By Dennis Thompson, Healthday Reporter Protein fragments that form plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients might also stiffen their heart muscle and increase their risk of heart failure, a new study reports. The protein fragments are called amyloid beta. Tests of heart tissue samples revealed that the hearts of Alzheimer’s patients had increased levelsContinue reading “Alzheimer’s protein plaques may also harm the heart”
Category Archives: Alzheimer’s Disease
An extended family in Antioquia, Colombia with a genetic mutation causing Alzheimer’s
Ken Kosik: When we looked at the family trees, about 50 percent of the offspring were getting the disease. That’s a clear signature of a gene. But what gene? Kosik connected Dr. Lopera with leading geneticists in the U.S., and they started collecting blood samples and searching. Within a year, a major breakthrough. They foundContinue reading “An extended family in Antioquia, Colombia with a genetic mutation causing Alzheimer’s”
REST is lost in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease
Human neurons are functional over an entire lifetime, yet the mechanisms that preserve function and protect against neurodegeneration during ageing are unknown. A study shows that induction of the repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST; also known as neuron-restrictive silencer factor, NRSF) is a universal feature of normal ageing in human cortical and hippocampal neurons.Continue reading “REST is lost in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease”
Brain Bleeding Risk for Men With Alzheimer’s Gene
Even though women for ApoE4 are at a higher risk for Alzheimer’s, men who have the gene and disease suffer more tiny hemorrhages in their brains. A common genetic variation, ApoE4, linked to Alzheimer’s disease greatly raises the likelihood of tiny brain bleeds in some men, scientists have found. Such hemorrhages in brain tissue –Continue reading “Brain Bleeding Risk for Men With Alzheimer’s Gene”
Alzheimer’s Plaques Reduced by Targeting Sugar Attachment to the BACE1 Enzyme
Researchers at the RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center in Japan have demonstrated that hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can be reduced when sugars are prevented from binding to one of the key enzymes implicated in the disease. The new findings, reported in EMBO Molecular Medicine, show that abnormal attachment of a particular sugar to theContinue reading “Alzheimer’s Plaques Reduced by Targeting Sugar Attachment to the BACE1 Enzyme”
A decrease in Dementia rates in the USA
How researchers measured dementia rates in the U.S. The researchers questioned 10,546 people living in community or nursing homes in 2000, and then questioned 10,516 respondents ― a mix of previously surveyed and new people ― again in 2012. The questionnaire included several tests that measured cognitive function. These tasks asked them to count backward fromContinue reading “A decrease in Dementia rates in the USA”
Shark Fins and Meat Contain High Levels of Neurotoxins Associated With Alzheimer’s
Summary: Researchers have found high concentrations of neurotoxins linked to Alzheimer’s disease in the fins and muscles of 10 species of sharks. One of the toxins also has been found in shark fin and shark cartilage supplements. Source: University of Miami. UM research team says restricting shark consumption protects human health and shark populations. InContinue reading “Shark Fins and Meat Contain High Levels of Neurotoxins Associated With Alzheimer’s”
Antibiotics Weaken Alzheimer’s Progression Through Changes in Gut Bacteria
Summary: A new study reports long term use of antibiotics in mice decreased levels of amyloid plaques and activated inflammatory microglial cells. Source: University of Chicago. Long-term antibiotic treatment in mice decreases levels of disease-causing plaques and enhances neuroinflammatory activity of microglial cells. Long-term treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics decreased levels of amyloid plaques, aContinue reading “Antibiotics Weaken Alzheimer’s Progression Through Changes in Gut Bacteria”
Lack of immune cell receptor impairs clearance of amyloid beta protein from the brain
Increased expression of Scara1 protein might impede progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Identification of a protein that appears to play an important role in the immune system’s removal of amyloid beta (A-beta) protein from the brain could lead to a new treatment strategy for Alzheimer’s disease. The report from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) hasContinue reading “Lack of immune cell receptor impairs clearance of amyloid beta protein from the brain”
Green tea extract interferes with the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s
Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a new potential benefit of a molecule in green tea: preventing the misfolding of specific proteins in the brain. The aggregation of these proteins, called metal-associated amyloids, is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. A paper published recently in the Proceedings of the National AcademyContinue reading “Green tea extract interferes with the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s”
The Evolution of Amyloid Toxicity in Alzheimer’s
Researchers uncover structural markers to differentiate between smaller and larger forms of “Jekyll and Hyde” amyloid beta molecular bundles–providing a basis for understanding why smaller bundles of the protein are more toxic than larger bundles. A tiny protein known as an “amyloid beta” acts like Jekyll and Hyde in mysterious ways within the human body.Continue reading “The Evolution of Amyloid Toxicity in Alzheimer’s”
Could Alzheimer’s Associated Amyloid Plaques Fight Bacterial Infections?
Summary: According to researchers, the expression of human amyloid beta protected against potentially lethal infections in mice, roundworms and cultured human brain cells. Source: Mass General. Human amyloid-beta acts as natural antibiotic in the brains of animal models. A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators provides additional evidence that amyloid-beta protein – whichContinue reading “Could Alzheimer’s Associated Amyloid Plaques Fight Bacterial Infections?”
Common Prostate Cancer Treatment Linked to Later Dementia
Summary: Men with prostate cancer who are treated with testosterone lowering drugs are almost twice as likely to develop dementia within 5 years as those with the same cancer who are treated with different therapies, a new study reports. Source: Stanford. A new retrospective study of patient medical records suggests that men with prostate cancerContinue reading “Common Prostate Cancer Treatment Linked to Later Dementia”
Gene Suppression Helps Long Term Memories Form
A new study has identified a number of genes that are repressed at various time points after memory formation, providing important clues as to how long-term memories are formed. Storing a persistent memory in the brain involves dynamic gene regulation. However, scientists’ knowledge of the target genes controlled during memory formation is limited. To gainContinue reading “Gene Suppression Helps Long Term Memories Form”