Alzheimer disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that impairs memory and mental function. It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60–70% of cases, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide, a trend that is expected to continue for the next few decades. Memory loss in Alzheimer disease is driven by the loss ofContinueContinue reading “Refining HDAC inhibition to restore memory”
Tag Archives: Alzheimer’s disease
Protecting neurons from misfolded prion proteins
Prion disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis all share a common etiology: neurodegeneration linked to the misfolding and aggregation of a specific protein. But the causes of neuronal death in these diseases are still poorly understood, impeding the development of strategies to prevent neurodegeneration. To fill this knowledgeContinueContinue reading “Protecting neurons from misfolded prion proteins”
Toward a better understanding of tau
Results presented at Neuroscience 2014, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (15–19 November 2014; Washington, DC), highlighted the central role of tau protein in neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease and with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Almost 36 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and 10 million or more sustain TBI each year.ContinueContinue reading “Toward a better understanding of tau”
Fisetin protects cognitive function in Alzheimer’s
Fisetin is a compound found in food plants that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can improve memory and protect neurons from the effects of aging. Pamela Maher (Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA) and her colleagues surmised that many of these attributes could potentially be useful in treating Alzheimer’s disease, the mostContinueContinue reading “Fisetin protects cognitive function in Alzheimer’s”
New cytokine, new role in colitis
The cytokines are a large, varied group of signaling molecules involved in development, immune responses and cellular communication. Dysregulation of cytokines has been implicated in depression, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In IBD, cytokines activate the immune system, causing chronic intestinal inflammation (colitis). But recent research led by Charles A. DinarelloContinueContinue reading “New cytokine, new role in colitis”
Edible tools to fight Alzheimer’s
Two separate groups of researchers are now pursuing edible options for the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. One study carried out by HyunSoon Kim (Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology) and colleagues showed that tomatoes may serve as effective carriers for an oral vaccine against beta-amyloid in mice. Accumulation of beta-amyloid protein in the brainContinueContinue reading “Edible tools to fight Alzheimer’s”
Alzheimer’s vaccine tested in dogs
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that affects more than 5 million people in the US. It is progressive and fatal and has no known cure. It is characterized by neuronal death, which may be linked to the formation of plaques of beta-amyloid in the brain. Immunotherapy against beta-amyloid has shown promise in reducing the formationContinueContinue reading “Alzheimer’s vaccine tested in dogs”
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