Chemical decoy shows promise for slowing Alzheimer's by acting as decoy
SAN DIEGO, March 17 A chemical decoy that shows promise in blocking the toxic brain proteins thought to cause Alzheimer's disease was described here today at the 229th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. The decoy, which has only been tested in cell culture, is a polymer developed by a team of chemists at The University of Maryland-Baltimore...Neuronal death and processing of Tau protein in Alzheimer's disease
In a research report recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease ( ), published by IOS Press, a research group from the International School for Advanced Studies (ISASSISSA) in Trieste (Luisa Fasulo, Gabriele Ugolini e Antonino Cattaneo) showed that a processed form of tau protein induces neuronal death by apoptosis (programmed cell death) when expressed in cultured rat hippocampal n...Researchers discover link between insulin and Alzheimer's
Providence, RI Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School have discovered that insulin and its related proteins are produced in the brain, and that reduced levels of both are linked to Alzheimer's disease. The findings are reported in the March ...issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease ( ), published by IOS Press....... "What we found is that insulin is not just produced...New trials for counseling caregivers and patients with Alzheimer's begin
Three studies are underway at the NYU School of Medicine to find out whether short-term counseling can ease the psychological stress and depression of people with Alzheimer's disease and their family members. These studies were inspired by the success of a previous trial at the NYU School of Medicine that showed that even a short period of counseling can have a long-term beneficial impact on the...Marijuana ingredient may stall decline from Alzheimer's
WASHINGTON, DC February 17, 2005 -- New research shows that a synthetic analogue of the active component of marijuana may reduce the inflammation and prevent the mental decline associated with Alzheimer's disease....... "This research is not only a major step in our understanding [of] how the brain reacts to Alzheimer's disease, but may also help open a route to novel anti-Alzheimer's drugs," say...Study points to depression as a risk for developing Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study of people over age 65 suggests that severity of depressive symptoms is related to risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The study is published in the August 13 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ... More than 650 elderly people took part in the seven-year study which included annual neurological evaluations and testing of cognitive...Duke researchers identify age at onset genes for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease
DURHAM, N.C. Duke University Medical Center researchers have identified a group of chromosomal regions that could be responsible for controlling the onset of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases.... The finding is significant because until now, geneticists have focused their attention on identifying individual genes that control the risk of developing a disease. However, the age at which gen...University of Toronto researchers develop potent vaccine for Alzheimer's
.Researchers in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine have discovered that a vaccine may help prevent and treat the disabling memory loss and cognitive impairment (dementia) of Alzheimer's disease.. .Alzheimer's occurs when toxic biochemical compounds known as amyloid peptides accumulate in the brain, forming amyloid plaque deposits and injuring nerve cells, eventually causing dementi...Researchers identify promising target to slow Alzheimer's
. . Click . . HONOLULU, Dec. 18 - Researchers believe that a chemical called methionine plays a role in Alzheimer's disease and also could explain how vitamin E slows the progress of the disease in its later stages. The finding could lead to new drugs to delay the advance of Alzheimer's, say the researchers, who presented their study today during the 2000 International Chemical Cong...Drugs used to treat Alzheimer's in nursing homes are worsening sufferers' illness
Quetiapine, a drug commonly used in nursing homes to treat agitation and related symptoms in people with Alzheimers' disease actually worsens patients' illness, speeding up their rate of decline significantly, says a paper published on bmj.com today....... Antipsychotic drugs are used in up to 45% of nursing homes to treat agitation, a common and distressing symptom of dementia (a catch-...UT Southwestern doctors track Oklahoma Alzheimer's patients via telemedicine
DALLAS Feb. 10, 2005 Checking on Alzheimer's patients miles away is now as close as a simple satellite linkup.... Doctors in UT Southwestern Medical Center's Alzheimer's Disease Center are using telemedicine for follow-up appointments with patients in the Choctaw Nation, an American Indian population in southeastern Oklahoma. The Alzheimer's Disease Center is the only one in the country studyin...Contrary to previous findings, smoking is detrimental to patients with Alzheimer's
Irvine, Calif., Feb. 8, 2005 -- UCI researchers have determined that chronic nicotine exposure worsens some Alzheimer's-related brain abnormalities, contradicting the common belief that nicotine can actually be used to treat the disease. ...... In the latest online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers report that chronic nicotine exposure increases neuro...Nanoscale diagnostic sets sights on Alzheimer's
ARLINGTON, Va.--Using their novel bio-bar-code amplification (BCA) technology, researchers analyzing fluid from around the brain and spinal cord have detected a protein linked in recent studies to Alzheimer's disease....... If proven successful in further clinical studies, the procedure could become the first tool for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's, and the first test to conclusively identify the...New test is first step in early detection of Alzheimer's disease
EVANSTON, Ill. --- A new use of an ultra-sensitive method that employs bionanotechnology might lead to a clinical test capable of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stages -- instead of during an autopsy.... ...Scientists at Northwestern University have become the first to detect in living humans a biomarker associated with Alzheimer's disease, a development that promises early inter...Older people with the 'Alzheimer's gene' find it harder to 'remember to remember' even if healthy
Washington -- Carrying the higher-risk genotype for Alzheimer's disease appears to render even healthy older people subject to major problems with prospective memory, the ability to remember what to do in the future. For the group studied, this could affect important behaviors such as remembering to take medicine at a certain time or getting to a doctor's appointment. The research appears in th...Antibody treatment partially reverses nerve damage in Alzheimer disease
Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine have shown that an antibody treatment administered to the brain surface in mice with Alzheimer disease is capable of rapidly reversing disease-related structural nerve damage. The study will appear online on January 20 in advance of print publication in the February 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.... ...One of the many ha...Jefferson scientists help explain statins' effects in Alzheimer's disease
Scientists at Jefferson Medical College and the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have taken another step in understanding the potential effects of anti-cholesterol drugs on Alzheimer's disease. They have identified a biochemical pathway that explains the activity of statins, particularly their ability to break down an early form of the protein amyl...UCLA-VA study names India dietary staple as potential Alzheimer's weapon
A dietary staple of India, where Alzheimer's disease rates are reportedly among the world's lowest, holds potential as a weapon in the fight against the disease. ...... The new UCLA-Veterans Affairs study involving genetically altered mice suggests that curcumin, the yellow pigment in curry spice, inhibits the accumulation of destructive beta amyloids in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and al...Study finds lemons, lilac among top 10 smells that predict Alzheimer's Disease
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Dec. 13, 2004 -- The inability to identify the smell of lemons, lilac, leather and seven other odors predicts which patients with minimal to mild cognitive impairment (MMCI) will develop Alzheimer's Disease, according to a study presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting. For patients with MMCI, the odor identification test was...New studies on Ritalin and Alzheimer's Disease highlight ACNP Annual Meeting
Hundreds of new studies on brain and behavior from the world's most renowned scientists will headline the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's 2004 Annual Meeting. Presentations include new studies on the effects of early Ritalin exposure on normal brains and the top smells than can predict Alzheimer's Disease....... ...... Early Ritalin Exposure May Have Long-Term Effects on the Bra...UCLA/VA research explains Alzheimer's link to diabetes; shows protective effect of low-fat diet
Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is a protein known to play a role in eliminating amyloid peptides that cause destructive plaques and tangles in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Until now, little has been known about the cellular and molecular regulation of IDE. ... ... Using animal models and human tissue, the research team 1) identified a shortfall of IDE protein in the brains of Alz...Rolipram - a potential new treatment for Alzheimer disease
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly and classic clinical features include memory loss, deterioration in speech, and behavioral disturbances. Doctors increasingly concede that central to the cause of AD is the production and accumulation of beta-amyloid (Ab), which is toxic in the brain. There are only a few clinical therapeutic options for AD patients but in...Iris Murdoch's last novel reveals first signs of Alzheimer's disease
The last novel written by author Iris Murdoch before she died reveals signs of the first stages of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the latest online issue of Brain.... ...As part of their on-going research into the effects of Alzheimer's disease on language, scientists at University College London and Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit decided to c...Pet scans detect brain differences in people at risk for Alzheimer's
Using brain imaging, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have found clear differences in brain function between healthy people who carry a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and those who lack the factor. ......Because researchers believe that Alzheimer's disease starts changing the brain years before any symptoms appear, the disease may be most amenable to treatment...Compound in apples may help fight Alzheimer's disease
A potent antioxidant abundant in apples and some other fruits and vegetables appears to protect brain cells against oxidative stress, a tissue-damaging process associated with Alzheimers and other neurodegenerative disorders, according to a new study in rat brain cells conducted by researchers at Cornell University in New York....... The study adds strength to the theory bolstered by recent anim...USF neuroscientists awarded $1.1 million NIH grant to improve Alzheimer's vaccine
Tampa, FL (Nov. 10, 2004) -- University of South Florida College of Medicine neuroscientists have been awarded a $1.1 million federal grant to improve the safety and effectiveness of an Alzheimer's vaccine in a mouse model.... ..."This approach shifts the focus from treating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease to treatments that slow down the disease or prevent it altogether," said Jun Tan, MD, PhD,...Cholesterol-lowering drug may slow Alzheimer's progression
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 9 The cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin slowed down mental decline and improved depressive symptoms in people with Alzheimer's disease, according to a small pilot study reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2004. ..."This is the first off-label use of a drug tested in Alzheimer's patients in the last 10 years that has shown promise of benefit," s...Alzheimer's drug improves memory of MS patients
ST. PAUL, Minn. Taking a drug used for Alzheimer's disease may improve the memory of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the November 9 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.... ...About half of all MS patients experience problems with memory and other cognitive functions. These problems are a leading cause of disabilit...New compounds effective against Alzheimer's disease onset and progression
CHICAGO --- Drug discovery researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new class of compounds that have the potential to reduce the inflammation of brain cells and the neuron loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. ... The new class of compounds are aminopyridazines. The original compound, called MW01-070C, is used in an injectable form. More recently developed compounds, such as...Jefferson neuroscientists studying new type of Alzheimer's drug to halt disease progression
Neuroscientists at the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia will begin a clinical trial testing a new type of drug that attacks amyloid, the protein substance that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. The buildup of amyloid and the formation of tangles and plaques in the brain are thought to be major causes of the mind-robbing rav...UK researcher uncovers clues to Alzheimer's disease
University of Kentucky chemistry professor Allan Butterfield has uncovered new clues about how brain cells are damaged by Alzheimer's disease, evidence suggesting vitamin E may help prevent the debilitating illness.... ...In Butterfield's study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, he focused on amyloid beta peptide, a compound known to contribute to the senile plaques seen in t...Journal of Alzheimer's disease to publish ISOA Catalyst Conference
In conjunction with the Institute for the Study of Aging (ISOA), IOS Press is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of the Proceedings of an ISOA Catalyst Conference as a special print and online Supplement to the December 2004 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (JAD). ...... "JAD and IOS Press are honored to be working with ISOA, one of the preeminent private foundations in Al...Technology points to possible targets for epilepsy and Alzheimer's drugs
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Using new technology to measure protein levels in human tissue, scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center hope to identify new targets for drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. They reported their progress today in San Diego at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. ... ..."Proteins are the real 'functional players' of genes," said Qiang Gu, Ph....Animal study suggests safer immunization approach to Alzheimer's
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have had preliminary success with a method of immunization intended to dissolve the plaques in brain tissue that are associated with Alzheimer's disease....... When injected directly into the brain of mice, antibodies against a plaque protein retarded growth of the plaques by up to two months. No adverse side effects were found....... "By injec...Jefferson scientists uncover new evidence to help explain statins' effects in Alzheimer's disease
Scientists at Jefferson Medical College and the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have taken another step in understanding the potential effects of anti-cholesterol drugs on Alzheimer's disease. They have identified a biochemical pathway that affects the activity of statins, particularly their ability to break down an early form of the protein amylo...Mouse study: Signal overload in Alzheimer brains
In studies with mice that develop the equivalent of Alzheimer's disease that runs in families, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that brain cells' signals confuse the movement of implanted neuronal stem cells....... The observation reinforces the idea that disease can create "microenvironments" that affect the behavior of cells. These local environments might help recruit stem cell-based thera...Researchers identify brain protein that halts progression of Alzheimer's
Researchers have identified a protein in the brain that halts the progression of Alzheimer's disease in human brain tissue. The protein, known as "transthyretin," protects brain cells from gradual deterioration by blocking another toxic protein that contributes to the disease process....... The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a component of the National Institutes of Health,...New oral vaccine for Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by progressive loss of cognitive function due to amyloid-beta (A) deposits in the central nervous system. If these deposits could be stopped or slowed, Alzheimer's disease might become more manageable. In the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, a novel paper from researchers from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, NCGG, Japan and C...New way of controlling cholesterol may help treat Alzheimer's
A new approach to controlling blood cholesterol levels that is already being investigated to prevent cardiovascular disease also may be a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease. In their report in the October 14 issue of Neuron, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) show that blocking a pathway that controls the distribution of cholesterol in cells dramatically reduces the n...National Institute on Aging Neuroimaging Initiative for Alzheimer's disease
WASHINGTON--The National Institute on Aging is launching a landmark study to find neuroimaging and other methods for monitoring the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) aimed at significantly reducing the time and cost of clinical trials. In the last few decades, great strides have been made in understanding the genetics and biology of Alzheimer's disease. But there is as yet no treatment that...