Novel mouse gene could lead to new Alzheimer's treatmentsNovember 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have identified a novel mouse gene (Rps23r1) that reduces the accumulation of two toxic proteins that are major players in Alzheimer's disease: amyloid beta and tau. The amyloid and tau lowering functions of this gene were shown in both human and mouse cells.
New discovery may lead to improved Alzheimer's treatmentNovember 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists from University of Michigan have developed new molecular tools that may offer a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The team has shown how amyloid-beta peptides, which clump together to form plaques in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, may cause cell death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental difficulties.
Epilepsy drugs may help treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson'sOctober 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A potential new function for anti-epileptic drugs in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's has been discovered by US researchers. The study, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Neurodegeneration, found that neurons in the brain were protected after treatment with T-type calcium-channel blockers, which are commonly used to treat epilepsy.
Hormone mix may cut breast cancer risk in menopausal womenOctober 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A right mix of estrogen and a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), which blocks the effects of estrogen in breast tissue, can significantly reduce breast cancer risk in menopausal women, say researchers
Women in menopause who have symptoms are currently treated with a combination of estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy, however this treatment comes with side effects, including a higher risk of breast cancer caused by the progestin. Yale researchers sought to determine a better way of administering hormone therapy without the breast cancer risk.
New discovery explains sudden death in epilepsyOctober 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine have identified a 'molecular trigger' that could explain sudden death in epilepsy patients. According to Dr.
New therapeutic target for Alzheimer's identifiedOctober 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A Purdue University researcher has identified a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease. Researcher Sandra Rossie, a professor of biochemistry, found that the amount of an enzyme present in neurons can affect the mechanism thought to cause cell death in Alzheimer's disease patients and may have applications for other diseases such as stroke and heart attack.
Heartburn drugs safe for foetuses, says Israeli studyOctober 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study done by Israeli scientists has shown that heartburn drugs are safe for the foetus. The study, conducted by researchers at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, has been published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
New approach to treat Alzheimer's diseaseOctober 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Centre have come up with a new approach to treat Alzheimer's disease. They suggest that the action of a small protein that is a major villain in Alzheimer's disease can be counterbalanced with another brain protein.
Brain waves can influence human behaviorOctober 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers have found that they can make people move in slow motion by boosting one type of brain wave. The new finding can pave way for treating conditions like chorea, dystonia and Parkinson's, characterized by either uncontrolled or slowed movements.
Sleep loss may lead to Alzheimer'sSeptember 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a link between sleep loss and increase in Alzheimer's plaques.
Viagra compounds found to shrink abnormally large heartsSeptember 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Compounds related to Viagra, already in clinical trials to prevent heart failure, may also counter the disease in a different way, says a new study. The results hold promise for the design of a new drug class and for its potential use in combination with Viagra or beta blockers.
Novel marker for Alzheimer's disease discoveredSeptember 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A previously unknown substance in spinal fluid- a beta-amyloid protein called Abeta16-could be used as a marker to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, say Gothenburg researchers. The findings, described in a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, will also be useful in research into new medications.
Drugs may halt stress signals from travelling to the heartSeptember 6th, 2009 SYDNEY - Researchers have discovered a new way to halt the brain from sending stress signals that raise the heart rate. Researchers led by Eugene Nalivaiko from the University of Newcastle, have used a specific class of drugs called serotonin-1A agonists to suppress stress signals, which travel from the brain to the spinal cord and then to the heart.
Here's what ups amyloid beta production in Alzheimer's patients' brainsSeptember 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new class of medicines to effectively treat Alzheimer's disease may soon be available, for an international research group has shed light on how a fragment of a protein increases the production of the amyloid beta protein in the brain. The researchers say that knowing that the N60 fragment of the RanBP9 protein increases the production of the amyloid beta protein, which is present in excessive amounts in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, gives scientists a more specific focus for developing new drugs.
New therapy to prevent heart failureSeptember 2nd, 2009 LONDON - A new study has found that cardiac resynchronization device combined with the defibrillator (CRT-D) can significantly reduce death risk and heart failure in cardiac patients. The researchers found that patients who had a cardiac resynchronization had a 34 percent reduction in their risk of death or heart failure.
