Neurodegenerative Diseases News and Research

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Leukemia drug increases brain dopamine, lowers toxic proteins linked to Parkinson's or dementia

A small phase I study provides molecular evidence that an FDA-approved drug for leukemia significantly increased brain dopamine and reduced toxic proteins linked to disease progression in patients with Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies.

12 Jul 2016

Scientists use stem cell techniques to unravel biology of autism

The brains of some people with autism spectrum disorder grow faster than usual early on in life, often before diagnosis.

8 Jul 2016

Study proves cells can send ephrins and Ephs out to transmit signals

Eph receptors and their partner proteins, the ephrins, are vital for intercellular communication.

8 Jul 2016

Researchers use FRET to make activation of AMPA receptors optically visible

Our brain is a high-performance computer. One of the key players in this complex system is the AMPA-type glutamate receptor. It ensures that neurotransmission proceeds at a breakneck pace from cell to cell.

6 Jul 2016

Tiny micro-vesicle structures may help predict probability of developing Alzheimer's dementia

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine say tiny micro-vesicle structures used by neurons and other cells to transport materials internally or dispose of them externally carry tell-tale proteins that may help to predict the likelihood of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) developing into full-blown Alzheimer's disease (AD).

6 Jul 2016

Study finds link between copper exposure and prion protein neurotoxicity

Iowa State University researchers have described with single-molecule precision how copper ions cause prion proteins to misfold and seed the misfolding and clumping of nearby prion proteins.

4 Jul 2016

Nutritional interventions may help prevent detrimental brain ageing

Ageing is a highly complex process marked by a succession of events that may lead to an altered brain function, including neurodegenerative diseases. To date, the precise cause of cognitive decline remains quite elusive.

1 Jul 2016

Using NMR to investigate intrinsically disordered proteins: an interview with Dr Isabella Felli

“IDPs” is now a widely used acronym that stands for “intrinsically disordered proteins.” It is the term generally used by the scientific community to refer to a wide variety of proteins that do not have a stable 3D structure and are instead characterized by a high extent of local mobility, disorder and many conformers that are accessible at room temperature.

From Bruker BioSpin - NMR, EPR and Imaging 30 Jun 2016

Blocking c-Abl enzyme prevents Parkinson’s disease progression in mice

Researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have gleaned two important new clues in the fight against Parkinson's disease: that blocking an enzyme called c-Abl prevents the disease in specially bred mice, and that a chemical tag on a second protein may signal the disorder's presence and progression.

28 Jun 2016

Researchers find link between clu and genes that cause Parkinson's disease

The fruit fly may help us be less clueless about human muscle development and Parkinson's disease.

22 Jun 2016

TUM researchers uncover molecular mechanism of thalidomide

In the 1950s, thalidomide (Contergan) was prescribed as a sedative drug to pregnant women, resulting in a great number of infants with serious malformations. Up to now, the reasons for these disastrous birth defects have remained unclear.

20 Jun 2016

New imaging study links tau proteins to neurodegenerative pathology of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's is a devastating and incurable disease marked by beta-amyloid and tau protein aggregations in the brain, yet the direct relationship between these proteins and neurodegeneration has remained a mystery.

14 Jun 2016

PET imaging can help identify autoimmune inflammation in MS

The triggers of autoimmune inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) have eluded scientists for many years, but molecular imaging is bringing researchers closer to identifying them, while providing a means of evaluating next-generation therapies for MS, say researchers introducing a study at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

14 Jun 2016

Measuring specific proteins in blood samples may help track progression of dementias

Reliable information can be obtained on the progression of dementias by measuring specific proteins in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid. A test of this kind is especially significant to the development of new therapies, as reported in the journal Neuron by scientists from the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, along with international colleagues.

10 Jun 2016

Metabolite of oral DMF drug for multiple sclerosis appears to slow onset of Parkinson's disease

The metabolite of a drug that is helping patients battle multiple sclerosis appears to significantly slow the onset of Parkinson's disease, researchers say.

9 Jun 2016

New dietary supplement can prevent, reverse massive brain cell loss

A dietary supplement containing a blend of thirty vitamins and minerals--all natural ingredients widely available in health food stores--has shown remarkable anti-aging properties that can prevent and even reverse massive brain cell loss, according to new research from McMaster University.

3 Jun 2016

Study finds beer consumption may protect against Aβ aggregation in the brain

While most people will agree that excessive consumption of alcohol can have a detrimental effect on the brain, there is less agreement regarding the effects of light or moderate drinking.

2 Jun 2016

New research reveals functioning of brain's cleaning up mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases

A piece of research led by the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, the University of the Basque Country, and the Ikerbasque Foundation has revealed how the brain's cleaning up mechanisms function in neurodegenerative diseases.

1 Jun 2016

New research in mice provides better understanding of how HD begins and develops

Mice transplanted with cells grown from a patient suffering from Huntington's disease (HD) develop the clinical features and brain pathology of that patient, suggests a study published in the latest issue of Acta Neuropathologica by CHA University in Korea, in collaboration with researchers at Université Laval in Québec City, Canada.