News

A protein involved in ovarian cancer, known as OCIAD1, contributes to the neurodegeneration seen in Alzheimer’s disease, and may be a more fitting treatment target than beta-amyloid, a protein long linked to this disease, a study suggests. Specifically, elevated levels of the OCIAD1 protein affect the workings of a small organelle…

Biogen is acquiring from Pfizer investigational therapy PF-05251749, a small molecule being developed to treat sundowning in Alzheimer’s disease and irregular sleep wake rhythm disorder (ISWRD) in Parkinson’s disease. The company plans to begin a Phase 1b clinical trial by the end of this year,…

Caroline Snoeij remembers a 94-year-old man with dementia weighing whether to make healthcare-related visits to her farm in central Holland. “I’ll come if you’ll let me clean the outside of the eggs” your chickens lay, he said in his best bargaining tone. A bemused Caroline and her husband IJsbrand agreed. The…

Individuals, especially east Asians who carry a mutation in a key enzyme involved in alcohol metabolism, have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease as a consequence of regular alcohol consumption, according to recent research. The study, “Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activity and aldehydic load contribute to neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s…

When it comes to nutrition support for Alzheimer’s disease, we often focus on nutrient- and energy-specific recommendations to support cognitive brain function and the gut microbiome, as well as to reduce inflammation.  A lesser-known consideration however, is…

Immunization with two experimental vaccines targeting the toxic forms of amyloid-beta and tau protein — two hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease — triggered an immune response that reduced the levels of both proteins in the brain of a mouse model of the disease. The new combination…

Researchers have discovered a likely reason why the most common form of the CD33 protein is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, a finding that could open new therapeutic avenues targeting the protein, a study reports.

The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which provides protection against tuberculosis, can reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in patients with bladder cancer — and potentially provide new avenues to explore this effect in the general population, according to a recent study. The study, “Bacillus Calmette-Guérin…

The Alzheimer’s Association (AA) has launched an initiative to help U.S. health systems and clinicians enhance dementia care, and do so more cost-effectively. The non-profit organization is seeking to partner with some 300 health systems nationally to offer solutions for improving health outcomes among patients with Alzheimer’s…

Ionis Pharmaceuticals has licensed IONIS-MAPTRx (BIIB080), its investigational antisense therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, to Biogen. IONIS-MAPTRx is an antisense therapy — an approach to fighting diseases using short DNA-like molecules called antisense oligonucleotides — that has been designed to reduce the production…