Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. In most people with AD, symptoms first appear after age 60. AD is the most common cause of dementia among older people, but it is not a normal part of aging. Dementia refers to a decline in cognitive function that interferes with daily life and activities. AD starts in a region of the brain that affects recent memory, then gradually spreads to other parts of the brain. Although treatment can slow the progression of AD and help manage its symptoms in some people, currently there is no cure for this devastating disease.

New method for detecting and characterizing prions

An effective and sensitive new method for detecting and characterizing prions, the infectious compounds behind diseases like mad cow disease, is now being launched by researchers at Linköping University in Sweden, among other institutions.

21 Nov 2007

Affiris GmbH granted a Europe-wide patent for key elements of its Alzheimer's vaccine

As a result, the company has exclusive rights of use to the peptide sequences for an innovative approach to vaccine development. The tolerability of the first Affiris vaccine, AFFITOPE AD01, is currently being tested as part of a phase I clinical trial. The lead investor in the company, MIG-Fonds, is extremely satisfied with the expanding patent portfolio of Affiris GmbH.

21 Nov 2007

So-called success of 'shooting galleries' in Britain draws a mixed response

A pilot scheme in London where addicts can inject themselves with heroin in a special clinic appears to have reduced drug use and crime.

21 Nov 2007

Migraine sufferers found to have brain differences

According to new research from the U.S., migraine sufferers have structural differences in the part of the brain that deals with pain.

20 Nov 2007

Variant of CDC2 gene may be potential risk marker for Alzheimer's

A variant of the gene CDC2 could possibly be used as a risk marker for Alzheimer’s disease.

20 Nov 2007

People with migraines have differences in cortex area of the brain

People with migraines have differences in an area of the brain that helps process sensory information, including pain, according to a study published in the November 20, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Nov 2007

Pfizer to acquire Coley Pharmaceutical Group

Pfizer has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Coley Pharmaceutical Group, a publicly-held biopharmaceutical company specializing in vaccine adjuvant technology and a new class of immunomodulatory drug candidates designed to fight cancers, allergy and asthma disorders, and autoimmune diseases.

19 Nov 2007

New insight into how cystatin C may lower the risk for Alzheimer's disease

For unknown reasons a protein called amyloid beta aggregates into toxic plaques in the brain, killing neurons.

19 Nov 2007

Melatonin could actually be hurting you at night!

What do you do when a naturally occurring hormone in your body turns against you? What do you do when that same hormone - melatonin - is a popular supplement you take to help you sleep?

16 Nov 2007

From successful aging to severe dementia

A recently published special issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease contains the contributions from experts in the field of aging, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, who attended the "Fourth Annual Meeting on Brain aging and Dementia - From successful aging to severe dementia”, Held in Perugia in October 2006 under the auspices of the Italian Psychogeriatric Association, a member of the International Psychogeriatric Association, the meeting celebrates the centenary of Alzheimer's first description of the disease.

16 Nov 2007

New computational theory of brain function

Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientist Marcel Just and Stanford postdoctoral fellow Sashank Varma have put forward a new computational theory of brain function that provides answers to one of the central questions of modern science:

16 Nov 2007

Biomarkers for Alzheimer's can be trusted in clinical trials

The best-established biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease have a low natural variation over two years. The results speak for the inclusion of these biomarkers in clinical trials of novel drugs against Alzheimer’s disease.

16 Nov 2007

Stem cells from cloned monkeys - a breakthrough or an ethical nightmare?

In an important breakthrough scientists in the United States have cloned monkey embryos to create embryonic stem cells.

15 Nov 2007

Diet rich in omega-3 oils, fruit, veggies and fish protects against dementia

According to a new study by French researchers a diet which is rich in omega-3 oils, fruit and vegetables as well as fish may reduce the risk of dementia in elderly people.

15 Nov 2007

Why are males in evolutionary overdrive even though they have essentially the same genes as females?

The observation that males evolve more quickly than females has been around since 19th century biologist Charles Darwin noted the majesty of a peacock's tail feather in comparison with the plainness of the peahen's.

15 Nov 2007

Scientists observe how water lubricates the movements of protein molecules

Scientists are one step closer to understanding how proteins move when they perform functions essential for supporting life.

15 Nov 2007

Latinos and African Americans with Alzheimer's live longer than white people with the disease

Latinos and African Americans with Alzheimer's disease live longer than white people who have the disease, according to a study published November 14, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

15 Nov 2007

New drug may restore memory with Alzheimer's disease

A 2006 study by MetLife found that adults over age 55 fear Alzheimer's disease more than cancer, and with good reason. Alzheimer's creeps up on patients and their families, robbing more than half of all Americans over age 85 of their memory and ability to care for themselves.

14 Nov 2007

Research looks at how environment inside a living cell affects protein structure

The syrupy soup of proteins, ribosomes and membranes inside a living cell is so tightly packed it may increase the structural content of proteins by as much as 25 percent, according to new research from Rice University and the University of Houston (UH).

13 Nov 2007

New insights into cataracts

Using the tools and techniques of soft condensed matter physics, a research team in Switzerland has demonstrated that a finely tuned balance of attractions between proteins keeps the lens of the eye transparent, and that even a small change in this balance can cause proteins to aggregate and de-mix.

13 Nov 2007