News

Merck’s amyloid-lowering drug, verubecestat, has proceeded to Phase 3 clinical trials after early studies showed it safely lowered the levels of amyloid-beta, the protein linked to neurodegeneration in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Although the news may be reason for optimism, it remains to be seen if the treatment…

Vaccine development strategies for Alzheimer’s disease should attempt to mirror the natural immunity against toxic amyloid-beta, instead of venturing on uncertain paths, Dr. Dante Marciani argued in a feature article discussing Alzheimer’s disease vaccine development. The feature, “Rejecting the Alzheimer’s disease vaccine development for the wrong reasons,” which recently…

Alzheimer’s disease starts with neurodegenerative changes in basal brain structures, and spreads to more superficial layers as the disease progresses, new research reports — a finding that challenges the widely held view that the disease originates in the brain’s cortex. The findings, reported in the study, “Basal forebrain degeneration…

Dr. David Satcher, the former U.S. Surgeon General, was named to the Board of Directors of UsAgainstAlzheimers (UsA2), where he will contribute his voice and influence to the non-profit organization as it advocates for greater urgency and action against Alzheimer’s disease. Satcher, who was a four-star admiral in the United States Public Health…

Abnormalities in the brain’s cellular power plants, known as mitochondria, may drive early Alzheimer’s processes — even before the telltale amyloid plaque that marks the disease starts forming in the brain. The finding suggests that treatments that target the abnormal energy-making processes may be a new way of approaching Alzheimer’s…

BrightStar Care, a national at-home senior care franchise, has launched an Alzheimer’s awareness campaign — Memories and Connections — for Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. The campaign is designed to equip family or care partners with information, educational tips, and activities to create meaningful connections with loved ones living with Alzheimer’s…

Scientists identified two new genes associated with the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in African-Americans. According to the researcher, this new discovery could lead to the development of new drugs that target these genes for the treatment of AD.

Antibodies extracted from llamas can visualize amyloid-beta plaque and tau deposits in the brains of live animals — a finding that may lead to a way to track Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes in people before symptoms appear. The antibodies were shown to work in mice, but researchers have been unable to visualize their…

Scientists have reported the discovery of a factor capable of lowering levels of tau in the brain. Tau is a protein high on the list of potential villains in Alzheimer’s disease. The study, “Reduction of Nuak1 Decreases Tau and Reverses Phenotypes in a Tauopathy Mouse Model,” was published in the journal Neuron. The…

The mutated gene, as well as the position of the mutation within a gene, impact the kind of symptoms patients with dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s disease develop, according to new research. These findings also underscored the notion that familial Alzheimer’s is a highly variable condition, making genetic testing a crucial component…