News

A change in the shape of a protein, rather than its size, is the driving force in small protein aggregates morphing into the insoluble structures present in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients — a process known as nucleation, according to a study. Because the aggregates, known as amyloid-beta oligomers, are…

Neither high cholesterol intake nor daily egg consumption increases the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to a study of Finnish men. In fact, moderate egg intake may improve cognitive performance, researchers said. The study also showed no link between men with the APOE4 gene and the development…

Researchers at Rush and Harvard universities are preparing a pioneering clinical trial to evaluate the impact of diet in preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in older people. The randomized Phase 3 trial (NCT02817074), titled “MIND Diet Intervention and Cognitive Decline,” will test whether a healthy diet…

A Mediterranean diet may protect against the loss of brain volume associated with aging, researchers report. But eating more fish and less meat was not seen to be related to such beneficial changes, which suggests that other components of the Mediterranean diet — or the sum of all its parts — may be…

Researchers have used a novel approach to identify changes in painting patterns that could signal an artist is developing Alzheimer’s disease or another neurodegenerative condition before symptoms show. The team used fractal analysis to look at seven painters’ “artistic fingerprints” over time. Because the changes may occur before cognitive impairment shows…

Researchers have discovered that amyloid-beta — the protein that builds in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease patients — has different structures when it accumulates around blood vessels and neurons. Although the researchers could not conclude how these differences impact the disease, they believe that amyloid buildup around blood vessels differs in…

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…

Scientists have found that the membranes covering the brain — once believed to have little influence on the workings of the organ inside — are housing stem cells. The discovery is likely to advance research into stem cell therapies for brain regeneration, an attractive but so far unreachable treatment option…

After observing similarities in insulin molecular signaling between the pancreas and the brain, Japanese researchers suggest that Alzheimer’s disease is a form of diabetes condition that affects the brain. Their study, “Blockade of the KATP channel Kir6.2 by memantine represents a novel mechanism relevant to Alzheimer’s disease therapy,” recently…

Pharnext  is reporting positive Phase 2 results from its investigative pleodrug PXT-864, a new oral combination of existing therapies, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Results from the exploratory study were presented at the 9th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) meeting, held recently in San Diego. PLEODIAL-I (NCT02361424) was a Phase 2, 12-week…