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.

Study sheds light on genetic causes of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias

If we want to enhance our knowledge and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, we need to identify genetic risk factors.

7 Apr 2022

Researchers discover 15 genetic 'hotspots' that speed up or slow down brain aging

Researchers from a USC-led consortium have discovered 15 "hotspots" in the genome that either speed up brain aging or slow it down -; a finding that could provide new drug targets to resist Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain disorders, as well as developmental delays.

6 Apr 2022

Understanding how cleaning up bad mitochondria affects stem cell division

Most of us remember enough biology to recall that mitochondria are known as "the powerhouse of the cell." Even that audacious term may downplay the importance of mitochondria and what happens when mitochondria go bad.

1 Apr 2022

Insight into oligodendrocyte cells could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

New research may help scientists locate immature cells in the central nervous system that could shed light on the causes of neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis-;and autoimmune disease that affects the brain and nervous system-;and allow for the development of better therapeutic treatments.

14 Mar 2022

Astrocyte networks are essential for spatial learning and memory formation, study shows

Astrocytes form large networks of interconnected cells in the central nervous system. When these cell-to-cell couplings are disrupted in the brain of adult mice, the animals are no longer able to store spatial information.

9 Mar 2022

Study identifies two types of brain cells that play a key role in creating memories

In a study led by Cedars-Sinai, researchers have discovered two types of brain cells that play a key role in dividing continuous human experience into distinct segments that can be recalled later.

8 Mar 2022

Research points to a common thread linking diverse neurodegenerative diseases

Take a cell-deep tour of a brain afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, and you will find minuscule clumps of protein that seem suspicious. Ever since the 1980s, when neuroscientists began identifying these protein tangles, researchers have discovered that other brain diseases have their own tangled-protein signatures.

7 Mar 2022

Novel molecular pathway shared by ALS and frontotemporal dementia identified

Scientists from two independent research teams have discovered how the mislocalization of a protein, known as TDP-43, alters the genetic instructions for UNC13A, providing a possible therapeutic target that could also have implications in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other forms of dementia.

1 Mar 2022

Study discovers common genetic factors between depression and Alzheimer’s disease

Recent research discovered common genetic factors between depression and AD.

18 Feb 2022

UCI biologists discover how a gene variant protects against Alzheimer's disease

While the word "mutation" may conjure up alarming notions, a mutation in brain immune cells serves a positive role in protecting people against Alzheimer's disease.

15 Feb 2022

Genetic mutation introduced into human genome protects against Alzheimer’s disease, research says

Scientists were successful in editing the genome of human cells cultured in vitro to introduce a mutation offering protection from Alzheimer’s disease.

14 Feb 2022

Healthy sleep pattern alleviates some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

According to research, the brain’s capacity to clear a protein closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease is tied to the circadian cycle.

14 Feb 2022

Researchers aim to tackle neurodegenerative diseases of the eye and brain

Could a new paradigm in digital health treat blinding disorders and possibly also be a conduit for treating other parts of the brain? A multi-disciplinary team of world-renowned researchers at USC are exploring this exciting possibility.

31 Jan 2022

Multiple changes in brain cells during embryonic development may contribute to schizophrenia

Multiple changes in brain cells during the first month of embryonic development may contribute to schizophrenia later in life, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

17 Dec 2021

Researchers identify toxic senescent cells in the brain as potential target for Alzheimer’s treatment

For the first time, scientists have identified a rare population of potentially toxic senescent cells in human brains that can serve as a target for a new Alzheimer's disease treatment.

13 Dec 2021

First molecular structure of TDP-43 could pave the way for new ALS therapies

Scientists have determined for the first time the structure of the molecule associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple other neurodegenerative diseases.

9 Dec 2021

Cancer drug effective against Alzheimer’s disease, says research

According to recent research carried out by researchers from the Weill Cornell Medicine, a gene mutation associated with Alzheimer’s disease changes a signaling pathway in specific immune cells of individuals with the disease.

7 Dec 2021

Immune cells in the brain mediate the link between gut microbiome and amyloid beta deposits

New research from the University of Chicago points to microglia, key immune cells in the brain, as a key mediator in the relationship between the gut microbiome and b-amyloid deposits in male mice in a model of Alzheimer's disease.

3 Dec 2021

Tough protein connects directly with neurons to cause damaging inflammatory reaction in the brain

Neuroinflammatory diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury, have been linked to deposits of a tough protein known as fibrin, derived from the blood clotting factor fibrinogen.

9 Nov 2021

Researchers investigate how brain's immune cells relate to a gene mutation in Alzheimer's disease

When immune cells move throughout the brain, they act as the first line of defense against viruses, toxic materials and damaged neurons, rushing over to clear out them.

8 Nov 2021