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The process by which the tau protein is transformed from a healthy cell component into a driver of crippling diseases is described by researchers at UT Southwestern’s O’Donnell Brain Institute. Their work sheds new light on the underlying mechanism involved in several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other…

The study of axonal transport, the system responsible for transporting vital molecules and signals from one nerve cell to another, may lead scientists to the origin of Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers at the University at Buffalo, New York. Malfunctions in this transport system create “traffic jams,” and…

Treatment with investigational compound BAN2401 over 18 months reduced the accumulation of amyloid fibers in the brain and slowed Alzheimer’s disease progression, according to top-line results from a Phase 2 trial. This follows a previous announcement in December 2017 by Eisai and Biogen, the therapy’s developers, that the treatment had…

Treatment with low-dose aspirin was found to reduce the amount of brain amyloid aggregates that researchers believe are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a mouse study. These findings may open new therapeutic doors to prevent memory loss in Alzheimer’s patients. The study, “Aspirin induces…

The combination of two factors, aging and eating foods high in sugar or fats, raises susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease, a study in mice reports. The research, “Evaluation of neuropathological effects of a high‐fat high‐sucrose diet in middle‐aged male C57BL6/J mice,” was published in Physiological Reports. Alzheimer’s disease is a…

The buildup of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain is not sufficient on its own to cause the death of neurons in Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a new study that challenges current views on how the disease progresses. Researchers have widely believed that beta-amyloid drives nerve cell death in Alzheimer’s, but these…

Drinking alcohol, especially in excess, may hinder the brain’s natural ability to clear itself of amyloid beta protein plaques, the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s disease, a study in rat cells implies. “Our results … suggest that alcohol consumption may represent a risk factor for development of amyloid burden,” the researchers wrote.

The Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) and Immuneering have formed a partnership to identify new therapy targets and candidates for Alzheimer’s disease. DDF will invest $1.3 million to use Immuneering’s proprietary computational drug discovery platform and analyze available public data of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Immuneering researchers use those…

A tailored lighting intervention in nursing homes can improve sleep, mood, and behavior in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study’s preliminary results. The study, “Tailored Lighting Intervention For Alzheimer’s Patients And Its Effects On Sleep, Mood And Agitation,” was presented at SLEEP 2018, the 32nd joint…

ProMIS Neurosciences announced plans to initiate the development of its lead antibody candidate, PMN310, as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The investigational therapy is expected to enter clinical Phase 1 trials in 2019. PMN310 is a humanized antibody that attacks only toxic forms of the amyloid beta protein linked to Alzheimer’s, not its…