Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. In most people with AD, symptoms first appear after age 60. AD is the most common cause of dementia among older people, but it is not a normal part of aging. Dementia refers to a decline in cognitive function that interferes with daily life and activities. AD starts in a region of the brain that affects recent memory, then gradually spreads to other parts of the brain. Although treatment can slow the progression of AD and help manage its symptoms in some people, currently there is no cure for this devastating disease.

Researchers identify overlapping genetic locations that shape face and the brain

An interdisciplinary team led by KU Leuven and Stanford has identified 76 overlapping genetic locations that shape both our face and our brain.

6 Apr 2021

Processed meat consumption associated with increased risk of dementia

Scientists from the University of Leeds's Nutritional Epidemiology Group used data from 500,000 people, discovering that consuming a 25g serving of processed meat a day, the equivalent to one rasher of bacon, is associated with a 44% increased risk of developing the disease.

23 Mar 2021

New high-throughput system for testing drug candidates to treat neurodegenerative diseases

On the basis of a license agreement with the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF), the Dresden-based start-up "Neuron-D GmbH" is developing a high-throughput system for testing drug candidates to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

19 Mar 2021

Comprehensive mutation map helps better understand the biological processes underlying Alzheimer's

A study published in the journal eLife made all the possible mutations in the amyloid beta peptide and tested how they influence its aggregation into plaques, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

10 Mar 2021

Two new Alzheimer’s genes discovered

AZoLifeSciences speaks to researchers from Tianjin Medical University about their latest research that led to the discovery of two new genes that are linked to Alzheimer's disease.

1 Mar 2021

New platform could help treat neurodegenerative diseases using regenerative medicine

Imagine if surgeons could transplant healthy neurons into patients living with neurodegenerative diseases or brain and spinal cord injuries.

24 Feb 2021

First-in-human clinical trial to test safety, efficacy of gene therapy for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have launched a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a gene therapy to deliver a key protein into the brains of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a condition that often precedes full-blown dementia.

19 Feb 2021

Antioxidant in green tea may lead to new anti-cancer drugs

Green tea contains an antioxidant that may boost the concentrations of p53, called the “guardian of the genome,” for its potential to kill cancerous cells.

15 Feb 2021

Brain protein that causes Alzheimer's also protects against the disease

Findings from a new study on Alzheimer's disease could eventually help clinicians identify people at the highest risk for developing the progressive brain disorder.

10 Feb 2021

New platform may accelerate genomic medicine research, drug therapies

A research team, headed by Cleveland Clinic, has designed a novel personalized genomic medicine platform that would help speed up genomic medicine studies as well as genome-informed drug discovery. The results of the new study have been recently published in the Genome Biology journal.

9 Feb 2021

$1.8 million NIH grant supports research on extracellular vesicles

Scientists have known for decades that our cells constantly shed tiny pieces known as extracellular vesicles (EVs), but until relatively recently they believed that this process was merely a way for cells to rid themselves of material that was no longer needed.

8 Feb 2021

Study provides a causal link between the Alzheimer's risk gene and COVID-19

A City of Hope-led research team found that the same gene that increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease, ApoE4, can increase the susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19.

5 Feb 2021

Ancestral backgrounds can influence Alzheimer's disease risk, finds study

Genetics contributes to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, and the APOE gene is the strongest genetic risk factor, specifically the APOE4 allele.

5 Feb 2021

Machine intelligence can be used to improve brain-mapping technique

Scientists in Japan's brain science project have used machine intelligence to improve the accuracy and reliability of a powerful brain-mapping technique, a new study reports.

21 Dec 2020

Innovative gene therapy approach for regeneration of functional new neurons

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often causes disability and seriously compromises quality of life. While decades of research have made significant progress in axonal regeneration after SCI, most of the interventions have not been translated into clinical therapies.

18 Dec 2020

ECSIT protein can shed light on the origin of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have found how a protein governs the behavior of proteins associated with the activity in mitochondria, which is impacted in Alzheimer's disease.

17 Dec 2020

Microglia surveillance helps prevent seizure activity in the brain

An important part of the brain's immune system, cells called microglia constantly extend and retract "branches" from their cell body to survey their environment.

15 Dec 2020

Study sheds light on molecular underpinnings of long-term memory

On a late summer day in 1953, a young man who would soon be known as patient H.M. underwent experimental surgery.

10 Dec 2020

Researchers develop a diagnostic tool for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Infrared analyses of neuronal proteins provide information on molecular changes in patients with ALS. This helps to verify their diagnosis.

10 Dec 2020

Scientists use advanced methods for investigating structure and interactions of proteins

Michael Gross, professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and of immunology and internal medicine at the School of Medicine, and his team are experts in footprinting proteins -- that is, using advanced methods for investigating the structure and interactions of proteins within larger molecules.

8 Dec 2020