News

Researchers have discovered a common link between abnormal proteins that cause damage to brain cells in Alzheimer’s (AD), Parkinson’s (PD) and Huntington’s (HD) disease patients. The discovery could help scientists understand the mechanism by which these neurodegenerative diseases spread, and possibly lead to a therapy…

A new DNA vaccine protects against accumulation of toxic proteins in Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research. One study, “Evaluation of a DNA Aβ42 Vaccine in Aged NZW Rabbits: Antibody Kinetics and Immune Profile after Intradermal Immunization with Full-Length DNA Aβ42 Trimer,” appeared in the Journal of Alzheimer’s…

Otsuka America Pharmaceutical and Avanir Pharmaceuticals are working with southern New Jersey educational administrators to create specialists who can help Alzheimer’s patients and their families navigate the care continuum. The goal is to start a one-year training program at Camden County College that leads to a specialist’s certification. Those receiving…

Epileptic-seizure-like activity in a brain region called the hippocampus may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s, according to a case study involving two patients. And an anti-epileptic medicine may be able to slow the disease’s progression, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers said. An additional finding was that seizure-like activity may be difficult to…

Promising data from Sangamo Therapeutics‘ research programs, including Alzheimer’s disease, were recently announced. The results were presented during the 20th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) in Washington, D.C. Sangamo’s work in Alzheimer’s revealed a significant reduction in the production of tau, a…

The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) is receiving a $2.7 million U.S. government grant for a five-year research project on the mechanisms that underlie healthy aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Catherine Kaczorowski, an assistant professor at the Bal Harbor, Maine-based research organization, will direct the work. The grant is coming from the National Institute on…

Researchers, for the first time, have measured how tau protein spreads in the brains of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease or its prodromal (early) stages. The discovery suggests that tau accumulation is linked to problems with episodic memory. But it was changes in brain glucose metabolism, rather than tau, that were…

Taconic Biosciences is improving its services to Alzheimer’s disease researchers — creating a ready-to-use stock of an important mouse model of the disease. Earlier procedures forced researchers to wait for months to receive mice ready for experiments, potentially slowing research efforts. As human brains are difficult to study, animal models…

The state of New York lacks effective measures for preventing diabetes, which is fueling a dramatic increase in Alzheimer’s disease. So says a new document, “Unprevented Diabetes Means Unnecessary Alzheimer’s,” issued by Health People: Community Preventive Health Institute. Doctors say diabetes increases the risk of getting Alzheimer’s by 40 percent. Currently, New York state…

A special issue of PLOS Medicine that covers a broad range of new Alzheimer’s and dementia studies underscores the importance of a holistic, personalized-care approach to treatment, according to a California health care provider that promotes that approach. AFFIRMATIVhealth uses information from the latest research on these neurodegenerative conditions to…