News

Porphyomonas gingivalis, a bacteria that causes a type of gum disease known as chronic periodontitis, was found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, providing evidence of its possible role in the disease’s development, a study reports. The release of toxic enzymes from this bacteria was blocked by a…

The Alzheimer’s Association has funded a two-year extension of the SPRINT-MIND study — SPRINT MIND 2.0 — to further explore the role of intensive treatment to lower blood pressure and the risk of dementia. The funding, which totals more than $800,000, will allow researchers to follow the participants of the original trial for…

Two Phase 3 trials — CREAD 1 and CREAD 2 — evaluating crenezumab as a therapy for early Alzheimer’s disease have been discontinued, Genentech announced. The decision was based on an interim analysis by an independent data monitoring committee that ruled that crenezumab was unlikely to meet its primary…

Using a new type of approach called epigenetics, researchers were able to temporarily rescue memory and cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. The study showed that epigenetic changes — external modifications to DNA to turn genes on or off without changing the actual DNA sequence — are…

Alzheimer’s disease patients who take anti-epileptic therapies have a higher number of accumulated days spent in the hospital than those not prescribed this type of medication, a study reports. The study, “Antiepileptic Drugs and Accumulation of Hospital Days Among Persons With Alzheimer’s Disease,” was published in The…

United Neuroscience’s Alzheimer’s vaccine candidate UB-311 was found safe and well-tolerated, triggering an antibody response against beta-amyloid in most of the patients, according to Phase 2a trial results. “These early results suggest a clinical response and support the continued and rapid development of UB-311. The intent of this Phase 2a study was to…

A medicine being developed to treat stroke patients may help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease by suppressing the accumulation of toxic amyloid-beta during the early stages of the disease and preventing memory loss, a mouse study shows. The study “3K3A-activated protein C blocks amyloidogenic BACE1 pathway and improves…

People 60 or older with a disrupted pattern of deep sleep — the one that helps memory formation — have a higher accumulation of the Alzheimer’s hallmark tau protein in their brains, a study reports. These findings highlight how poor-quality sleep later in life is a potential sign of brain health…

African-Americans have lower expression of two biomarkers of Alzheimer’s, suggesting a possible race-dependent biological mechanism that contributes to the development of the disease, a study shows. This discrepancy between African-American and white patients is particularly relevant for those who carry the ApoE4 variant of the ApoE gene. The study, “…

Throughout 2018, Alzheimer’s News Today brought you stories of important discoveries, treatment developments, clinical trials, and other events related to Alzheimer’s disease. As we look forward to providing more news to those living with Alzheimer’s as well as their family members and caregivers this year, here are the 10 most-read stories…