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Favorable lifestyle factors reduce dementia risk across key genetic profiles

With dementia cases expected to nearly triple worldwide by 2050, researchers are increasingly focused on identifying ways to prevent or delay the disease.

5 Jun 2026

Antibody fragment offers safer alternative for Alzheimer disease treatment

In 2025, the European Medicines Agency approved two antibodies for Alzheimer's disease: lecanemab (Leqembi, from Biogen) and donanemab (KisunlaTM, from Eli Lilly and Company), both based on immunotherapy (the use of molecules from the immune system to treat diseases).

5 Jun 2026

Higher genetic pulse pressure risk associated with dementia-related mortality

When looking at genetic variants in a person's DNA that predispose them to disease, a new study has found having a higher number of genetic variants for increased pulse pressure is associated with a small, increased risk of dementia as a contributing cause of death.

3 Jun 2026

Poor sleep may flag early Alzheimer’s risk in genetically vulnerable older women

Poorer subjective sleep quality was linked to worse visual memory and greater limbic tau burden in older women with higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The findings suggest sleep complaints may help identify women at elevated risk for early AD-related brain and cognitive changes, but larger longitudinal studies are needed.

20 May 2026

New gene editing approach improves survival in epileptic mice

In a world first, a research team at the University of Zurich has successfully treated mice carrying an inherited form of epilepsy.

13 May 2026

Study explains how APOE2 gene protects the brain against Alzheimer's disease

People who carry the APOE2 version of the apolipoprotein E gene are more likely to live to advanced age and are partly protected against Alzheimer's disease, but scientists have struggled to explain why.

13 May 2026

Faster biological aging linked to higher dementia risk

Having a biological age older than chronological age is associated with a greater likelihood of developing dementia, a new study has shown.

13 May 2026

New genomic study tracks rare blood disease in children

Aplastic anemia is a rare, life-threatening blood disorder where patients are unable to make enough blood cells due to the immune system's attack on blood stem cells. The condition can progress to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and leukemia. A study led by scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, with multiple collaborating institutions, used state-of-the-art genomic techniques to profile 619 children and adults with aplastic anemia.

4 May 2026

How the immune system may influence Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and related diseases

This review argues that neurodegeneration is shaped not only by toxic protein buildup but also by immune signaling, with microglia and T cells able to either protect the brain or worsen damage depending on context. It also highlights aging, head injury, and viral infection as major forces that reshape CNS immunity and may influence disease progression and future treatment strategies.

16 Apr 2026

Genetic variants may help explain who loses more weight and who gets side effects on GLP-1 drugs

A large 23andMe-based GWAS found that common variants in GLP1R and GIPR help explain why some people lose more weight or experience more nausea and vomiting on GLP-1 drugs. The findings suggest genetics may eventually help predict who responds best to semaglutide or tirzepatide and who is more likely to develop side effects.

9 Apr 2026

Study identifies a common hidden genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorder in children

Researchers identified biallelic variants in RNU2-2 as the cause of a recessive neurodevelopmental disorder marked by intellectual disability, global developmental delay, and frequent seizures. The study suggests this condition may be the most prevalent known recessive neurodevelopmental disorder currently diagnosable by sequencing, with RNA data pointing to a loss-of-expression mechanism.

2 Apr 2026

AEGIS tool helps scientists study evolution of aging and lifespan

Why do some species live for only weeks while others survive for centuries? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) in Jena have developed AEGIS, a freely available software tool that enables scientists to simulate evolution on a standard computer and investigate how lifespan and aging evolve under different ecological pressures and genetic constraints.

1 Apr 2026

Gut microbiome changes improve memory in early cognitive decline

Research shows that modifying the gut microbiome can enhance cognitive performance and mitigate dementia risk, highlighting the gut-brain connection.

1 Apr 2026

Menopause may raise women’s Alzheimer risk earlier than doctors once thought

This review argues that women’s higher Alzheimer disease risk may be shaped in part by midlife neuroendocrine aging, especially the menopause transition, rather than by longevity alone. It highlights early menopause, bilateral oophorectomy, vasomotor symptoms, and midlife cognitive changes as underinvestigated but potentially important risk markers, while calling for sex-specific, biomarker-driven prevention strategies.

18 Mar 2026

Blood protein structure changes may enable earlier detection of Alzheimer’s

Advanced proteomics and AI reveal blood protein changes, offering insights into early Alzheimer's detection and differentiation from mild cognitive impairment.

13 Mar 2026

New review reveals complex polygenic architecture underlying common epilepsies

An insightful mini-review published in Genomic Psychiatry synthesizes the rapidly expanding landscape of molecular genetic research on common epilepsies, assembling evidence from genome-wide association studies, whole-exome sequencing projects, and advanced statistical modeling to illuminate the polygenic architecture that underpins these heterogeneous neurological disorders.

10 Mar 2026

IFN-γ identified as a powerful blood biomarker for Alzheimer’s

This study identifies IFN-γ as a crucial blood-based biomarker for Alzheimer's, revealing its role in microglial inflammation and genetic risk interactions.

19 Feb 2026

Why lung cancer in never smokers is rising and how targeted detection could reduce deaths

Lung cancer in never smokers is an increasingly recognized global health issue with distinct biological drivers, environmental risk factors, and genetic susceptibilities. Improved risk modelling, targeted screening strategies, and preventive approaches are needed to enable earlier detection and reduce mortality in this growing patient group.

15 Feb 2026

New diagnostic framework addresses challenges of rapidly-mutating RNA viruses

The rapid evolutionary dynamics of RNA viruses, driven by high mutation rates and the consequent formation of complex quasispecies populations, present a formidable obstacle to conventional molecular diagnostic approaches.

30 Jan 2026

PTPN2 gene protects the gut from harmful bacteria driving inflammatory bowel disease

Two recent studies from the University of California, Riverside, published in the same issue of Gut Microbes highlight the role of a gene called PTPN2 in protecting the gut from harmful bacteria linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

24 Jan 2026