Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases target healthy brain's intrinsic networks

harminka — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:27:30 -0500

New research suggests that neurodegenerative diseases are neither diffuse nor random but specifically target large-scale functional networks in the human brain.

Prions serve as important source of variation in nature

harminka — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:02:24 -0500

Special proteins known as prions, which are perhaps best known as the agents of mad cow and other neurodegenerative diseases, can also serve as an important source of beneficial variation in nature, confirms a new study in the April 3rd issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication.

Drug combinations key in treating neurodegenerative diseases

harminka — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:50:24 -0600

Combining the benefits of multiple drugs in a single pill may hold the key to treating neurodegenerative diseases, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.

Common mechanism may underlie many neurodegenerative diseases

harminka — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:43:05 -0600

Mayo Clinic-led international consortium has found a mechanism that may help explain Parkinson's and other neurological disorders.

Protein that protects against Alzheimer's?

harminka — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:49:06 -0600

Research on the mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, stroke, dementia, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis, to name a few, has taken a step forward thanks to the work of biological sciences Ph.D. student Sonia Do Carmo, supervised by Professor Éric Rassart of the Université du Québec à Montreal (UQAM) Biological Sciences Department, in collaboration with researchers at the Armand-Frappier Institute and the University of Valladolid in Spain.

Toxicity mechanism identified for Parkinson's disease

harminka — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:48:10 -0600

Neurologists have observed for decades that Lewy bodies, clumps of aggregated proteins inside cells, appear in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Nitric oxide can alter brain function

harminka — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:55:57 -0600

Research from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester shows that nitric oxide (NO) can change the computational ability of the brain. This finding has implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease and our understanding of brain function more generally.

Novel therapeutic compounds for neurodegenerative conditions

harminka — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:33:20 -0500

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), disrupt the quality of life for patients, put a tremendous burden on family caregivers, and cost society billions of dollars annually.

Iron-moving malfunction may underlie neurodegenerative diseases, aging

harminka — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:46:42 -0500

A glitch in the ability to move iron around in cells may underlie a disease known as Type IV mucolipidosis (ML4) and the suite of symptoms---mental retardation, poor vision and diminished motor abilities---that accompany it, new research at the University of Michigan shows.

Key protein molecule linked to diverse human chronic inflammatory diseases

harminka — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:11:28 -0500

Liwu Li, associate professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech, has revealed a common connection between the cellular innate immunity network and human chronic inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, Type 2 Diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Intrabody can mop up mutant protein in Huntington's disease model

harminka — Mon, 26 May 2008 01:47:25 -0500

Scientists have created a tool for mopping up the clumps of mutant protein that drive neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease. Emory University researchers engineered a virus to make an intracellular antibody or "intrabody" against huntingtin, the protein whose mutant forms poison the brain cells of people with Huntington's.

RNA toxicity contributes to neurodegenerative disease

harminka — Thu, 22 May 2008 08:20:07 -0500

Expanding on prior research performed at the University of Pennsylvania, Penn biologists have determined that faulty RNA, the blueprint that creates mutated, toxic proteins, contributes to a family of neurodegenerative disorders in humans.