Synthetic molecules made at Berkeley Lab can be used to diagnose numerous devastating illnesses DOE/LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY There are currently no effective treatments for prion diseases, a family of fatal neurodegenerative conditions caused by accumulations of misfolded copies of a naturally occurring protein. But now, there is finally an effective way to test for them. As reported in...
Tag: <span>Neurodegenerative</span>
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Optogenetics in Cellular Biology and Human Disease Models
By Clare Knight, B.Sc.Reviewed by Dr. Liji Thomas, MD What is Optogenetics?Optogenetics is a combination of the manipulation of genes and optics in living tissues. This technique uses light-responsive proteins called opsins. This allows scientists to switch selective neurons on or off precisely and selectively. The involvement of these proteins within cultured cells of the...
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Protein aggregation: Protein assemblies relevant not only for neurodegenerative disease
Publication in Nature Communications HEINRICH-HEINE UNIVERSITY DUESSELDORF Proteins are central components of living material. These complex molecules made up of combinations of individual amino acids in some cases comprise thousands of individual atoms and have sophisticated three dimensional shapes. The term ‘fold’ is used to describe this structure. The fold of a protein determines its biological function. ...
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The activity of disease allele-selective zinc finger proteins in preclinical models of Huntington’s disease
by Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., a genomic medicine company, today announced the publication of a manuscript describing the activity of allele-selective zinc finger protein transcription-factors (ZFP-TFs) in preclinical models of Huntington’s disease (HD). The data were published online on July 1 and will appear in the July 2019 issue of Nature Medicine. The...
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Studies identify mechanism key to removal of protein aggregates from cells
Mass. General team’s findings may have application to treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have discovered the mechanism by which cells sense dysfunction of the proteasome – a cellular component that degrades unneeded or defective proteins – and respond in a previously undescribed manner, by editing the amino acid sequence of a key sensing protein....
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Virtual reality could be used to recalibrate the perception of time
Posted Today Virtual Reality (VR) has a million different uses. For some it is a perfect gaming media and for others – simulation tool or even a system helping perfecting car assembly process. Now scientists from the University of Waterloo say that VR could help treating people with neurological disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. Time perception is very...
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Alzheimer’s: 9 new genetic risk factors found
New research, published in the journal Nature Genetics, identifies new genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. It also uncovers novel biological mechanisms that may lead to this neurodegenerative condition. About 5.7 million people in the United States are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. A recent report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that by the year 2060, this number...
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Study opens new therapeutic avenue for mitochondria malfunction
Jefferson scientists identify key interaction controlling calcium’s access to the cell’s powerhouse THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY (PHILADELPHIA)–A surprising offender has been emerging to drive the progression of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and other neurodegenerative diseases: calcium. Calcium controls the production of fuel in mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouses. But too much calcium can lead to cellular damage and even...
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Researchers identify new potential biotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers at the University of Florida have discovered that a modified version of an important immune cell protein could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The study, which will be published August 29 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, reveals that soluble versions of a protein called TLR5 can reduce the buildup of amyloid plaques in the...
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Researchers work on scientific foundation for new forms of therapy in neurodegenerative processes
Protective proteins that mitigate the destruction of nerve cells after a stroke can be administered into the brain through the nose, as Heidelberg University researchers demonstrated using a mouse model. The team led by Prof. Dr. Hilmar Bading at the Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN) is laying the scientific groundwork for new forms of therapy...