Following a 2018 study demonstrating how disrupted sleep can accelerate the buildup of toxic plaques associated with the disease, scientists from Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in St. Louis have now identified a protein implicated in the progression of the disease that appears highly regulated by the circadian rhythm, helping them join the dots and providing a potential new therapeutic…
Tag: Alzheimer’s Disease
CRISPR gene editing of brain cells might prevent Alzheimer’s disease
CRISPR gene editing could be used to introduce a rare gene variant that greatly reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s, but it has only been tried in a dish so far Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2261034-crispr-gene-editing-of-brain-cells-might-prevent-alzheimers-disease/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Magnetic microbots can hook up brain cells to make a neural network
Tiny robots that can transport individual neurons and connect them to form active neural circuits could help us study brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2255467-magnetic-microbots-can-hook-up-brain-cells-to-make-a-neural-network/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Russell Kirsch, Inventor of the Pixel, Passed Away This Week
Computer scientist Russell A. Kirsch, the inventor of the pixel and an undisputed pioneer of digital imaging, passed away on Tuesday in his Portland home from complications arising from a form of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 91 years old. From a report: Russell Kirsch may not be a name that you immediately recognize, but his contributions to computer science made digital…
Amyloid formation on the International Space Station
Amyloids, abnormal fibrillar aggregates of proteins, are associated with various disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of amyloid formation is critical for developing clinical strategies and drugs against these diseases. However, accumulating evidence suggests that amyloid formation processes and the consequent morphology of fibrils can be affected by various environmental factors. This is an obstacle…
Repetitive negative thinking linked to dementia risk
Persistently engaging in negative thinking patterns may raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, finds a new UCL-led study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200607195008.htm
Could Brain Diseases Like Alzheimer’s Be Treated With Flashing Lights?
Writing for Quanta magazine, an adjunct professor of neuroscience at the University of Maryland described an intriguing study led by MIT neuroscientist Li-Huei Tsai: Incredible as it may sound, the researchers improved the brains of animals with Alzheimer’s simply by using LED lights that flashed 40 times a second. Even sound played at this charmed frequency, 40 hertz, had a similar…
Common herpes virus causes signs of Alzheimer’s disease in brain cells
A study of brains cells in a dish adds to growing evidence that Alzheimer’s disease can be caused by herpes viruses, but antiviral treatment may help stop it Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2242749-common-herpes-virus-causes-signs-of-alzheimers-disease-in-brain-cells/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
A quantum approach to imaging and sensor problems faced by biologists and clinicians
A host of diseases—like meningitis, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s disease, even some cancers—are ultimately caused by problems at the cellular level. Hence, understanding what is happening inside cells is essential. Observing cells under a microscope helps, but what medical researchers would really like to do is see processes inside cells in minute detail. …
One Woman Can Smell Parkinson’s Disease Before Symptoms Manifest
“For most of her life, Joy Milne had a superpower that she was totally oblivious to,” reports NPR. Long-time Slashdot reader doug141 explains what happened next:
Milne’s husband’s natural odor changed when he was 31. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 45. When Joy walked into a Parkinson’s support group, she smelled the same odor on everybody. A Parkinson’s researcher tested her…