New imaging technology allows scientists to see the widespread loss of brain synapses in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, a finding that one day may help aid in drug development, according to a new Yale University study. The research, published May 13 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, compared the density...
Category: <span>Alzheimer’s</span>
Post
Researchers link high calcium levels in mitochondria to neuronal death in Alzheimer’s disease
by Brian Burns, Massachusetts General Hospital For the first time, using a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, scientists have documented a link between raised levels of calcium in mitochondria and neuronal death in the living brain. This relationship was previously documented in cell culture, but seeing this phenomenon in living mice makes it more likely...
Post
Simple molecular reagents to treat Alzheimer’s disease
CREDIT: PROFESSOR MI HEE LIM, KAIST Sometimes the most complex problems actually have very simple solutions. A group of South Korean researchers reported an efficient and effective redox-based strategy for incorporating multiple functions into simple molecular reagents against neurodegenerative disorders. The team developed redox-active aromatic molecular reagents with a simple structural composition that can simultaneously...
Post
Using human brain tissue in lab dishes, researchers show herpes link to Alzheimer’s
Asmall 3D version of the human brain develops key features of Alzheimer’s disease when it is infected with a virus that causes cold sores, scientists reported on Wednesday, adding to the evidence that this most common form of dementia can be caused by a common microbe. The new research, published in Science Advances, is the...
Post
More berries, apples and tea may have protective benefits against Alzheimer’s
BOSTON (May 5, 2020)–Older adults who consumed small amounts of flavonoid-rich foods, such as berries, apples and tea, were two to four times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias over 20 years compared with people whose intake was higher, according to a new study led by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA...
Post
New compound combats the metal ions and plaques linked to Alzheimer’s
By Nick Lavars While its exact causes are unknown, Alzheimer’s disease is commonly associated with clumps of toxic amyloid plaques in the brain, and researchers are continuing to understand the different components that help them take shape. Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new compound that attacks a number of...
Post
Parkinson’s disease may start in the gut
by Karolinska Institutet Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of North Carolina in the USA have mapped out the cell types behind various brain disorders. The findings are published in Nature Genetics and offer a roadmap for the development of new therapies to target neurological and psychiatric disorders. One interesting finding was...
Post
APOE4 triggers early breakdowns in the blood-brain barrier
by University of Southern California New USC research reveals how APOE4, a genetic culprit for Alzheimer’s disease, triggers leaks in the brain’s plumbing system, allowing toxic substances to seep into the brain areas responsible for memory encoding and other cognitive functions. The damage is linked to future problems in learning and memory, even when the...
Post
Research, Underexplored until Recently, Could Produce Alzheimer’s Treatments
By Kenneth S. Kosik | Scientific American Research into the brain’s protein-disposal systems, electrical activity and three other areas looks promising Attempts to treat Alzheimer’s have floundered because scientists have spent too little time thinking deeply about the underlying biology of this ailment. Recent advances in understanding the brain’s protein-disposal systems, the role of inflammation,...
Post
CRISPR helps identify potential Alzheimer’s-related protein
by University of Tokyo Experts at the University of Tokyo have identified a new protein in the pathway that leads to Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers used the “molecular scissors” of CRISPR/Cas9 to search for new genes related to the neurodegenerative disease. The exact causes of Alzheimer’s disease remain unknown, but one of the most well-supported theories...