Neurodegeneration News and Research

RSS

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

Researchers disprove natural antioxidant urate for slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease

The hypothesis that raising the brain levels of the natural antioxidant urate could slow the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been disproven by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital.

14 Sep 2021

Study finds possible direct connection between neurodegenerative diseases and the herpesvirus

A new study by researchers at University of Illinois Chicago suggests that when the protein optineurin, or OPTN, is present in cells it restricts the spread of HSV-1, the herpes simplex virus type 1.

13 Sep 2021

Study suggests hospitalized COVID-19 patients have elevated Alzheimer's-related biomarkers

Neurological symptoms have been widely reported in patients with COVID-19 and in those who have recovered from it. A new study led by Thomas Wisniewski of New York University Grossman School of Medicine, USA, finds that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are more likely to have elevated biomarkers levels indicative of age-related neurodegeneration.

8 Sep 2021

Study finds SARS-CoV-2 affects the brain by binding with MAO enzymes

A new study by researchers in Croatia and Slovenia shows the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has an affinity towards monoamine oxidases (MAO) enzymes. Changes in MAO levels have been the culprit for several neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease.

6 Sep 2021

Research analyzes the role of RNA tags in Alzheimer’s disease

Understanding the role of tau protein in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has led to new ways to diagnose it as well as the creation of medicines now in clinical trials to treat it.

28 Aug 2021

Restoring DAXX protein levels may prevent misfolding of rogue proteins known to drive Alzheimer's

For the first time, Penn Medicine researchers showed how restoring levels of the protein DAXX and a large group of similar proteins prevents the misfolding of the rogue proteins known to drive Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as certain mutations that contribute to cancers.

26 Aug 2021

Study finds a new line of drugs to stimulate myelin repair in multiple sclerosis

In the nearly 1 million Americans living with multiple sclerosis, the fatty substance that insulates the nerves of the central nervous system—called myelin—is damaged.

24 Aug 2021

Non-invasive retinal imaging may be useful for detecting Alzheimer's disease risk

Amyloid plaques are protein deposits that collect between brain cells, hindering function and eventually leading to neuronal death.

23 Aug 2021

Protein implicated in tumor growth may protect against neurodegenerative diseases

Cells translate their genetic material at rapid rates with exquisite precision to reproduce, repair damage or even combat disease.

17 Aug 2021

Researchers develop new method to quantify protein droplets involved in neurodegenerative diseases

Some proteins in cells can separate into small droplets like oil droplets in water, but faults in this process may underlie neurodegenerative diseases in the brains of older people. Now, Rutgers researchers have developed a new method to quantify protein droplets involved in these diseases.

13 Aug 2021

Researchers identify genetic program in fruit fly that protects neurons from degeneration

Researchers at the University of Bonn have identified a previously unknown genetic program in the fruit fly. The genetic material involved controls the development of the neurons while also protecting them from degeneration.

13 Aug 2021

Researchers uncover new mitochondrial recycling pathway that may be linked to Parkinson’s disease

Scientists have long known that living cells are master recyclers, constantly breaking down old parts and building them back up into new molecular machines.

6 Aug 2021

Latin American and Caribbean research contributions to tackle challenges posed by brain diseases

Every year there are nearly ten million new cases of dementia globally, of which Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form, accounting for around 60-70% of cases.

2 Aug 2021

Research finds associations between COVID-19 and persistent cognitive deficits

Much has been learned about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, questions remain about the long-term impact of the virus on our bodies and brains.

29 Jul 2021

Mount Sinai researchers use cerebral organoids to study frontotemporal dementia

Frontotemporal dementias are a group of fatal and debilitating brain disorders for which there are no cures.

26 Jul 2021

Gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in glaucoma mouse models

A form of gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in mouse models of glaucoma, according to research supported by NIH's National Eye Institute.

23 Jul 2021

ATN framework can be extended to detect frontotemporal degeneration

Alzheimer's disease and related diseases can still only be confirmed in deceased patients' brains via autopsy.

20 Jul 2021

How SARS-CoV-2 infects the brain

While there is no official explanation on how SARS-CoV-2 travels to the brain, a new review published in the journal Fluids and Barriers of the CNS concluded that there is insufficient evidence on COVID-induced neurological problems coming from a direct invasion of SARS-CoV-2 into the brain.

20 Jul 2021

New compounds can provide a breakthrough in the treatment of neurodegenerative pathologies

Russian scientists have synthesized chemical compounds that can stop the degeneration of neurons in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other severe brain pathologies. These substances can provide a breakthrough in the treatment of neurodegenerative pathologies.

19 Jul 2021

Component derived from turmeric essential oil exhibits neuroprotective effects

Researchers from Kumamoto University, Japan have found that a component derived from turmeric essential oil, aromatic turmerone (ar-turmerone), and its derivatives act directly on dopaminergic nerves to create a neuroprotective effect on tissue cultures of a Parkinson's disease model.

14 Jul 2021