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Navigation Problems in New Places May Hint at Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease

Washington University researchers suggest that difficulties in establishing cognitive maps of new surroundings might indicate the onset of Alzheimer’s disease long before a clinical diagnosis. The findings suggest that navigational tasks can be a powerful new tool for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease-related changes. The research paper, “Spatial Navigation in…

Failures in Alzheimer’s Vaccine Efforts Result of Research Errors, Scientist Says, And Suggests Ways of Correcting Them

All failed attempts to produce a viable vaccine against amyloid-beta in Alzheimer’s disease have one thing in common — they all used vaccine adjuvants that elicit the wrong kind of immune response, says Qantu Therapeutics’ president and CSO, Dante J. Marciani, in a sweeping retrospective analysis that covers errors in past and…

Alzheimer’s Diagnosed for a First Time in a HIV-Positive Person, Georgetown Researchers Report

Georgetown University researchers reported what is thought to be the first confirmed case of Alzheimer’s disease in a HIV-positive patient, a 71-year-old man with amyloid deposits in the brain detected by a scan. The case report highlights the importance of further study into HIV-related neurological decline, and raises the possibilty that Alzheimer’s…

Alzheimer’s Disease Mechanism Traced to Genetic Defect That Lowers Levels of a Mitochrondrial Protein

Researchers at two Norwegian institutions found that deficits in the mitochondrial protein PITRM1 led to an accumulation of amyloid-beta, whose deposits in the brain are known to cause Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, drawn from a study of a family with a rare genetic defect, further suggest that mitochondria is a key player in neurodegenerative diseases.

Peptides with Neuroprotective Properties, Identified in Early Study, May Help Alzheimer’s Patients

A family of six mitochondrial small humanin-like peptides (SHLPs) showed promising effects on cell survival and metabolism in preclinical studies of aging, a finding with long-reaching implications for age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. The findings were announced by the biotechnology company CohBar, which holds the exclusive license for developing SHLPs…