Neurodegeneration News and Research

RSS

Neurodegeneration is the umbrella term for the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, including death of neurons.

Unveiling Cannabinoid’s Potential for Treating Age-Related Brain Degeneration

Scientists at the Salk Institute observed the neuroprotective effects of cannabinol in fruit flies and discovered cannabinoid analogs that may prove to be promising future treatments for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and traumatic brain injury.

18 Apr 2024

Breakthrough Study Reveals Genetic Variants with Significant Impact on Obesity Risk

A study led by Medical Research Council (MRC) researchers has identified genetic variants in two genes that have some of the largest impacts on obesity risk discovered to date.

5 Apr 2024

New Theory Links Gene Length to Cellular Decline

A gene’s length may have more to do with aging than particular “aging genes.” Reduced expression of long genes may be the cause of many aging-related changes, according to researchers writing an opinion piece that was published in the journal Trends in Genetics on March 21st, 2023.

25 Mar 2024

Unraveling the Role of Gene Length in Aging

Aging may be less about specific "aging genes" and more about how long a gene is. Many of the changes associated with aging could be occurring due to decreased expression of long genes, say researchers in an opinion piece publishing March 21 in the journal Trends in Genetics.

22 Mar 2024

The Assemblage of Nuclear Sub-Structures

Researchers from the lab of Rohit Pappu and associates at the Center for Biomolecular Condensates have figured out how nucleolar sub-structures are assembled, a first for the condensate field.

19 Mar 2024

Neuroscientists Uncover Significance of Glial Cells in Brain Communication

Neuroscientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center have found that an often-overlooked type of brain cell called glia has more of a role in brain function than previously thought.

29 Feb 2024

Genetic Mechanisms of Alzheimer's Revealed in Colombian Kindred

UC Santa Barbara researchers and collaborators in Colombia, Brazil and Germany are progressing toward an understanding of mechanisms that underlie Alzheimer's disease, in particular an early-onset, genetic form that has afflicted generations of an extended family in Colombia.

28 Feb 2024

Breaking Down the Complex Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration

By using a novel neuronal cell culture model, researchers at the University of Zurich have illuminated the complex mechanisms behind neurodegeneration.

23 Feb 2024

Researchers Identify Genes Linked to Genomic Instability and DNA Damage

More than one hundred key genes linked to DNA damage have been uncovered through systematic screening of nearly 1,000 genetically modified mouse lines, in a new study published today (14 February) in Nature.

16 Feb 2024

New Understanding of DNA Damage and Disease Risk

Researchers identified 145 genes that are essential for the health of the genome and potential treatments for human genomic disorders.

15 Feb 2024

The Potential of Monoclonal Antibodies for Neonatal Herpes

The results of a recent study led by the Geisel School of Medicine and Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, and published in Cell Reports Medicine, provide new information about the role that antibodies play in preventing herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections.

13 Feb 2024

Stem Cell-Derived Brain Organoids on Ax-3 Mission Seek to Improve Modeling for Neurodegenerative Diseases

More than 5 million people worldwide are living with neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).

19 Jan 2024

Big Data Analysis Reveals Hidden Patterns in Human Chromosomes

IRB Barcelona researchers find 13 unique genomic patterns in unexpected patterns in mutation risks across individuals.

11 Jan 2024

B12-Producing Gut Bacteria Modulate Neurotransmitter Levels and Reduce Seizures in C. elegans

A new study published in Nature Cell Biology by Mark Alkema, PhD, professor of neurobiology, establishes an important molecular link between specific B12-producing bacteria in the gut of the roundworm C. elegans and the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important to memory and cognitive function.

5 Jan 2024

Research Reveals Unforeseen Functions for Autophagy Genes in Neuronal Health and Aging

Autophagy, which declines with age, may hold more mysteries than researchers previously suspected. In the January 4th issue of Nature Aging, it was noted that scientists from the Buck Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys and Rutgers University have uncovered possible novel functions

5 Jan 2024

Structural Insights Unmask Novel Adaptations and Functions of Human LINE-1 ORF2

Martin Taylor, MD, PhD, a physician investigator in the Department of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in Pathology at Harvard Medical School, is the lead corresponding author of a new study in Nature, Structural Analysis and Inhibition of Human LINE-1 ORF2 Protein Reveals Novel Adaptations and Functions.

20 Dec 2023

Tailored Nanoparticles Deliver siRNA to Reduce Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease Models

Some Covid-19 vaccines safely and effectively used lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver messenger RNA to cells.

11 Dec 2023

Misfolded Proteins: How They Damage Neurons and Cause Neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the deposition of clumped proteins in the brain and progressive neuronal cell death.

5 Dec 2023

Prion Protein Forms Dynamic Liquid Condensates to Regulate Copper Ions

In an innovative research article published in Science Advances, scientists from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE-Berlin) illuminate the intricate interplay between the prion protein and copper ions in the physiopathology of live cells.

4 Dec 2023