Dysfunction in neuronal transport mechanism linked to Alzheimer's disease : eurekalert

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Dysfunction in neuronal transport mechanism linked to Alzheimer's disease

Dysfunction in neuronal transport mechanism linked to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have confirmed that mutation-caused dysfunction in a process cells use to transport molecules within the cell plays a previously suspected but underappreciated role in promoting the heritable form of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but also one that might be remedied with existing therapeutic enzyme inhibitors.The findings published in the October 11 online issue of Cell Reports."Our results further illuminate the complex processes involved in the degradation and decline of neurons, which is, of course, the essential characteristic and cause of AD," said the study's senior author Larry Goldstein, PhD, Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Neuroscience and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of both the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program and Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center at UC San Diego Health."But beyond that, they point to a new target and therapy for a condition that currently has no proven treatment or cure."


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Symptoms linked to Alzheimer's disease manifest differently in Hispanics, study finds

Symptoms linked to Alzheimer's disease manifest differently in Hispanics, study finds

Certain symptoms associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease, including agitation and depression, affect Hispanics more frequently and severely than other ethnicities.The findings, published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience (JNCN), suggest that Alzheimer's disease manifests itself differently in Hispanic populations."Our study shows that the severity and proportion of neuropsychiatric symptoms is significantly higher in a Hispanic group compared to non-Hispanic whites," says lead researcher Ricardo Salazar, M.D., a geriatric psychiatrist at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso)."This could have a significant impact on the treatment and understanding of how Alzheimer's disease progresses in Hispanics."


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Gene therapy could ward off Alzheimer's disease altogether

Gene therapy could ward off Alzheimer's disease altogether

No currently available treatment can halt or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease, but Imperial College London researchers found that gene therapy may be able to prevent its onset altogether, at least in mice.The team has previously that found the gene PGC-1-alpha may prevent the formation of amyloid beta, the protein that accumulates in the brains of people who have Alzheimer's.In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists delivered this gene to the brains of mice using a modified virus, according to a statement.PGC-1-alpha codes for a protein of the same name that plays a part in the body's metabolic function, including regulating sugar.