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.

Study: Sleep allows brain to flush out damaging molecules linked with neurodegeneration

A good night's rest may literally clear the mind. Using mice, researchers showed for the first time that the space between brain cells may increase during sleep, allowing the brain to flush out toxins that build up during waking hours.

18 Oct 2013

Genetics professor turns accidental discovery into a way to study TBI

Faced with news of suicides and brain damage in former professional football players, geneticist Barry Ganetzky bemoaned the lack of model systems for studying the insidious and often delayed consequences linked to head injuries.

16 Oct 2013

Epigenetic regulation linked with pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

New evidence presented at the 26th ECNP Congress linking epigenetic regulation with Alzheimer's disease may one day lead to new early diagnostic tests and even novel treatment options for the most common form of dementia.

7 Oct 2013

Resveratrol worsens MS-like neuropathology and inflammation, study finds

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol compound produced by the skin of red grapes and peanuts, and found in red wine, has been touted as a beneficial supplement due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

1 Oct 2013

Dynamics of the mitochondria linked to obesity

Becoming obese or remaining lean can depend on the dynamics of the mitochondria, the body's energy-producing "battery," according to two new studies by Yale School of Medicine researchers featured as the cover story in the Sept. 26 issue of the journal Cell.

27 Sep 2013

Targeting cell-division cycle may lead to improved outcomes for patients with medulloblastoma

A new experimental approach to treating a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma has been developed by researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham).

26 Sep 2013

MGH researchers identify rare gene mutations that appear to cause late-onset AD

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have identified and validated two rare gene mutations that appear to cause the common form of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that strikes after the age of 60.

25 Sep 2013

New research chair established to develop innovative strategies for Alzheimer's disease

On September 19, INRS director general Daniel Coderre and INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier Centre director Charles M. Dozois announced the creation of the Louise and André Charron Research Chair in Alzheimer's Disease.

23 Sep 2013

Dog food preservative may prevent nerve damage in patients taking chemotherapy

Working with cells in test tubes and in mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that a chemical commonly used as a dog food preservative may prevent the kind of painful nerve damage found in the hands and feet of four out of five cancer patients taking the chemotherapy drug Taxol.

20 Sep 2013

Video demonstrates high throughput screening of cellular bioenergetics of multiple cell lines

INTEGRA has published a video demonstrating how its VIAFLO 96 handheld electronic pipette, used in conjunction with the Seahorse Bioscience XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer, provides high throughput screening of the cellular bioenergetics of multiple cell lines.

From INTEGRA Biosciences 17 Sep 2013

Research finding offers new approach to treating melanoma

Scientists at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute today announced the discovery that a gene encoding an enzyme, phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1, plays an essential role in the development and progression of melanoma. The finding offers a new approach to treating this life-threatening disease.

17 Sep 2013

Stress-related protein genetically linked to acceleration of Alzheimer's disease

A stress-related protein genetically linked to depression, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders contributes to the acceleration of Alzheimer's disease, a new study led by researchers at the University of South Florida has found.

5 Sep 2013

Parkin protein plays key role in destruction of bacteria that cause tuberculosis

A protein at the center of Parkinson's disease research now also has been found to play a key role in causing the destruction of bacteria that cause tuberculosis, according to scientists led by UC San Francisco microbiologist and tuberculosis expert Jeffery Cox, PhD.

5 Sep 2013

Alzheimer’s drug trial: an interview with Geoffrey Kempler, Chairman & CEO Prana Biotechnology

Approval for the IMAGINE trial was granted by the Austin Health Research Ethics Committee in November 2011, with the first patients dosed in March the following year. However, well before the trial was approved, PBT2 had already shown promise in significantly changing Abeta levels in spinal fluid while improving cognition in a previous 12-week trial conducted in 2006.

28 Aug 2013

Biomedical spectroscopy suggests excess copper may be neurotoxic in Alzheimer's patients

Metals such as iron, copper, and zinc are important for many biological processes. In recent years, studies have shown that these nutritionally-essential metals are elevated in human Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and some animal models of AD. Scientists are now exploring whether these metals are causing the neurodegeneration seen in AD or are indicative of other ongoing pathologic processes.

22 Aug 2013

RTI International takes initiatives to understand long-term effects of TBI in military members, veterans

As part of a federal initiative to better understand traumatic brain injuries suffered by the nation's military service members and veterans, researchers at RTI International will join a consortium led by Virginia Commonwealth University to better understand the long-term effects of chronic mild brain injuries, or concussions.

21 Aug 2013

Researchers create mouse models to advance the study of unusual deadly diseases

By directly manipulating a portion of the prion protein-coding gene, Whitehead Institute researchers have created mouse models of two neurodegenerative diseases that are fatal in humans. The highly accurate reproduction of disease pathology seen with these models should advance the study of these unusual but deadly diseases.

20 Aug 2013

Novel potential biomarker present in CSF reveals signs of dementia decade before

A study published today reported the identification of what may be the earliest known biomarker associated with the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). The results suggest that this novel potential biomarker is present in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) at least a decade before signs of dementia manifest.

16 Aug 2013

Sanford-Burnham, Pfizer collaborates to identify therapeutic targets for treating obesity, diabetes

Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Pfizer Inc. to identify new therapeutic targets for preventing and treating complications of obesity and diabetes.

14 Aug 2013

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and emotional memories: an interview with Dr. Fiona Kumfor and Assoc. Prof. Olivier Piguet, NeuRA

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder, which affects the frontal and temporal lobes. Unlike other types of dementia, it more commonly occurs in individuals in their 50s and 60s, and is therefore referred to as a “younger-onset dementia”.

9 Aug 2013