neurodegeneration

Research Shows Genetic Evidence that New Therapies Targeting Parkinson's Disease may Cause Harm
03/20/2013 - 17:02

NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) and Mayo Clinic researchers have partnered on a study that shows genetic and clinical evidence that therapies targeting the expression of alpha-synuclein — a gene whose function is involved in the development and progression of Parkinson's disease — may accelerate disease progression and increase the risk of physical incapacitation and dementia. If replicated, the findings will have profound implications for therapies under development for Parkinson's disease.

 

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Green tea extract interferes with the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease
03/08/2013 - 11:17

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a new potential benefit of a molecule in green tea: preventing the misfolding of specific proteins in the brain. The aggregation of these proteins, called metal-associated amyloids, is associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.

 

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Unique peptide could treat cancers, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases
02/07/2013 - 10:38

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have synthesized a peptide that shows potential for pharmaceutical development into agents for treating infections, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer through an ability to induce a cell-recycling process called autophagy.

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Transmission of Tangles in Alzheimer's Mice Provides More Authentic Model of Tau Pathology
01/16/2013 - 12:08

Brain diseases associated with the misformed protein tau, including Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with tau pathologies, are characterized by neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) comprised of pathological tau filaments. Tau tangles are also found in progressive supranuclear palsy, cortical basal degeneration and other related tauopathies, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy due to repetitive traumatic brain injuries sustained in sports or on the battle field.

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Neurons made from stem cells drive brain activity after transplantation in laboratory model
11/15/2012 - 15:41

Researchers and patients look forward to the day when stem cells might be used to replace dying brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Scientists are currently able to make neurons and other brain cells from stem cells, but getting these neurons to properly function when transplanted to the host has proven to be more difficult. Now, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have found a way to stimulate stem cell-derived neurons to direct cognitive function after transplantation to an existing neural network.

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New cell type developed for possible treatment of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases
11/07/2012 - 13:31

UC Irvine researchers have created a new stem cell-derived cell type with unique promise for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Dr. Edwin Monuki of UCI’s Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, developmental & cell biology graduate student Momoko Watanabe and colleagues developed these cells — called choroid plexus epithelial cells — from existing mouse and human embryonic stem cell lines.

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