Neurodegeneration News and Research

RSS

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

Buck study uncovers how astrocyte senescence promotes neurodegeneration

Although a link has been established between chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases, there have been many open questions regarding how cellular senescence, a process whereby cells that stop dividing under stress spew out a mix of inflammatory proteins, affects these pathologies.

29 Jan 2020

Concordia study investigates the link between cognition and hearing or vision loss

There is a long-established and widely recognized link between declines in sensory acuity -- particularly hearing and vision -- and cognition. Data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, involving tens of thousands of participants across the country aged 45 to 85, backs this up.

28 Jan 2020

AI analysis of blood samples can predict progression of neurodegenerative disease

Evaluating the effectiveness of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases is often difficult because each patient's progression is different.

28 Jan 2020

FDA approves new drug that could aid MS diagnoses for clinical trials

A new drug that could make it easier for doctors to diagnose multiple sclerosis in its earlier stages has been approved for its first human trials by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

27 Jan 2020

Study shows how gene therapy may help protect against vision loss in multiple sclerosis

New research by Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, reveals the molecular process in which synaptic connections in the brain are damaged in multiple sclerosis and how this contributes to neurodegenerative symptoms.

21 Jan 2020

Exosome treatment promotes remarkable stroke recovery in swine models

It's been almost a quarter century since the first drug was approved for stroke. But what's even more striking is that only a single drug remains approved today.

14 Jan 2020

A protein found in ovarian cancer may contribute to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease

Houston Methodist scientists identified a protein found in ovarian cancer that may contribute to declining brain function and Alzheimer's disease, by combining computational methods and lab research.

13 Jan 2020

Missing a key protein in the brain can cause autism-like behaviors

Scientists at Rutgers University-Newark have discovered that when a key protein needed to generate new brain cells during prenatal and early childhood development is missing, part of the brain goes haywire - causing an imbalance in its circuitry that can lead to long-term cognitive and movement behaviors characteristic of autism spectrum disorder.

9 Jan 2020

Studying Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease using Pre-Formed Fibrils

Ariel Louwrier discusses the development of pre-formed tau and alpha-synuclein fibrils for research into Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

From StressMarq Biosciences Inc. 2 Jan 2020

Tau-protein better predicts brain atrophy in Alzheimer's patients than amyloid plaques

Brain imaging of pathological tau-protein "tangles" reliably predicts the location of future brain atrophy in Alzheimer's patients a year or more in advance, according to a new study by scientists at the UC San Francisco Memory and Aging Center. In contrast, the location of amyloid "plaques," which have been the focus of Alzheimer's research and drug development for decades, was found to be of little utility in predicting how damage would unfold as the disease progressed.

2 Jan 2020

Obj-SCD predicts future amyloid accumulation and neurodegeneration

Writing in the December 30, 2019 online issue of Neurology, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System report that accumulating amyloid -- an abnormal protein linked to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease -- occurred faster among persons deemed to have "objectively-defined subtle cognitive difficulties" (Obj-SCD) than among persons considered to be "cognitively normal."

31 Dec 2019

New dementia vaccine may proceed to clinical trials after successful testing

A preventive treatment for dementia may proceed to clinical trials after successful animal testing.

31 Dec 2019

Amyloid plaques may not necessarily come first in Alzheimer's disease, suggests new study

The scientific community has long believed that beta-amyloid, a protein that can clump together and form sticky plaques in the brain, is the first sign of Alzheimer's disease. Beta-amyloid then leads to other brain changes including neurodegeneration and eventually to thinking and memory problems. But a new study challenges that theory.

30 Dec 2019

IU researchers identify potential target to improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury

Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have made several novel discoveries in the field of spinal cord injuries. Most recently, the team led by Xiao-Ming Xu, PhD, has been working to determine how to activate movement after a spinal cord injury at the ninth thoracic level, where nerve fibers from the brain down to the spinal cord are interrupted.

22 Dec 2019

Cancer drug shows promise in battling Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a lifelong condition that affects the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine. As a result, people with this neurodegenerative disease experience tremors, changes in speech, gait issues, and muscle rigidity. Though it has no cure, a new drug used to treat cancer shows promise in treating Parkinson’s.

17 Dec 2019

New technique could lead to better diagnosis and effective tracking of Huntington’s disease

Researchers at the universities of Southampton and Cambridge have developed a new technique to analyze biochemical changes unique to Huntington's disease.

17 Dec 2019

Genetic code doesn't dictate whether a person is guaranteed to develop Alzheimer's

The colour of our eyes or the straightness of our hair is linked to our DNA, but the development of Alzheimer's disease isn't exclusively linked to genetics, suggest recently published findings.

11 Dec 2019

The role of adenosine in neurodegeneration and brain regeneration

The role of adenosine in neurodegeneration and neuroregeneration has led to growing attention on adenosine receptors as potential drug targets in a range of brain disorders, including neuroregenerative therapy and treatment for amyotrophyic lateral sclerosis.

8 Dec 2019

ADDF announces new awards through its Diagnostics Accelerator initiative

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation announced six new investments totaling $6 million through its Diagnostics Accelerator initiative.

4 Dec 2019

New partnership aims to explore, cultivate innovations in cell and gene therapy

Some patients who have not responded to traditional medicines are now experiencing remarkable recoveries thanks to next-generation immunotherapies. These therapies equip a patient's own immune cells to recognize, target, and destroy cancer cells.

25 Nov 2019