Alzheimer’s disease patients carrying a gene found only in humans, called CHRFAM7A, are less responsive to cholinesterase inhibitors, a new study reports. These findings may explain why some therapeutic benefits seen in animal studies have failed to translate to patients. Kinga Szigeti, MD, PhD, director of the University…
Following the approval of its investigational new drug (IND) application by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Samus Therapeutics is launching a Phase 1 trial in the United States to evaluate the safety of its investigational therapy PU-AD, an epichaperome inhibitor, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s…
The small molecule inhibitor SM07883, being developed by Samumed, can effectively prevent tau protein toxic accumulation, and tau-mediated neuroinflammation in mice, data from preclinical studies show. As tau-associated mechanisms are implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, these findings suggest that SM07883 may represent a new strategy for the…
Having close relatives with Alzheimer’s disease is linked to poorer memory, a new study has found. The study, titled “Family history of Alzheimer’s disease alters cognition and is modified by medical and genetic factors,” was published in eLIFE. Having a family history of Alzheimer’s disease and…
Healthy lifestyle choices — maintaining an active mind, a nutritious diet, and regular exercise — may help protect against cognitive decline and dementia, new research shows. Moreover, cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse seem to be associated with cognitive impairment and increased dementia risk. These are the main findings of five…
Inhibition of a protein called LIMK1 may help prevent the loss of dendritic spines — the connections between neurons in the brain — triggered by the build-up of beta-amyloid in early stage Alzheimer’s disease, a study has found. “This is the first study to showcase that inhibiting LIMK1 could…
Differences in how proteins move in the brain at older ages may explain why the risk of Alzheimer’s disease increases with age, according to a new study in mice. The study, “Experimental evidence for the age dependence of tau protein spread in the brain,” was published…
An online test, called MemTrax, may help screen and predict the progression of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s and other disorders, according to a new study using artificial intelligence. The research, “Episodic-Memory Performance in Machine Learning Modeling for Predicting Cognitive Health Status Classification,” was published in…
To enhance care for the growing number of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center a $3.75 million grant. The grant will establish a partner-reliant program designed to better educate…
Spontaneous seizures reduce the production of new brain cells, and result in poor spatial discrimination — a common occurrence in people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a mouse study. The study, “Early Seizure Activity Accelerates Depletion of Hippocampal Neural Stem Cells and Impairs Spatial Discrimination in an Alzheimer’s…
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