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Alzheimer’s disease

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 11, 2024·4 min read

Targeting Enzyme TYK2 Could Reduce Tau in Alzheimer’s Disease

Scientists have discovered that the enzyme TYK2 modifies tau proteins, leading to their accumulation in the brain—a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. By reducing TYK2 activity in animal models, researchers found tau buildup was decreased, suggesting TYK2 inhibitors could be a potential therapeutic pathway.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·November 7, 2024·4 min read

New Nasal Spray Could Delay Alzheimer’s Progression by Years

Researchers have developed a promising nasal spray therapy targeting neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease, potentially delaying its progression by over a decade. Using extracellular vesicles derived from neural stem cells, the treatment reduced inflammation and protein build-up in the brain in early-stage Alzheimer’s animal models.

This shows a man's face and broken bottles.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 5, 2024·5 min read

Gene Study Links Alcohol Addiction to Accelerated Alzheimer’s Progression

Researchers discovered alcohol use disorder (AUD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibit similar patterns of gene dysregulation, hinting that alcohol consumption may hasten Alzheimer’s progression. By analyzing gene expression across individual brain cells, the team found shared disruptions in inflammation, cell signaling, and blood vessel functions in both disorders.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 31, 2024·7 min read

New Clues on Protein Fibrils Could Transform Alzheimer’s Research

A recent study reveals that a polymer called polyphosphate may stabilize fibrils, protein structures linked to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers used computer models to show that polyphosphate fits a previously unidentified "mystery density" in these fibrils, suggesting it plays a protective role. While the findings could eventually inform therapies, more research is needed to understand polyphosphate's exact role in the brain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 25, 2024·4 min read

Pausing Amyloid Fibrils Offers New Alzheimer’s Insight

Researchers have identified a unique “paused state” in the growth of amyloid β fibrils, linked to Alzheimer’s disease, using high-speed atomic force microscopy. In this state, fibril growth is halted, allowing an antibody, 4396C, to bind and prevent further growth, opening a potential path to slow Alzheimer’s progression.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 24, 2024·4 min read

Ozempic Shows Potential in Lowering Alzheimer’s Risk

New research suggests that semaglutide, a popular diabetes and weight-loss drug, may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people with type 2 diabetes. The study compared semaglutide to seven other anti-diabetic drugs and found it was linked to a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 24, 2024·4 min read

Gut Bacteria Linked to Alzheimer’s Progression

Researchers have discovered that the gut bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae can migrate to the brain, leading to inflammation and cognitive decline that mimic Alzheimer’s symptoms. The study suggests that hospital-acquired infections combined with disrupted gut microbiomes may increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 22, 2024·4 min read

Bilingualism Boosts Brain Resilience, Delaying Alzheimer’s Onset

Bilingualism has been shown to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by up to five years. A new study reveals that bilingual individuals with Alzheimer’s have larger hippocampi, a critical brain region for memory, compared to monolinguals.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 22, 2024·4 min read

Loneliness Increases Dementia Risk by 31%

A large meta-analysis of over 600,000 people shows that experiencing loneliness significantly raises the risk of developing dementia by 31%. Researchers found that loneliness is a key factor in cognitive decline, contributing to conditions like Alzheimer's disease, regardless of age or sex.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·October 18, 2024·4 min read

Disrupted Protein Clearance After TBI Tied to Alzheimer’s

A study has found that traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by disrupting protein clearance, leading to the accumulation of toxic tau proteins in the brain. Researchers discovered that TBI downregulates BAG3, a protein crucial for clearing damaged proteins, which contributes to Alzheimer's-related tau buildup.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 18, 2024·6 min read

Alzheimer’s Progresses in Two Distinct Phases

New research has shown that Alzheimer’s disease impacts the brain in two primary phases: an early, gradual phase that damages select cell types and a late phase marked by rapid, widespread damage as symptoms emerge. In the early stage, subtle changes occur slowly, including the loss of specific inhibitory neurons, which may contribute to neural circuit dysfunction. The second phase aligns with symptom onset and the buildup of Alzheimer’s hallmarks like plaques and tangles.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 11, 2024·4 min read

HDL Cholesterol Quality, Not Quantity, Linked to Alzheimer’s Risk

Higher levels of HDL, the so-called "good cholesterol," may not protect against Alzheimer's in postmenopausal women, with the risk potentially tied to the quality, not quantity, of HDL particles. A new study shows that larger HDL particles, which increase during menopause, lose efficiency in supporting cognitive health.