Posts

Showing posts from September, 2017

New approach to treating Alzheimer's disease

Image
This picture reveals the chemical buildings of macrocyclic polyamines and their steel complexes. Credit score: UNIST Alzheimer's illness (AD) is likely one of the most typical type of dementia. In seek for new medicine for AD, the analysis workforce, led by Professor Mi Hee Lim of Pure Science at UNIST has developed a metal-based substance that works like a pair of genetic scissors to chop out amyloid-β (Aβ), the hallmark protein of AD. The examine has been featured on the duvet of the January 2017 situation of the  Journal of the American Chemical Society  (JACS) and has been additionally chosen as a JACS Highlight article. Alzheimer's illness is the sixth main reason for dying amongst in older adults. The precise causes of Alzheimer's illness are nonetheless unknown, however a number of elements are presumed to be causative brokers. Amongst these, the aggreg...

New target for Parkinson's disease identified by researchers

The synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2C (SV2C) is part of a family of proteins involved in regulating the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. Dopamine depletion is a well-known feature of Parkinson's disease and the research shows that SV2C controls the release of dopamine in the brain. The team generated mice lacking the protein SV2C , which resulted in less dopamine in the brain and reduced movement. The mice had a blunted response to nicotine, the chemical in cigarette smoke thought to protect people from PD. In addition, when brains from patients who had died of PD, Alzheimer's disease, and several other neurodegenerative diseases were examined they found that SV2C was altered only in the PD brains. "Our research reveals a connection between SV2C and dopamine and suggests that drug therapies aimed at SV2C may be beneficial in PD or other dopamine-related disorders." says Gary W. Miller, PhD, professor and associate dean for research at the Rollins Sch...

May smartphones help to maintain memory in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease?

To help her with her symptoms, Mohamad El Haj, a psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Lille, proposed Google Calendar, a time-management and scheduling calendar service developed by Google. The patient accepted as she was already comfortable using her smartphone. She also declared that she preferred the application as it offers more discrete assistance than a paper-based calendar. With the patient and her husband, Dr. El Haj and his colleagues defined several prospective omissions in the patient, such as forgetting her weekly medical appointment, forgetting her weekly bridge game in the community club, and forgetting to go to weekly mass at the church. These omissions were targeted by sending automatic alerts, prompted by Google Calendar, at different times before each event (e.g., the medical appointment). The researchers compared omissions before after the use of Google Calendar, they observed less omission after implementing the application. The study ...

Cholesterol-processing enzyme protects from debilitating brain lesions

The targeted enzyme's primary purpose is to eliminate excess cholesterol from the brain. But the researchers hypothesized it could also help remove another cholesterol-like molecule -- cholestanol. Cholestanol is normally found in very low levels in the body, at least 500 times less often than cholesterol, but spikes in people with a rare, uncurable genetic disease called cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. Patients with the disease slowly accumulate cholestanol in areas of the brain responsible for muscle coordination, causing seizures, involuntary movements, and cognitive decline. With help from the right enzymes, the debilitating accumulations could be eliminated. "We found that an enzyme called CYP46A1 not only eliminates cholesterol but also cholestanol from the brain," said Irina Pikuleva, PhD, study lead and Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "CYP46...

Cholesterol-processing enzyme protects from debilitating brain lesions

The targeted enzyme's primary purpose is to eliminate excess cholesterol from the brain. But the researchers hypothesized it could also help remove another cholesterol-like molecule -- cholestanol. Cholestanol is normally found in very low levels in the body, at least 500 times less often than cholesterol, but spikes in people with a rare, uncurable genetic disease called cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. Patients with the disease slowly accumulate cholestanol in areas of the brain responsible for muscle coordination, causing seizures, involuntary movements, and cognitive decline. With help from the right enzymes, the debilitating accumulations could be eliminated. "We found that an enzyme called CYP46A1 not only eliminates cholesterol but also cholestanol from the brain," said Irina Pikuleva, PhD, study lead and Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "CYP46...

Head injuries can alter hundreds of genes and lead to serious brain diseases

Image
Examples of gene networks within the hippocampus affected by mind trauma. UCLA researchers report that the “grasp regulator” genes (in pink) affect many different genes liable for the results of mind trauma. Credit score: Qingying Meng/UCLA Head accidents can hurt a whole lot of genes within the mind in a means that will increase folks's danger for a variety of neurological and psychiatric issues, UCLA life scientists report. The researchers recognized for the primary time grasp genes that they consider management a whole lot of different genes that are linked to Alzheimer's illness, Parkinson's illness, post-traumatic stress dysfunction, stroke, consideration deficit hyperactivity dysfunction, autism, despair, schizophrenia and different issues. Figuring out what the grasp genes are might give scientists targets for brand new prescribed drugs to deal with mind il...

Brain cells show teamwork in short-term memory

Image
Adam Sachs (left) and Julio Martinez-Trujillo (proper) have found that nerve cells within the mind work collectively to retailer and retrieve short-term reminiscence. Credit score: Western College Nerve cells in our brains work collectively in concord to retailer and retrieve short-term reminiscence, and should not solo artists as beforehand thought, Western-led mind analysis has decided. The analysis activates its head many years of research assuming that single neurons independently encode info in our working reminiscences. "These findings recommend that even neurons we beforehand thought have been 'ineffective' as a result of they did not individually encode info have a function when working in live performance with different neurons," stated researcher Julio Martinez-Trujillo, based mostly on the Robarts Analysis Institute and the Mind and Thoughts Instit...

Caffeine boosts enzyme that could protect against dementia

Image
Indiana College scientists have recognized 24 compounds that improve the mind's manufacturing of the enzyme NMNAT2, which helps forestall the formation of those tangles related to neurodegenerative issues akin to Alzheimer's illness. Credit score: Picture courtesy of the Nationwide Institute on Growing older/Nationwide Institutes of Well being A examine by Indiana College researchers has recognized 24 compounds -- together with caffeine -- with the potential to spice up an enzyme within the mind proven to guard towards dementia. The protecting impact of the enzyme, referred to as NMNAT2, was found final 12 months by analysis carried out at IU Bloomington. The brand new examine seems as we speak within the journal  Scientific Studies . "This work might assist advance efforts to develop medicine that improve ranges of this enzyme within the mind, making a chemical ...

Incidence of dementia in primary care increased in the Netherlands over 23 years

The researchers collected data on dementia diagnoses for persons aged 60 years and over from general practitioner networks for the years 1992 to 2014, including data on more than 800,000 older people and 23,186 incident dementia cases. They estimate that the annual growth in dementia incidence rate is 2.1% (95% CI 0.5% to 3.8%), with incidence rates 1.08 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.13) times higher for women compared to men. The authors say that increased awareness of dementia by patients and doctors in more recent years may have influenced dementia diagnosis by general practitioners in electronic health records, and needs to be taken into account when interpreting the data. In a linked Perspective, Eric Larson discusses the findings in light of previous cohort studies that have reported a recent decline in dementia incidence rates and highlights that studies on the incidence and prevalence of dementia can provide insights into possible strategies to control dementia. He says: "We ...

When less is essential to keep the brain going

Image
Fluorescence picture of the stomach segments in a v entral ganglio n of Drosophila larva. The synaptic contacts and the cell nuclei are stained with Bruchpilot (magenta) and Hoechst dye (inexperienced), respectively. Credit score: Swagata Dey Just like the junctions in an digital circuit between two semiconductors in an built-in laptop chip, synapses within the mind represent the logic of data circulate. Merely put, neurons type practical synapses each time we study one thing, and make us neglect after they disappear. Lack of synaptic capabilities within the human mind is on the root of many progressive neurodegenerative problems similar to Alzheimer's Illness. Though analysis has recognized a number of components that may doubtlessly trigger such problems, the vital set off remains to be elusive. In a latest report, revealed in  Cell Experiences , Swagata Dey and Krishanu Ray ...