Patricia Inacio, PhD, science writer —

Johns Hopkins researchers looked at brain scans and discovered that lower levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin underlie the mild loss of cognitive functions that usually precede the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. These findings suggest that preventing the loss of serotonin could halt or even prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and…

The physical properties of proteins in the spinal fluid and blood of people with Alzheimer’s disease may constitute valuable biomarkers to help diagnose disease progression and predict patients’ outcomes, new research from The Ohio State University suggests. The biomarkers may help researchers develop better treatments in the future, especially for later stages of…

Researchers developed a new method for capturing proteins implicated in several diseases, including Alzheimer’s. The technique promises to accelerate the identification of altered proteins underlying disease progression (biomarkers). This knowledge may later translate into new targeted therapeutics. The study, “A mutant O-GlcNAcase enriches Drosophila developmental regulators,” was published in the…

In a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers show that deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease increased almost 55% between 1999 and 2014. Also, more patients are perishing at home, which likely will increase the burden on family members or…

The state of New York lacks effective measures for preventing diabetes, which is fueling a dramatic increase in Alzheimer’s disease. So says a new document, “Unprevented Diabetes Means Unnecessary Alzheimer’s,” issued by Health People: Community Preventive Health Institute. Doctors say diabetes increases the risk of getting Alzheimer’s by 40 percent. Currently, New York state…

The Alzheimer’s therapy ALZ-801 works by preventing protein components from clumping together to trigger the amyloid plaque accumulation in the brain that causes the disease, researchers say. Disease-modifying drugs for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases could evolve from the findings, the team said. Researchers knew that tramiprosate, the active ingredient in …

Memory loss and cognitive dysfunction, two hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, have now been linked to low levels of one particular protein, called NPTX2. The discovery represents a stepping-stone in the mechanisms underlying this disease, which may help in the development of new therapies. The study, “NPTX2 and cognitive dysfunction in…

The diabetes drug Symlin (pramlintide) may help scientists develop novel and faster diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a study indicates. The research, “An amylin analog used as a challenge test for Alzheimer’s disease,” was published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. At…

Factors known to increase risk for heart disease during middle age – diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking – also raise the risk of dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease later in life. So concludes a study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2017, held Feb. 22-24, in Houston,…

Researchers have identified a new gene, called Rgs2 (Regulator of Protein Signaling 2), whose expression levels may be used in future diagnostic blood tests for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is the first time that this gene is implicated in AD. The study, “RGS2 expression predicts amyloid-β…