News

University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) researchers will study the catalytic processes of sulfur-oxidizing enzymes, especially the chemical mechanism of a key enzyme, cysteine dioxygenase. Their work could lead to new therapies for Alzheimer’s and autism, diseases in which sulfur metabolism is known to be disrupted. Dr. Brad Pierce, a UTA assistant professor of biochemistry,…

Researchers at the Scintillon Institute for Biomedical and Bioenergy Research, San Diego, have discovered that the high blood sugar levels that mark type 2 diabetes and the plaque-forming β-amyloid protein found in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cause the same alterations in several brain enzymes. The findings explain the association long observed between AD and diabetes. The results,…

British researchers recently identified a protein driving brain inflammation, CSF1R, which they think may be the driving force behind the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study, “Pharmacological targeting of CSF1R inhibits microglial proliferation and prevents the progression of Alzheimer’s-like pathology” and published in the journal Brain, could be a significant step forward in…

Tetra Discovery Partners, in collaboration with the NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network, announced the start of Phase 1 safety trials of BPN14770, a drug Tetra is developing as a potential treatment for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and one that aims to both improve memory and slow disease progression. The NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics…

A recent review discussed how genes implicated in aging and Alzheimer’s disease exhibit epigenetic changes, indicating the same changes might exert a pathogenic role in dementia. The study, titled “Epigenetics of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease: Implications for Pharmacogenomics and Drug Response,” was published in the International Journal of Molecular…

GeneMatch, a novel program developed by the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI), is now identifying and recruiting people interested in participating in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research studies who are at risk of developing the disease based on their APOE genetic information. The APOE gene is a genetic factor associated with a higher Alzheimer’s risk and a higher…

Astrocytes, brain cells thought to migrate to and destroy the amyloid plaques that are associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease, are actually repelled by the plaques, researchers analyzing models of the brain report. Their study, titled “Topological analyses in APP/PS1 mice reveal that astrocytes do not migrate to amyloid-β…

Drinking alcohol in moderation every day — defined as two-to-three units per day — may be associated with a significantly lower mortality among people with early stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to a Danish study recently published in the BMJ Open journal and titled “Alcohol consumption and mortality in patients with mild…

DKR Fund 2014 grant recipient Dr. Chandramalika Basak, of the Center for Vital Longevity (CVL) at the University of Texas at Dallas, has discovered through her studies that playing video games can have a positive effect on cognitive abilities, brain structure, and brain function. The research was funded by the…

Researchers have identified urolithins are the molecules responsible for pomegranate extract’s apparent neuroprotective effectives against Alzheimer’s disease. The study, entitled “Pomegranate’s Neuroprotective Effects against Alzheimer’s Disease Are Mediated by Urolithins, Its Ellagitannin-Gut Microbial Derived Metabolites,” was published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience. Several animal studies have demonstrated that pomegranate…