Neurodegenerative Disease News and Research

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Franziska Michor named recipient of NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize

The New York Stem Cell Foundation announced today that Franziska Michor, PhD, is the 2015 recipient of the NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize for her work pioneering new approaches to study the growth, spread, and treatment of cancer. Her laboratory fuses her passions in mathematics, molecular biology and patient care to investigate how cancers form and progress.

29 Oct 2015

Successful treatment of rare neurodegenerative disease exemplifies potential of precision medicine

A 20-month-old girl suffering from a rare neurodegenerative disease was diagnosed by exome sequencing and successfully treated.

23 Oct 2015

Psychiatric symptoms predate motor onset in Huntington’s disease

Prodromal psychiatric symptoms may be more common in patients with Huntington’s disease than previously thought and worsen as the condition progresses, longitudinal study findings show.

22 Oct 2015

NAM announces election of three new members from UC San Diego School of Medicine

The National Academy of Medicine announced today the election of three new members from University of California, San Diego School of Medicine: Napoleone Ferrara, MD; Christopher K. Glass, MD, PhD; and Roberto Malinow, MD, PhD. Election to NAM is considered among the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

20 Oct 2015

Genetic mutation linked to ALS, FTD prevents proteins from entering and exiting the cell's nucleus

Three teams of scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health showed that a genetic mutation linked to some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) may destroy neurons by disrupting the movement of materials in and out of the cell's nucleus, or command center where most of its DNA is stored.

19 Oct 2015

MIT researchers developing computer system to help predict effects of disease on brain anatomy

MIT researchers are developing a computer system that uses genetic, demographic, and clinical data to help predict the effects of disease on brain anatomy.

7 Oct 2015

Study shows link between impaired mitochondria, energy failure, and neuronal dysfunction

A new study from the Gladstone Institutes shows for the first time that impairments in mitochondria--the brain's cellular power plants--can deplete cellular energy levels and cause neuronal dysfunction in a model of neurodegenerative disease.

15 Sep 2015

Scientists elucidate genetic interaction that may prove key to development, progression of glaucoma

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have elucidated a genetic interaction that may prove key to the development and progression of glaucoma, a blinding neurodegenerative disease that affects tens of millions of people worldwide and is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.

11 Sep 2015

USF, FARA to jointly host scientific symposium on Friedreich's ataxia

The University of South Florida will again bring together leading researchers and patients searching for a treatment for Friedreich's ataxia and related disorders at the seventh annual scientific symposium "Understanding Energy for A Cure." The symposium will be held 5 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 17, at the USF Marshall Student Center Ballroom, USF Cedar Circle, Tampa, FL 33620.

2 Sep 2015

Amgen, Novartis collaborate for Alzheimer's disease and migraine programs

Amgen today announced a neuroscience collaboration with Novartis in the areas of Alzheimer's disease and migraine. The collaboration accelerates Amgen's potential entry into Alzheimer's disease by teaming up with Novartis on a differentiated and genetically validated Alzheimer's disease program directed at genetically predisposed individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

2 Sep 2015

Two studies highlight important new discovery around most common genetic defect linked to ALS

In today's issue of Nature, two new studies funded in part by The ALS Association both highlight an important new discovery around the C9orf72 mutation, the most common genetic defect associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

27 Aug 2015

Nuclear process in the brain may play critical role in health and disease

Every brain cell has a nucleus, or a central command station. Scientists have shown that the passage of molecules through the nucleus of a star-shaped brain cell, called an astrocyte, may play a critical role in health and disease.

18 Aug 2015

Others consider our moral traits, not memory, to be core component of our identity

We may view our memory as being essential to who we are, but new findings suggest that others consider our moral traits to be the core component of our identity. Data collected from family members of patients suffering from neurodegenerative disease showed that it was changes in moral behavior, not memory loss, that caused loved ones to say that the patient wasn't "the same person" anymore.

18 Aug 2015

Early exposure to repetitive head impacts linked to later life structural brain changes among former NFL players

Former National Football League (NFL) players who started playing tackle football before the age of 12 were found to have a higher risk of altered brain development compared to those who started playing at a later age. The study is the first to demonstrate a link between early exposure to repetitive head impacts and later life structural brain changes.

11 Aug 2015

Sigma 1 receptor appears to play vital role in supporting the retina

A receptor that is already a target for treating neurodegenerative disease also appears to play a key role in supporting the retina, scientists report.

11 Aug 2015

Study focuses on regulation of neuronal plasticity

A team of scientists has linked changes in the structure of a handful of central brain neurons to understanding how animals adjust to changing seasons. Its findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms vital to the regulation of our circadian system, or internal clock.

31 Jul 2015

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge making splash again this August

Led by co-founders Pete Frates, Pat Quinn and Anthony Senerchia, and with the help of celebrities, the Boston Red Sox and Major League Baseball, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is making a splash again this August.

31 Jul 2015

New finding could help change pharmaceutical treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Diseases like Alzheimer's are caused when proteins aggregate and clump together. In a world first, EPFL scientists have successfully distinguished between the disease-causing aggregation forms of proteins.

28 Jul 2015

Alzheimer's Association recognizes four scientists with Lifetime Achievement Awards at AAIC 2015

The Alzheimer's Association recognizes four leading scientists for their contributions to advancing Alzheimer's disease and dementia research. The awards were presented during the opening session at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2015 in Washington, D.C.

21 Jul 2015

New research offers potential for early intervention to prevent neurodegenerative diseases

New research led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center provides the first direct evidence linking traumatic brain injury to Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) -- and offers the potential for early intervention to prevent the development of these debilitating neurodegenerative diseases.

16 Jul 2015