Neurodegenerative Diseases News and Research

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New research reveals surprising culprit involved in self-destruction of axons

In many neurodegenerative conditions — Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and peripheral neuropathy among them — an early defect is the loss of axons, the wiring of the nervous system.

24 Mar 2017

New partnership funds research studies that aim to improve quality of palliative care for people with MND

Marie Curie and the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association have today announced the funding of three new research studies that aim to improve the quality of palliative and end of life care received by people with MND.

23 Mar 2017

New research shows how to prevent prions from growing into deadly diseases

Prion diseases are scary, incurable and fatal. They first gained notoriety when cows became infected by prion proteins and, in turn, infected people. Fervor surrounding mad cow disease resulted in the U.S. banning imports of beef from the European Union for 15 years.

21 Mar 2017

First physiological test opens door to early diagnosis of autism

An algorithm based on levels of metabolites found in a blood sample can accurately predict whether a child is on the Autism spectrum of disorder (ASD), based upon a recent study.

16 Mar 2017

UB research yields neural crest cells from adult skin cells without genetic modification

A discovery, several years in the making, by a University at Buffalo research team has proven that adult skin cells can be converted into neural crest cells (a type of stem cell) without any genetic modification, and that these stem cells can yield other cells that are present in the spinal cord and the brain.

15 Mar 2017

CUMC researchers discover common genetic variant that impacts brain aging

Columbia University Medical Center researchers have discovered a common genetic variant that greatly impacts normal brain aging, starting at around age 65, and may modify the risk for neurodegenerative diseases.

15 Mar 2017

Novel nanoengineered retinal prosthesis may help restore eyesight

A team of engineers at the University of California San Diego and La Jolla-based startup Nanovision Biosciences Inc. have developed the nanotechnology and wireless electronics for a new type of retinal prosthesis that brings research a step closer to restoring the ability of neurons in the retina to respond to light.

14 Mar 2017

Researchers take important step forward in disabling cancer cells' defences

Recent study out of the University of Ottawa opens door for new disease therapies in cancer, ALS, Fragile X Syndrome and others.

10 Mar 2017

New clinical study to test promising diabetes drug in people with MND

A diabetes drug could one day be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

10 Mar 2017

Research findings provide new conceptual framework for understanding brain inflammation after injury

Researchers have identified a new mechanism by which inflammation can spread throughout the brain after injury. This mechanism may explain the widespread and long-lasting inflammation that occurs after traumatic brain injury, and may play a role in other neurodegenerative diseases.

8 Mar 2017

Scientists discover how misfolded proteins can damage cells’ energy-producing powerhouses

Working with yeast and human cells, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have discovered an unexpected route for cells to eliminate protein clumps that may sometimes be the molecular equivalent of throwing too much or the wrong trash into the garbage disposal.

3 Mar 2017

Benefits of compact MRI

The kind of research I'm interested in is a technique called diffusion MRI and this technique is sensitive to the microstructure of the tissue. Particular clinical applications that it is used for are cancer and looking at neurodegenerative diseases.

From Bruker BioSpin - NMR, EPR and Imaging 3 Mar 2017

Emory researchers uncover novel link between SV2C protein and Parkinson's disease

Emory investigators have discovered a novel link between a protein called SV2C and Parkinson's disease (PD). Prior work had suggested that the SV2C gene was associated with the curious ability of cigarette smoking to reduce PD risk.

28 Feb 2017

GUMC launches phase II clinical study to examine safety of cancer drug for Parkinson's disease

Georgetown University Medical Center today announces the launch of a phase II clinical trial to study the safety of the cancer drug nilotinib and its effects on clinical outcomes and biomarkers in people with Parkinson's disease.

27 Feb 2017

Structure of unique amyloid fibrils could lead to discovery of new antibiotics

The highly pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is one of the five most common causes of hospital-acquired infections. In the US alone, approximately 500,000 patients at hospitals contract a staph infection. It is the bacteria responsible for MRSA, for which there is no vaccine.

24 Feb 2017

Cocaine addiction may disrupt iron regulation in the brain, study finds

Cocaine addiction may affect how the body processes iron, leading to a build-up of the mineral in the brain, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

21 Feb 2017

SBP scientists identify autophagy linked to beneficial effects of enduring temporary stress

Biologists have known for decades that enduring a short period of mild stress makes simple organisms and human cells better able to survive additional stress later in life.

15 Feb 2017

Researchers identify link between neuronal proteins and frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration is a type of dementia characterized by personality changes, language dysfunction, and abnormal behavior. It has an earlier onset than Alzheimer's disease, and is associated with a buildup of the tau protein in affected nerve cells (neurons).

13 Feb 2017

Defective brain cells disposing toxic proteins may be linked to neurodegenerative diseases

Rutgers scientists say neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's may be linked to defective brain cells disposing toxic proteins that make neighboring cells sick.

10 Feb 2017

New therapeutic agent shows potential for treating optic neuritis linked to multiple sclerosis

A new therapeutic agent tested in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) produced anti-inflammatory activity and prevented loss of cells in the optic nerve, according to a new study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, with Pittsburgh-based Noveome Biotherapeutics.

9 Feb 2017