Tau Protein News and Research

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Tau proteins are microtubule-associated proteins found in neurons in the brain.

Research couple receives 2013 Khalid Iqbal Lifetime Achievement Award for Alzheimer's study

The research couple receives the "2013 Khalid Iqbal Lifetime Achievement Award" for its role as pioneers in investigating the role of tau in Alzheimer's disease. The award ceremony was held yesterday (10:45 am US EST) within the framework of the "Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2013)" in Boston (USA).

17 Jul 2013

Study: Different strains of alpha-synuclein may contribute to different types of brain diseases

It only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch, and the same may be true of certain proteins in the brain. Studies have suggested that just one rogue protein (in this case, a protein that is misfolded or shaped the wrong way) can act as a seed, leading to the misfolding of nearby proteins.

4 Jul 2013

Chemical hormone released due to stress can trigger mechanism for late onset of Alzheimer's disease

A chemical hormone released in the body as a reaction to stress could be a key trigger of the mechanism for the late onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study by researchers at Temple University.

20 Jun 2013

MGH researchers discover CNVs in members of 10 families with early-onset Alzheimer's

Although a family history of Alzheimer's disease is a primary risk factor for the devastating neurological disorder, mutations in only three genes - the amyloid precursor protein and presenilins 1 and 2 - have been established as causative for inherited, early-onset Alzheimer's, accounting for about half of such cases.

18 Jun 2013

Cinnamon compounds show some promise in the effort to fight Alzheimer's disease

Cinnamon: Can the red-brown spice with the unmistakable fragrance and variety of uses offer an important benefit? The common baking spice might hold the key to delaying the onset of -- or warding off -- the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

24 May 2013

Researchers create "designer" tracer for earlier diagnosis and better treatments of Alzheimer's

One of the biggest challenges with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is that by the time physicians can detect behavioral changes, the disease has already begun its irreversibly destructive course.

26 Apr 2013

Research findings could provide a way to treat onset, progression of Parkinson's disease

The earliest signs of Parkinson's disease can be deceptively mild. The first thing that movie star Michael J. Fox noticed was twitching of the little finger of his left hand.

23 Apr 2013

TSRI scientists shed light on major toxic mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have shed light on one of the major toxic mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease. The discoveries could lead to a much better understanding of the Alzheimer's process and how to prevent it.

11 Apr 2013

Researchers identify new set of genetic markers for Alzheimer's

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a new set of genetic markers for Alzheimer's that point to a second pathway through which the disease develops.

5 Apr 2013

Researchers develop new approach to screening potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease

According to a 2012 World Health Organization report, over 35 million people worldwide currently have dementia, a number that is expected to double by 2030 (66 million) and triple by 2050 (115 million).

11 Mar 2013

Methylene blue inactivates molecular residues that promote bonding of tau proteins

The study published in "Angewandte Chemie" might help to work out strategies for developing potential drugs. As the team of scientist including Markus Zweckstetter and Eckhard Mandelkow report, methylene blue inactivates molecular residues that promote the bonding of tau proteins.

21 Feb 2013

Scientists receive honorary doctorate for research on Alzheimer's disease

On Monday 4 February, Dennis J. Selkoe and five other "brain teasers" will receive an honorary doctorate from the KU Leuven. The promoters for this honorary doctorate - VIB-KU Leuven professors Bart De Strooper and Wim Robberecht - will honor Dennis J. Selkoe for his scientific insights, but also for his relentless search for new medicines to treat Alzheimer's Disease and other conditions that cause severe damage in the brain.

4 Feb 2013

UCLA researchers identify abnormal tau proteins associated with sports-related concussions

Sports-related concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries have grabbed headlines in recent months, as the long-term damage they can cause becomes increasingly evident among both current and former athletes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that millions of these injuries occur each year.

23 Jan 2013

Study demonstrates effects of obesity on 'Taupathies'

In France, more than 860,000 people suffer from Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, making them the largest cause of age-related loss of intellectual function. Cognitive impairments observed in Alzheimer's disease result from the accumulation of abnormal tau proteins in nerve cells undergoing degeneration . We know that obesity, a major risk factor in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, increases the risk of dementia during the aging process.

9 Jan 2013

Study finds new signaling pathway involved in development of chronic inflammation of brain cells

The number of Alzheimer's patients will continue to dramatically increase in the next several decades. Various teams of researchers worldwide are feverishly investigating precisely how the illness develops. A

20 Dec 2012

Researchers discover new gene for susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease

A large-scale international study involving French researchers from the Inserm-Institut Pasteur Lille-Universit- Lille Nord de France "Public health and molecular epidemiology of ageing-related diseases" joint research unit led by Philippe Amouyel, has just discovered a gene for susceptibility to a rare disease that causes susceptibility to a common one, Alzheimer's disease, providing evidence of the heterogeneous aetiology of Alzheimer's disease.

20 Nov 2012

Mouse model may provide clues on mechanism that links diabetes and aging to Alzheimer's

Growing evidence suggests that there may be a link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, but the physiological mechanisms by which diabetes impacts brain function and cognition are not fully understood. In a new study published in Aging Cell, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies show, for the first time, that diabetes enhances the development of aging features that may underlie early pathological events in Alzheimer's.

29 Oct 2012

Combination of two neuroprotective therapies shows promise against Alzheimer's

The combination of two neuroprotective therapies, voluntary physical exercise, and the daily intake of melatonin has been shown to have a synergistic effect against brain deterioration in rodents with three different mutations of Alzheimer's disease.

27 Sep 2012

TauRx initiates LMTX Phase 3 trial in Pick's Disease

TauRx Therapeutics today announced the initiation of a global Phase 3 clinical trial in a type of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) also known as Pick's Disease. The announcement, which immediately follows The 8th International Conference on Frontotemporal Dementias, held 5-7 September in Manchester, England, underscores the need for new treatments for this form of dementia that is similar to Alzheimer's Disease, except that it tends to damage different areas of the brain and affects people as early as 40 years old.

10 Sep 2012

Abnormalities in mitochondrial length promote development of neurodegenerative diseases

Goldilocks was on to something when she preferred everything "just right." Harvard Medical School researchers have found that when it comes to the length of mitochondria, the power-producing organelles, applying the fairy tale's mantra is crucial to the health of a cell. More specifically, abnormalities in mitochondrial length promote the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

24 Aug 2012