Huntington’s Disease Protein Affects Nerve Signaling; Study Suggests New TreatmentsThursday, Jun 26, 2008
The abnormal protein found in Huntington’s disease (HD) leads to an unusually large amount of nerve signaling early in the
disease process, before other problems appear, a new study shows. Partially blocking these nerve signals prevents neuron
death and loss of motor function in fruit flies models of HD. The findings suggest possible new ways of delaying the onset
or slowing the progression of the disease.
Reactions to Protein Stress in Neurodegenerative Disease – Sometimes Good, Sometimes Bad and Always UglyFriday, Mar 14, 2008
Research has shown that cells have a cleanup system for handling protein "stress," and some studies suggest the possibility
of developing therapeutic drugs that would work by giving the system a boost. But a new study published in Neuron suggests
that during prolonged stress, the cleanup system can suppress vital cell functions or even actively kill the cell.
New Technique Removes Toxic Protein and Prevents Memory Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease ModelWednesday, Dec 5, 2007
Increasing the activity of a key protein in the bloodstream slows the buildup of a toxic substance in the brains of mice with
the gene mutation for Alzheimer's disease (AD). It also prevents some memory problems, a new study shows. If the approach
works in humans, it may eventually lead to a way of preventing or halting AD.
Study Suggests Idebenone May Improve Neurological Function in Friedreich's AtaxiaWednesday, Dec 5, 2007
Results of a placebo-controlled, double-blind phase II study of the antioxidant idebenone in children with Friedreich's ataxia
(FA) suggest that the treatment may lead to improvements in neurological function. It is the first placebo-controlled study
to suggest that the neurological deterioration associated with this disease can be slowed or reversed.
A Rollercoaster of Seizure-Like Activity May Damage the Alzheimer's BrainTuesday, Nov 27, 2007
Although seizures are not a common symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the brains of people with AD could be humming with
seizure-like activity, interrupted by quiet rebound periods that do more harm than good.
Dopamine Drug Leads to New Neurons and Recovery of Function in Rat Model of Parkinson's DiseaseTuesday, Jul 4, 2006
In preliminary results, researchers have shown that a drug which mimics the effects of the nerve-signaling chemical dopamine
causes new neurons to develop in the part of the brain where cells are lost in Parkinson's disease (PD). The drug also led
to long-lasting recovery of function in an animal model of PD. The findings may lead to new ways of treating PD and other
neurodegenerative diseases.
Study Identifies Protein that Impairs Memory in Model for Alzheimer's DiseaseThursday, May 11, 2006
For the first time, researchers have identified a specific form of amyloid beta protein that causes memory impairment long
before amyloid plaques and neurodegeneration appear in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The finding may lead to
new ways of diagnosing and possibly even preventing the disease.
Study Links Alzheimer's Disease to Abnormal Cell DivisionTuesday, Jan 17, 2006
A new study in mice suggests that Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be triggered when adult neurons try to divide. The finding
helps researchers understand what goes wrong in the disease and may lead to new ways of treating it.
Epilepsy Can Be Triggered by Support Cells in the BrainThursday, Dec 15, 2005
For decades, researchers have tried to understand what triggers clusters of neurons to begin signaling excessively in epilepsy.
A new study shows that, in many cases, the answer resides in star-shaped support cells called astrocytes. The finding may
lead to new ways of treating epilepsy.
Study Links Progressive Aphasia Syndrome to Prion GeneMonday, Nov 28, 2005
Most people with a rare type of dementia called primary progressive aphasia (PPA) have a specific combination of prion gene
variants, a new study shows. The study is the first to link the prion protein gene to this disorder. The researchers also
looked at the prion protein gene in people with Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's
disease) and did not find any association with specific gene variants in those disorders.
Study Identifies New Mode of Action for Ataxia GeneWednesday, Oct 19, 2005
For the first time, researchers have identified how the gene for a hereditary neurodegenerative disease called spinocerebellar
ataxia type 1 (SCA1) disables an important group of neurons in the brain. The findings improve understanding of how SCA1
and related diseases develop and may lead to new ways of treating them.
Drug Screening Study Suggests New Treatments for Alzheimer'sMonday, Sep 26, 2005
While several treatments are currently available for Alzheimer's disease (AD), none of them can slow or halt the course of
this devastating disorder. In a new study, researchers have now identified three compounds that inhibit an enzyme believed
to be involved in the process that leads to AD. This discovery may lead to new treatments that can stop the disease process
in its tracks.
What's Old is New Again - Antibiotic Protects Nerves By Removing Excess GlutamateMonday, Feb 7, 2005
A new study shows that a common antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections increases survival rates and delays nerve damage
in a mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The antibiotic works by activating or "turning on" the gene encoding
the glutamate transporter in neurons. This finding may lead to new drug treatments for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Study Using Robotic Microscope Shows How Mutant Huntington's Disease Protein Affects NeuronsWednesday, Oct 13, 2004
Using a specially designed robotic microscope to study cultured cells, researchers have found evidence that abnormal protein
clumps called inclusion bodies in neurons from people with Huntington's disease (HD) prevent cell death. The finding helps
to resolve a longstanding debate about the role of these inclusion bodies in HD and other disorders and may help investigators
find effective treatments for these diseases.
Fact Sheet Vaccine Reduces Parkinson's Disease Neurodegeneration in MiceWednesday, Jul 28, 2004
For the first time, researchers have shown that an experimental vaccine can reduce the amount of neurodegeneration in a mouse
model for Parkinson's disease. The finding suggests that a similar therapy might eventually be able to slow the devastating
course of Parkinson's disease in humans.
Fact Sheet Yeast Model Yields Insight into Parkinson's DiseaseThursday, Dec 4, 2003
Scientists who developed the first yeast model of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been able to describe the mechanisms of an
important gene's role in the disease. Tiago Fleming Outeiro, Ph.D., and Susan Lindquist, Ph.D., of the Whitehead Institute
for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, studied the gene's actions under normal conditions and under abnormal
conditions to learn how and when the gene's product, alpha-synuclein, becomes harmful to surrounding cells. The scientists
created a yeast model that expresses the alpha-synuclein gene, which has been implicated in PD. Yeast models are often used
in the study of genetic diseases because they offer researchers a simple system that allows them to clarify how genes work.
Fact Sheet Major New Finding on Genetics of Parkinson's Disease Zeroes In on Activity of Alpha SynucleinThursday, Oct 30, 2003
Scientists investigating a rare familial form of early-onset Parkinson's disease have discovered that too much of a normal
form of the alpha-synuclein gene may cause Parkinson's disease. The finding, reported in the October 31, 2003, issue of Science,
shows that abnormal multiplication of the alpha-synuclein gene can cause the disease.
Fact Sheet Misbehaving Molecules: 3-Dimensional Pictures of ALS Mutant Proteins Support Two Major Theories About How the Disease is
CausedSunday, May 18, 2003
A new study reveals for the first time how gene mutations lead to the inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),
or Lou Gehrig's disease. The study suggests that the two most prominent theories of how familial ALS (FALS) and other related
diseases develop are both right in part.
Fact Sheet What's in a Connection? A Look at Protein Patterns Within SynapsesMonday, May 5, 2003
A new study has begun to unravel the mysteries of protein interactions that govern the strength of nerve cell connections,
or synapses, in the brain. The findings give researchers a better understanding of how synapses function during learning
and memory, and they may lead to new insights about such neurological disorders as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
Researchers Find Genetic Links for Late-Onset Parkinson's DiseaseWednesday, Dec 19, 2001
Recent studies provide strong evidence that genetic factors influence susceptibility to the common, late-onset form of Parkinson's
disease (PD). The findings improve scientists' understanding of how PD develops and may lead to new treatments or even ways
of preventing the disease.
Fact Sheet NINDS Hosts First Parkinson's Disease Implementation Committee Meeting to Establish Priorities for Parkinson's ResearchMonday, Jul 31, 2000
The first meeting of the NINDS Parkinson's Disease Implementation Committee (PDIC) was held July 31, 2000 at the National
Institutes of Health, Neuroscience Center in Rockville, Maryland. The Committee identified several areas of Parkinson's disease
research that will receive the highest priority in the coming weeks, including clinical trials and gene research.
NINDS Funds Five Specialized Neuroscience Programs at Minority InstitutionsTuesday, Jan 18, 2000
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), in collaboration with the National Center for Research
Resources (NCRR) and the Office for Research on Minority Health (ORMH), recently awarded grants to five minority institutions
under a new funding mechanism called Specialized Neuroscience Research Programs at Minority Institutions (SNRP).
Transplanted Neural Stem Cells Migrate Throughout the Abnormal Brain, Reduce Disease SymptomsMonday, Jun 7, 1999
For years, researchers have probed the mysteries of neural stem cells -- immature cells that can differentiate into all the
cell types that make up the brain -- with the idea that they might be useful for treating brain disorders such as Parkinson's
disease. Important new animal research now suggests that these cells may be effective in treating a much broader array of
brain diseases than previously anticipated, including Alzheimer's disease and many childhood brain disorders.
Long-Time NIH Grantee Stanley B. Prusiner Wins Nobel PrizeMonday, Oct 6, 1997
Stanley B. Prusiner, M.D., a long-time grantee of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the recipient of the 1997 Nobel
Prize in physiology or medicine for his discovery of an unusual class of infectious particles called prions. Prions are believed
to be responsible for a group of diseases that include "mad cow" disease. Prusiner, who is professor of neurology, virology,
and biochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has received more than 56 million dollars in research
grant support from NIH during the last three decades.
Protein Marker Found in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: Finding May Lead to Diagnostic Test for Human, Cattle
DisordersWednesday, Sep 25, 1996
A protein widely distributed in tissues throughout the body, with the highest concentration in the brain, has been shown to
be a specific marker in the spinal fluid of humans and animals infected with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, scientists
say. This discovery paves the way for the development of an improved test for the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
in humans and encephalopathies in animals. The test could enable precise identification of disease in British cattle presently
targeted for slaughter because of suspected infection with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as Mad Cow disease.
Clues found for early memory loss in Alzheimer's diseaseThursday, Apr 7, 1994
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have discovered that adding a substance
called beta amyloid to normal skin cells causes the cells to exhibit the same type of molecular dysfunction previously demonstrated
in skin cells of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This step may lead to a new explanation of memory loss, one of the
earliest and most common symptoms of the disease.
Discovery may lead to skin tests for Alzheimer's disease; Finding could also point to underlying cause of the disorderTuesday, Aug 31, 1993
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in Bethesda, MD, and the Burke Medical Research
Institute at Cornell Medical College in White Plains, NY, have discovered physiological differences in the skin cells of those
with Alzheimer's disease (AD), a finding that could lead to a standard battery of skin tests for diagnosing the disease.
NINDS Hails Discovery of Gene for Familial ALSWednesday, Mar 3, 1993
Officials at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) hailed the identification of a gene associated
with the familial form of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). "This discovery is extremely important because it marks the first identification
of a specific gene for a neurodegenerative disease of adult life," said Carl M. Leventhal, M.D., director of the NINDS
program that contributed to support for the research reported in the March 3 issue of Nature*. "It also suggests a likely
mechanism for the damage to nerve cells in familial ALS and, possibly, other brain disorders."
NINDS Scientists Isolate Segments Of DNA Sequence That Identify More Than 2,300 Brain GenesWednesday, Feb 12, 1992
Using a novel strategy, scientists from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke have isolated segments
of DNA sequence that uniquely identify more than 2,300 brain genes. The recent data, combined with data from 347 segments
sequenced earlier by NINDS scientists, doubles the total number of human genes identified by sequencing, scientists report
in the February 13 issue of Nature.
NINDS Scientists Develop Strategy To Speed Gene and Brain ResearchThursday, Jun 20, 1991
Using a novel strategy, scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have isolated key
identifying regions of more than 400 genes that work inside the human brain. The scientists say their work should help identify
genetic defects that cause brain disease and speed progress of genetics research.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Gene Mutation FoundThursday, Aug 30, 1990
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have linked three outbreaks of Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease (CJD) in Europe and Israel to a genetic mutation found in the outbreaks' victims.