Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease News and Research

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Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease or CJD (sometimes incorrectly referred to as mad cow disease) is a degenerative neurological disorder (brain disease) that is incurable and invariably fatal. It is the most common among the types of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy found in humans.

Prion protein helps the brain to absorb zinc

Scientists from the University of Leeds have found that the protein called prion helps our brains to absorb zinc, which is believed to be crucial to our ability to learn and the wellbeing of our memory.

17 Oct 2012

CJD presents major diagnostic problems

Most patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are initially misdiagnosed, with most not receiving a correct diagnosis until they are two-thirds of the way through their disease course, show findings in the Archives of Neurology.

27 Sep 2012

FDA approves Baxter's GAMMAGARD LIQUID for multifocal motor neuropathy

Baxter International Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GAMMAGARD LIQUID 10% [Immune Globulin Infusion (Human)] as a treatment for multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). This is the first immunoglobulin treatment approved for MMN patients in the United States, and it was approved for use with MMN patients in Europe in 2011.

From Baxter International Inc. 25 Jun 2012

Soon a single therapy for range of brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s

In a study, published in Nature, researchers prevented brain cells dying in mice with prion disease. It is hoped the same method for preventing brain cell death could apply in other diseases. The findings are at an early stage, but have been heralded as “fascinating”.

8 May 2012

Mad cow disease raises concern but safety nets are in place says USDA

Four sick cows ever discovered in the U.S., the one announced Tuesday being the first since 2006, and no human version of the illness linked to eating U.S. beef, is not enough to worry about. “From simply a public health issue, I put it very, very low,” Cornell University food safety expert Martin Wiedmann said of the level of concern about mad cow disease. Maintaining confidence in exports fuels the nation's monitoring of the beef supply as much as continuing safety concerns, he said.

26 Apr 2012

Mod5 yeast prion contributes to cell survival under environmental stress

One of the greatest mysterious in cellular biology has been given a new twist thanks to findings reported in Science. Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute show that prions, proteins that transmit heritable information without DNA or RNA, can contribute to drug resistance and cellular adaptation. Their discovery of a yeast prion with these properties demonstrates the active role of the prion conversion in cellular fitness adaptation, providing new insights into the potentially broader function of prions in living organisms.

23 Apr 2012

Computer modeling supports theory that many dementias spread like prion diseases

A new technique for analyzing brain images offers the possibility of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict the rate of progression and physical path of many degenerative brain diseases, report scientists at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

11 Apr 2012

Positive results from Allergan's BOTOX Phase III trials on idiopathic overactive bladder

Allergan, Inc. today announced that two Phase III clinical trials of BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) as a potential treatment option for patients with idiopathic overactive bladder met their pre-specified primary endpoints.

29 Mar 2012

CSL Behring commences enrollment in SCIg PATH trial for CIDP

CSL Behring has announced that the first patient has been enrolled in the PATH study, an international clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of two different doses of subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg), compared with placebo, in maintenance treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).

26 Mar 2012

Alzheimer's may spread through connected neurons

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia may spread within nerve networks in the brain by moving directly between connected neurons, instead of in other ways proposed by scientists, such as by propagating in all directions, according to researchers who report the finding in the March 22 edition of the journal Neuron.

22 Mar 2012

Timely treatment with Berinert provides faster symptom relief for HAE patients

CSL Behring announced today that treatment with Berinert, C1 Esterase Inhibitor (Human) within six hours of the onset of an acute hereditary angioedema (HAE) attack provides faster symptom relief than later treatment, according to data presented at the 2012 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting.

7 Mar 2012

Study: Bioavailability similar among four subcutaneous IgG preparations

Data presented by CSL Behring today suggest that the bioavailability of immunoglobulin G (IgG) therapies is consistent when patients with primary immunodeficiencies switch from one IgG product to another by the subcutaneous route.

5 Mar 2012

Scientists identify single prion protein that causes neuronal death

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a single prion protein that causes neuronal death similar to that seen in "mad cow" disease, but is at least 10 times more lethal than larger prion species.

10 Feb 2012

FDA approves Baxter's TISSEEL for general hemostasis in surgery

Baxter International Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TISSEEL [Fibrin Sealant] to include general hemostasis in surgery when control of bleeding by standard surgical techniques is ineffective or impractical.

From Baxter International Inc. 30 Jan 2012

Baxter to commence second GAMMAGARD LIQUID Phase III trial in Alzheimer's

Baxter International Inc. today provided an update on its clinical program evaluating the use of its GAMMAGARD LIQUID 10%, for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

From Baxter International Inc. 24 Jan 2012

Baxter submits GAMMAGARD LIQUID sBLA to FDA for treatment of MMN

Baxter International Inc. today announced that the company has submitted a supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of GAMMAGARD LIQUID 10% for the treatment of multifocal motor neuropathy.

From Baxter International Inc. 9 Jan 2012

FDA approves CSL Behring's Berinert for treatment of HAE attacks

CSL Behring today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a label expansion for self-administration of Berinert, C1 Esterase Inhibitor (Human), a pasteurized, nanofiltered therapy indicated for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare and potentially fatal genetic disorder.

4 Jan 2012

Researchers match protein to the job it performs in human body

Scientists at Rochester Institute of Technology and Dowling College are engaged in a similar game with higher stakes. Instead of cards, they are matching the protein to the job it performs in the human body. Their research could lead to drugs that target proteins and switch on or off specific functions associated with various diseases.

8 Nov 2011

Alzheimer's may originate in a form similar to that of infectious prion diseases

The brain damage that characterizes Alzheimer's disease may originate in a form similar to that of infectious prion diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob, according to newly published research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

4 Oct 2011

Researchers discover several chemical compounds against human prion diseases

In a new study NYU School of Medicine researchers report that they have found several chemical compounds, including an antidepressant, that have powerful effects against brain-destroying prion infections in mice, opening the door to potential treatments for human prion diseases.

15 Sep 2011