Neurodegeneration News and Research

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Neurodegeneration is the umbrella term for the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, including death of neurons.

Researchers elucidate structure of mTORC1 protein

For a long time it has been known that the protein TOR - Target of Rapamycin - controls cell growth and is involved in the development of diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Researchers at the University of Basel's Biozentrum together with scientists from ETH Zurich have now examined the structure of mammalian TOR complex 1 (mTORC1) in more detail.

18 Dec 2015

Researchers set up citizen science program to gain insight into triatomine insects in Texas

Chagas disease is caused by a parasitic protozoan (Trypanosoma cruzi) and transmitted via triatomine insects known locally in Texas as "kissing bugs". Due to the success of community based triatomine surveillance and collection in Central and South America, researchers from Texas A & M University set up a citizen science program to gain insight into the distribution and infection prevalence of triatomine insects in Texas.

11 Dec 2015

Existing compound offers hope for slowing Huntington's disease progression

Currently, there is no treatment to halt the progression of Huntington's disease (HD), a fatal genetic disorder that slowly robs sufferers of their physical and mental abilities. Now, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that an existing compound, previously tested for diabetes, offers hope for slowing HD and its symptoms.

8 Dec 2015

Low levels of BRCA1 protein in the brain linked to dementia

Mutant forms of breast cancer factor 1 (BRCA1) are associated with breast and ovarian cancers but according to new findings, in the brain the normal BRCA1 gene product may also be linked to Alzheimer's disease. The results, published in Nature Communications, suggest that low levels of BRCA1 protein in the brain may contribute to dementia.

1 Dec 2015

BRCA1 depletion can potentially contribute to cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease

Researchers from the Gladstone Institutes have shown for the first time that the protein BRCA1 is required for normal learning and memory and is depleted by Alzheimer's disease.

30 Nov 2015

Research reveals MECP2 Duplication Syndrome can be reversed

The methyl CpG binding protein 2 gene (MECP2) produces a protein of the same name, the level of which is critical for normal brain function. Mutations leading to protein under-expression cause Rett Syndrome while gene duplication causing over-expression lead to MECP2 Duplication Syndrome. Both disorders are severely debilitating childhood neurological diseases.

26 Nov 2015

Physical exercise can enhance development of new brain cells

Exercise can enhance the development of new brain cells in the adult brain, a process called adult neurogenesis. These newborn brain cells play an important role in learning and memory. A new study has determined that mice that spent time running on wheels not only developed twice the normal number of new neurons, but also showed an increased ability to distinguish new objects from familiar objects.

25 Nov 2015

Brain ageing acceleration ‘nearly inevitable’ with age

A large longitudinal study has charted the ages and rates at which people develop amyloidosis and neurodegeneration.

23 Nov 2015

Exercise can impact cortical thickness in older adults with mild cognitive impairment

Older adults that improved their fitness through a moderate intensity exercise program increased the thickness of their brain's cortex, the outer layer of the brain that typically atrophies with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

20 Nov 2015

Researchers find mechanism to repair communication between neurons

A team of researchers led by professor Patrik Verstreken (VIB/KU Leuven) has exposed the fine details of a mechanism that provides more insight in the communication between neurons. The research has clarified how damaged synapses - the connection points between neurons - are repaired to keep communication between neurons at an optimal level.

19 Nov 2015

Drug prevents onset of cognitive and cellular effects in mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

In a novel animal study design that mimicked human clinical trials, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that long-term treatment using a small molecule drug that reduces activity of the brain's stress circuitry significantly reduces Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology and prevents onset of cognitive impairment in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition.

17 Nov 2015

Scientists propose that Alzheimer's disease should be treated separately

Deciphering the mechanism that underlies the development of Alzheimer's disease in certain families but not in others, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Faculty of Medicine have proposed that the malady is actually a collection of diseases that probably should be treated with a variety of different approaches.

4 Nov 2015

MGH researchers identify mechanism behind the spread of neurofibrillary tangles

Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have discovered a mechanism behind the spread of neurofibrillary tangles - one of the two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease - through the brains of affected individuals.

27 Oct 2015

NYSCF conference to focus on translational stem cell and neuroscience research

The New York Stem Cell Foundation 10th Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference convenes global leaders in translational stem cell and neuroscience research to present their latest work towards new treatments and cures for the most devastating diseases and injuries currently facing the world.

26 Oct 2015

Breakthrough advancements on new molecular mechanism may lead to Parkinson's treatments

More than one million people in the United States are afflicted with Parkinson's disease, a progressive disorder of the brain that affects movement and coordination. The cause is typically unknown, and presently there is no cure for the disease.

19 Oct 2015

Role for endogenous retrovirus proposed in ALS pathogenesis

Expression of the human endogenous retrovirus-K is upregulated in some patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and causes degeneration of motor neurons when overexpressed in mice, research shows.

9 Oct 2015

Mutation that increases sphingolipid levels can lead to neurodegeneration

A mutation that increases the level of a special class of sphingolipids--molecules important to cell structure and signaling--can lead to neurodegeneration due to problems with neuronal membranes, reports a research team led by Jackson Laboratory Research Scientist Lihong Zhao, Ph.D. and Professor Patsy Nishina, Ph.D.

7 Oct 2015

Songbirds may help researchers find cure for Huntington’s disease

Many neurological disorders can rob someone of the ability to speak clearly, causing them to stutter, mispronounce words, and struggle to put together coherent sentences. However, the molecular and neurological dysfunctions that cause these symptoms aren't well understood. Recent work at The Rockefeller University may give researchers a new tool to better study these vocal and speech impairments, particularly in Huntington's disease.

6 Oct 2015

Collaborative approach may speed discovery of new preventive treatments for Alzheimer's disease

The future success of Alzheimer's prevention research could depend on the ability of researchers from different clinical trials to build collaborative relationships that facilitate the sharing of information, resources and expertise that may speed the discovery of new preventive treatments, according to leading Alzheimer's researchers who published a Perspectives article, "CAP--advancing the evaluation of preclinical Alzheimer disease treatments," online today in Nature Reviews Neurology.

30 Sep 2015

New study heightens concerns over detrimental impact of air pollution on gene associated with AD risk

A new study by researchers at the Universities of Montana, Valle de México, Boise State, and North Carolina, the Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, and Centro Médico Cozumel heightens concerns over the detrimental impact of air pollution on hippocampal metabolites as early markers of neurodegeneration in young urbanites carrying an allele 4 of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE).

26 Sep 2015