In Laboratory Mice, Immune System Cells From The Bloodstream Entered The Brain And Devoured Plaque That Is Believed To Play A Major Role In Alzheimer

Interrupting a signaling pathway in certain immune system cells in laboratory mice had the opposite effect researchers expected but opened the possibility of a new approach to treating Alzheimer's disease, according to an article in the journal Nature Medicine.The intervention targets the sticky plaque buildup that occurs in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, using immune system cells (macrophages) from outside the brain.

Yale Researchers Clear Up Alzheimer's Plaques In Mice

Blocking a common immune system response cleared up plaques associated with Alzheimer's Disease and enabled treated mice to recover some lost memory, Yale University researchers report Friday in the journal Nature Medicine. Researchers hope the new approach may one day overcome one of the biggest obstacles to development of new dementia medications - the difficulty in finding drugs that can safely cross the blood-brain barrier.

Banner Alzheimer's Institute And Sun Health Research Institute Enrolling Local Patients In Study Of Investigational Therapy To Treat Alzheimer's

Banner Alzheimer's Institute and Sun Health Research Institute announced that they are actively enrolling patients in a new study of the investigational drug Dimebon(TM) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of Dimebon in patients with Alzheimer's disease taken in combination with Aricept(R) (donepezil HCI tablets), an FDA-approved Alzheimer's treatment.

Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Invites Scientists To Apply For Grant Award Program

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) invites scientists from the biotechnology industry and academia to apply for a research grant through the Novel Approaches to Drug Discovery for Alzheimer's Disease award program. The goal of the program is to accelerate the discovery, development and clinical evaluation of effective therapies for Alzheimer's disease. This grant award is being made possible through a generous donation from Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN).

Alzheimer's Disease: Finding Has Implications For Host Of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have shown, in unprecedented detail, how a small molecule is able to selectively take apart abnormally folded protein fibers connected to Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases. The findings appeared online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Finding a way to dismantle misfolded proteins has implications for new treatments for a host of neurodegenerative diseases.

Study Identifies New Gene For Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease - Findings Lead To New Line Of Investigation Into Alzheimer's Research

A new study has identified the cause of late-onset Alzheimer's disease in several large families in which many siblings suffer from the disease. The gene, known as TRPC4AP on chromosome 20, is involved with calcium regulation. It is known that when calcium levels are not carefully controlled, cells can die, leading to the onset of disease. Alzheimer's disease is a complex progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which patients suffer from profound cognitive decline.

Antipsychotics Triple Risk Of Hospitalisation For People With Dementia, UK

Alzheimer's Society comment on new research showing that short term use of antipsychotic drugs more than triple the risk of a serious event causing hospitalisation or death in people with dementia living in the community.This comprehensive study highlights the life-threatening effects antipsychotics have on people with dementia and reveals that people in the community are at greater risk than those in nursing homes.

Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Naproxen May Be Equally Effective At Reducing Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease

Different types of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin, appear to be equally effective in lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to the largest study of its kind published in the May 28, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

European Research Project To Explore Alzheimer Acirc; acute;s Disease Diagnosis

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, GE Healthcare, a division of the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) and a Consortium of leading research institutions across Europe today announced the PredictAD project, a research collaboration aimed at developing new diagnostic procedures for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Applied NeuroSolutions To Offer P-Tau 231 Test For Use In Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trials

Applied NeuroSolutions, Inc. (OTC BB:APNS)( http://www.AppliedNeuroSolutions.com), a company focused on the development of products for the early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease ("AD"), today announced an initiative to provide its P-Tau 231 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test to companies undertaking AD clinical trials.