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.

Speaking two languages could delay onset of Alzheimer's disease

A Canadian science team has found more dramatic evidence that speaking two languages can help delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms by as much as five years.

9 Nov 2010

EVP-6124 receptor acts as co-agonist with ACh to enhance cognition

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals today announced it has discovered that EVP-6124, its alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, possesses a novel mechanism not previously seen in the scientific community: it acts as a co-agonist with Acetylcholine (ACh) to enhance cognition.

9 Nov 2010

Study finds canola-type rapeseed oil decreases fibrinogen level

According to research on fatty acids conducted at the universities of Helsinki and Tampere, the consumption of canola-type rapeseed oil decreases the level of fibrinogen detrimental to health in the body. The increased fibrinogen level, caused by an imbalance in essential fats in one's diet, decreases when saturated fatty acids are replaced with rapeseed oil.

9 Nov 2010

Excess levels of TNF immune signaling protein key factor in AD

Three new studies provide converging evidence pointing to a new therapeutic target in Alzheimer's Disease(AD). These studies, from independent academic centers in the U.S., England, and China, point to excess levels of a protein called TNF as a key factor in AD. TNF is an immune signaling protein that regulates both inflammation and neuronal communication in the brain.

8 Nov 2010

Eli Lilly to acquire Avid Radiopharmaceuticals

Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., a holding company that builds value in growth-stage life sciences and technology companies, today announced that partner company Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc. has signed a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Eli Lilly and Company.

8 Nov 2010

TransTech Pharma, High Point receive $1.96 million grants under QTDP program

TransTech Pharma, Inc. and High Point Pharmaceuticals, LLC. today announced that they have been awarded cash grants totaling $1.96 million under the U.S. Government's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project program.

8 Nov 2010

Tips to reduce risk of injury in Alzheimer's patients

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease can be overwhelming. In fact, according to the Alzheimer's Association, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's and as many as 10 million family caregivers.

8 Nov 2010

Anti-TNF therapies may reduce Alzheimer's risk among people with rheumatoid arthritis

Anti-TNF therapies commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis have been found to potentially reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia among people with rheumatoid arthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

8 Nov 2010

Merz to present data on Xeomin clinical studies for cervical dystonia at AAPM&R

Merz Pharmaceuticals announced today that data from stability and clinical studies evaluating Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA), a botulinum toxin type A free from accessory proteins, will be presented at the 71st Annual Assembly of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) in Seattle, Wash.

8 Nov 2010

Adeona receives $488,959 grants under QTDP program to support Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis programs

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of innovative medicines for serious central nervous system diseases, announced today that it was awarded two grants totaling $488,959 under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) Program to support the Company's Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis programs currently in clinical testing.

4 Nov 2010

Early interference in entorhinal cortex may halt progression of Alzheimer's disease

New research is helping to unravel the events that underlie the "spread" of Alzheimer's disease (AD) throughout the brain. The research, published by Cell Press in the November 4th issue of the journal Neuron, follows disease progression from a vulnerable brain region that is affected early in the disease to interconnected brain regions that are affected in later stages. The findings may contribute to design of therapeutic interventions as targeting the brain region where AD originates would be simpler than targeting multiple brain areas.

4 Nov 2010

Scientists identify events that causes AD progression

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) have offered new information about the events that underlie the "spread" of Alzheimer's disease (AD) throughout the brain.

4 Nov 2010

New radiotracer application may advance understanding of estrogen-related diseases

A study at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has demonstrated that a molecule "tagged" with a radioactive form of carbon can be used to image aromatase, an enzyme responsible for the production of estrogen, in the human brain. The research, published in the November issue of Synapse, also uncovered that the regions of the brain where aromatase is concentrated may be unique to humans.

4 Nov 2010

New simple blood test may help diagnose Niemann-Pick type C disease

A fatal genetic disorder that frequently takes years to diagnose may soon be detectable with a simple blood test, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) report this week in Simple blood test may diagnose deadly Niemann-Pick type C disease.

4 Nov 2010

Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2011

From pill-sized cameras to radioactive compounds that let doctors "see" inside a patient's brain, Cleveland Clinic's Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2011 showcases new techniques, therapies and approaches to treating a host of diseases.

3 Nov 2010

Safeguard Scientifics third quarter aggregate revenue of partner companies increases 73% to $109.6 million

Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., a holding company that provides growth capital for entrepreneurial and innovative life sciences and technology companies, today announced that aggregate revenue of its partner companies for the three months ended September 30, 2010 was $109.6 million, up 73% from $63.4 million for the same partner companies in the same period of 2009.

3 Nov 2010

People hospitalized after stroke on a weekend more likely to die: Study

People admitted to the hospital on a weekend after a stroke are more likely to die compared to people admitted on a weekday, regardless of the severity of the stroke they experience, according to new research published in the November 2, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Nov 2010

Dementia patients should receive high-quality palliative care

The system for hospice admissions for patients with advanced dementia, which is a terminal illness, should be guided by patient and family preference for comfort, not estimated life expectancy, says a new study published in the Nov. 3 Journal of the American Medical Association by the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

3 Nov 2010

New mouse model confirms mutation of beta-synuclein protein promotes neurodegeneration

A team of scientists from Japan and the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have created a new mouse model that confirms that mutations of a protein called beta-synuclein promote neurodegeneration. The discovery creates a potential new target for developing treatments of diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

3 Nov 2010

Quanterix granted $733,437 under QTDP program for Single Molecule Array platform

Quanterix Corporation, a single molecule technology company focused on developing a next generation diagnostics platform, announced today that it was awarded a total of $733,437 in grants under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) program. The QTDP program recognized Quanterix's Single Molecule Array (SiMoA™) platform as a promising advance that will improve diagnosis and treatment of disease while reducing healthcare costs.

3 Nov 2010