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Mice with Alzheimer’s who are unable to produce the protein Ephexin5 have no memory problems, despite having brains littered with the amyloid beta protein that has been linked to the disease, a study reports. The finding prompted Johns Hopkins University researchers to conclude that blocking the protein, which is found…

British pharmaceutical company Neuro-Bio has received $3.2 million in financing from Los Angeles-based Kairos Ventures to continue developing a diagnostic tool for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. This tool stems from a novel approach to Alzheimer’s pioneered in 2013 by Neuro-Bio’s founder and CEO, Susan Greenfield, and her team at Oxford University. Resulting…

Transdermal (through the skin) delivery of Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) may be as effective as the drug’s oral form, according to results of a pilot bioequivalence (BE) study conducted by Corium International. Aricept in tablet form is one of the only drugs approved for Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. for patients…

Abnormal levels of unsaturated fatty acids may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease processes, as researchers found that six of these fats were linked to both brain abnormalities and cognitive symptoms. In people with amyloid-beta plaques but no cognitive problems, the abnormalities were less pronounced, suggesting that when levels of these fatty…

Reduced levels of the blood coagulation factor XII improves brain inflammation and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease, new research shows. The study, “Depletion of coagulation factor XII ameliorates brain pathology and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease mice,” appeared in the journal Blood. Vascular (blood vessel) dysfunction and inflammation…

Canada’s 3D Signatures has developed a simple cheek swab to identify patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and even distinguish among those with mild, moderate or severe stages of the illness, according to results from a clinical trial. The analyses, based on the company’s TeloView software platform, will appear in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, though a 3D press…

With the help of an extremely powerful infrared spectroscopy method, researchers have found evidence challenging the widely held theory that Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented by clearing amyloid-beta from the brain. The research team at Lund University in Sweden discovered that amyloid-beta naturally exists as a four-unit complex and…

Drinking tea may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive ailments, concludes a study that followed elderly adults in Singapore. Since objectively measurable markers of tea consumption are now available, researchers at the National University of Singapore urge more efforts to examine the individual compounds in tea responsible for this…

Abnormal levels of calcium in the mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouse, may lead to neuronal death in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to researchers at Temple University’s Center for Translational Medicine. Scientists presented their study, “Imbalance of calcium in a cell’s energy factory may drive Alzheimer’s disease,” at the 61st Meeting of the Biophysical Society,…

Caffeine, along with 23 other compounds, increases levels of a neuroprotective enzyme called NMNAT2 (nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2), with potential implications for the treatment of dementia, new research shows. The study, “Screening with an NMNAT2-MSD platform identifies small molecules that modulate NMNAT2 levels in cortical neurons,” appeared in…