Joana Fernandes, PhD,  —

Low-calorie diets are a known benefit for the overall health of the body, but the exact mechanisms underlying this effect remain elusive. Now, a study published in the journal Aging Cell, has shown that low-calorie intake increases neurons’ capacity to neutralize excessive levels of calcium, which contribute to neuronal damage…

A treatment that uses microscopic droplets of fat – called nanoliposomes – to carry drugs to the brain has  been used effectively to target cancer cells. Now the technique has shown promise in restoring memory loss in mice models of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study funded by the Alzheimer’s…

A technique using light intensity to detect explosive residue in homemade bombs, also known as improvised explosive devices (IEDs), is now being used by researchers from the University of Adelaide in South Australia to identify vitamins in blood that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Vitamin B12 is…

Researchers reviewed the novel mutations found in genes associated with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in Asian countries, arguing that identifying disease-associated mutations greatly contributes to the knowledge of the cause and effect of the disease. This information is also essential to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies. The study, “Mutations, Associated With Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Discovered In…

Immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease may not provide a clinical benefit in patients that also developed vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), another form of dementia, according to a new study. The study, “Reduced Efficacy of Anti-Aβ Immunotherapy in a Mouse Model of Amyloid Deposition and Vascular Cognitive Impairment Comorbidity,”…

The number of clinical trials evaluating possible treatments for Alzheimer’s disease is on the increase, according to a recent analysis conducted by ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s (RA2), a global network of Alzheimer’s researchers that is part of a non-profit organization promoting the study and treatment of this disease, called UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. The…

One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is the accumulation of the protein, amyloid beta, in neurons, leading to the formation of plaques that impair brain function. Exactly how amyloid beta enters and becomes toxic to neuron, or nerve, cells, however, is a matter of debate — with a new…

Researchers at the  the Salk Institute, in California, have shown, in a mouse study, that increasing the levels of a specific protein in the brain leads to improvement of memory deficits associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The new study, titled “Neuregulin 1 Improves Cognitive Deficits And Neuropathology In An Alzheimer’s…