30 May 2014

New research shows how misfolded proteins are precisely selected for degradation

It's almost axiomatic that misfolded proteins compromise how cells normally function and cause debilitating human disease, but how these proteins are detected and degraded within the body is not well understood.

30 May 2014

TPP wins $500,000 grant from Biogen Idec to help students start and run own businesses

The Biogen Idec Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to The Possible Project (TPP), a non-profit organization that teaches high school students how to start and run their own businesses through a tailored curriculum, and access to technology and to mentors from the local business community.

29 May 2014

Researchers discover how uric acid helps prevent aging and disease

Interested in antioxidants? They protect us against aging and cancer. It's one of the reasons we like our green tea and even our broccoli. But there is a new kid on the antioxidant block - uric acid.

28 May 2014

Biovision provides list of businesses, projects selected for Investor Conference and Catalyzer sessions

Biovision, the annual forum on future-oriented research in life sciences, today announces the list of biotech and medtech companies and projects selected for the Investor Conference and Catalyzer sessions. Awards will be presented during the closing ceremony.

20 May 2014

KineMed extends collaboration with CHDI Foundation to track pathogenesis of Huntington's disease

KineMed, Inc. and CHDI Foundation, Inc. announced today an extension of their collaboration that uses KineMed's translational biomarker platform to characterize and track the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD) and evaluate potentially therapeutic interventions.

19 May 2014

Researcher identify four new microRNAs involved in regulation of BDNF levels

Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) regulates many processes including memory and learning in our daily tasks.