A group of researchers in the lab of Prof. Lucía Chávez Gutiérrez (VIB-KU Leuven) has unraveled the genetic contributions to familial Alzheimer's Disease development and revealed how specific mutations act as a clock to predict the disease age of onset. These insights, published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, could aid clinicians to improve early diagnosis and tailor treatment strategies.
Alzheimer's disease remains one of the most challenging and prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, affecting 50 million people worldwide. To date, the exact cause of the disease is still not fully understood.
One of the key visible features in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease is the presence of amyloid plaques. These plaques are formed in the neurons and consist of clumps of misfolded amyloid-β (Aβ, pronounced a-beta) fragments. These fragments are produced by a sophisticated molecular processing system orchestrated by the γ-secretase enzyme and several key proteins.
Discovery of death-defying molecule could slow Parkinson’s progression
By Paul McClure
May 11, 2025
In a new study, researchers have identified a way to stop cells from dying, opening the door to developing treatments that slow the progression of neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
Our body’s ancient “cell suicide” program, apoptosis, is regulated by interactions between members of the B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) protein family. Some of these proteins promote cell survival, while others trigger cell death. Scientists have been able to harness some of these proteins’ death-inducing properties to treat certain blood cancers.
Now, led by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne, Australia, a new study has discovered how to do the opposite: block cell death by targeting one of these proteins, opening the door to treatments that stop the progression of neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
“Currently, there are no treatments that prevent neurons from dying to slow the progression of Parkinson’s,” said Professor Grant Dewson, the study’s co-corresponding author and head of WEHI’s Parkinson’s Disease Research Center. “Any drugs that could be able to do this could be game-changing.”
The Food and Drug Administration's approval in 2023 of lecanemab—a novel Alzheimer's therapy shown in clinical trials to modestly slow disease progression—was met with enthusiasm by many in the field as it represented the first medication of its kind able to influence the disease. But side effects—brain swelling and bleeding—emerged during clinical trials that have left some patients and physicians hesitant about the treatment.
Medications can have somewhat different effects once they are released into the real world with broader demographics. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis set out to study the adverse events associated with lecanemab treatment in their clinic patients and found that significant adverse events were rare and manageable.
Breakthrough Alzheimer's blood test has been approved for the US
By Bronwyn Thompson
May 20, 2025
https://newatlas.com/brain/alzheimers-d ... lood-test/
The very first blood test for Alzheimer's disease detection has been green-lit by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), providing a simpler and less invasive method for early diagnosis and speedier intervention. It's a milestone moment for medical science.
While finding a cure remains elusive, we're edging closer to more impactful interventions that can slow cognitive decline. The blood test, known as the Lumipulse G pTau217/ß-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio screening, aims to identify the early accumulation of amyloid plaques in people aged 55 years or older, who show early signs of the disease.
“Alzheimer’s disease impacts too many people, more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined,” said FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary. “Knowing that 10% of people aged 65 and older have Alzheimer's, and that by 2050 that number is expected to double, I am hopeful that new medical products such as this one will help patients.”
Alzheimer's hope: Sleep aid blocks up to 40% more harmful tau deposits
By Bronwyn Thompson
June 01, 2025
A readily available sleep aid has been shown to have a surprising side effect on brain health, seemingly protecting the organ from the buildup of the tau protein – a key biomarker in the development of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's.
The findings come out of a new collaboration between scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WashU Medicine) and Japanese drug company Eisai, which established a research department in 2022 to find novel Alzheimer's disease preventions and treatments. It's also a growing trend in research and development, as scientists look to existing medicines that may have uses beyond their approved purpose.
In this study, the focus was on the sleep aid lemborexant, better known by its brand name Dayvigo. Unlike a sedative, lemborexant is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant that blocks the function of orexin, a neurotransmitter that regulates and promotes wakefulness. It's a fairly new anti-insomnia treatment, having gained approval in December 2019. Orexin receptor antagonists are also showing promise as novel treatments for depression.
“We have known for a long time that sleep loss is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease,” said senior author David M. Holtzman, MD, Professor of Neurology at WashU Medicine. “In this new study, we have shown that lemborexant improves sleep and reduces abnormal tau, which appears to be a main driver of the neurological damage that we see in Alzheimer’s and several related disorders. We are hopeful this finding will lead to further studies of this sleep medication and the development of new therapeutics that may be more effective than current options either alone or in combination with other available treatments."
ADHD severity genetically linked to sleep-controlling hormone
By Paul McClure
June 09, 2025
Researchers have found a genetic link between the nighttime production of the sleep hormone melatonin and ADHD symptom severity in children. The study enhances our understanding of the complexities associated with this prevalent neurodevelopmental condition.
Sleep disturbances, including insomnia, restless sleep, and daytime drowsiness, are common in people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. It’s been hypothesized that people with the condition have a disrupted circadian rhythm. However, the exact mechanism connecting sleep problems and ADHD has remained elusive.
A new study led by the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan may have provided the answer. The researchers found an association between the production of melatonin at night, a naturally produced hormone that regulates the body’s sleep-wake cycles, and the severity of ADHD symptoms in children.
Potential Alzheimer's treatment is a scalpel, not a sledgehammer
By Michael Franco
June 12, 2025
Taking inspiration from the CAR T-cell technology used to provide personalized cancer treatments, researchers have conducted a proof-of-concept study showing how similar compounds can precisely target protein tangles and plaques in the brain.
While not the cause of Alzheimer's, these protein build ups are certainly the disease's most prominent hallmarks. They are also responsible for the cognitive decline seen with the condition because they gunk up the workings between neurons in the brain.
While current anti-Alzheimer's drugs target the plaques and tangles, they can also have serious side effects.
“The current issues with FDA-approved drugs for Alzheimer’s, including side effects such as brain bleeds and seizures, highlight the desperate need for targeted treatments that would leave the brain generally unscathed,” says senior study author Julie Andersen. “Current treatments act as a sledgehammer. We aim to develop a targeted scalpel.”
To see if they could do better, Andersen and a team of researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California used the work that's been done developing anti-cancer CAR T-cell therapy as a jumping off point. That therapy works by engineering a patient's own disease-fighting T cells to produce a protein known as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), which then allows them to identify, bind to, and destroy specific cancer cells.
Weekly schizophrenia pill produces promising results in final-stage trial
By Paul McClure
June 12, 2025
A final-stage clinical trial comparing a new long-acting, once-weekly pill to treat schizophrenia symptoms with the existing daily treatment has found that both produce comparable therapeutic effects. If approved for use, the new pill would simplify patient care without compromising effectiveness.
The oral version of the drug risperidone, sold under the brand name Risperdal and others, is an antipsychotic medication used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It works by balancing levels of dopamine and serotonin, the brain chemicals responsible for regulating mood, behaviors, and thoughts. Following a period of ramping up, the usual daily dose of oral risperidone is 4 mg to 6 mg. An injectable version of the drug is available and lasts for two to four weeks.
A Phase 3 clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of a once-weekly risperidone tablet developed by the biotech company Lyndra Therapeutics with the existing daily version of the drug has produced promising results, with obvious benefits for patients.
Latest Parkinson’s puzzle piece could mean earlier diagnosis
By Paul McClure
June 19, 2025
Researchers have uncovered another piece of the Parkinson’s disease puzzle, identifying that particular immune cells are active long before the hallmark motor symptoms become apparent. It paves the way for the development of earlier diagnostic tools.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex disease, but with every study we learn more and more about its underlying mechanisms. And, as with many chronic conditions, some research focuses on the “prodromal” stage, when nonspecific symptoms often appear before the more characteristic, diagnosable ones.
A new study led by researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) in California has discovered a link between PD and important immune cells called T cells, which appears years before the hallmark motor symptoms do.
Ozempic Might Be a Dementia Buster, Too
Research out today is the latest to suggest that semaglutide can significantly lower people's risk of dementia.
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in popular weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, might also double as a brain booster. Research out today describes a link between semaglutide use and a reduced risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes.
Scientists at Case Western Reserve University conducted the study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. They found that diabetes patients taking semaglutide have a significantly lower risk of dementia than those taking other diabetes medications. The findings should prompt further study into this connection, including clinical trials, the researchers say.
Remarkable new findings about the sugar stores in neurons have unlocked an entire new method of treating Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive decline, and it goes a long way to explaining why there's a growing body of evidence linking GLP-1 weight loss drugs to protection from dementia.
Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging made this discovery when investigating the often overlooked glycogen stores in our neurons, which has largely been viewed as a redundant aspect of our biology until now. The researchers found that the metabolism of this sugar – a stored form of glucose – appears to protect the brain from toxic tau build-up and cognitive decline.
“This new study challenges that view, and it does so with striking implications,” said Pankaj Kapahi, a professor and senior scientist on the study. “Stored glycogen doesn’t just sit there in the brain; it is involved in pathology.”
Cough syrup protects the brain from dementia in clinical trial first
By Bronwyn Thompson
July 06, 2025
A safe and affordable treatment to slow the advancement of Parkinson's dementia has emerged – in the form of a commonly available cough syrup that's already being studied for its positive effect on other degenerative diseases.
Researchers at St Joseph’s Health Care London's Lawson Research Institute have released the results of a 12-month clinical trial investigating the cough medicine Ambroxol and its potential to slow Parkinson's-related dementia. In the study, 55 patients with Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) were given either a daily dose of Ambroxol or a placebo and had their memory, psychiatric symptoms and the brain-damage blood marker GFAP monitored.
“Our goal was to change the course of Parkinson’s dementia,” said study lead Dr Stephen Pasternak, a cognitive neurologist at Lawson. “This early trial offers hope and provides a strong foundation for larger studies.”
A once-a-week Parkinson’s injection could replace multiple daily pills, thanks to a new slow-release formulation developed by researchers. It promises easier treatment, fewer missed doses, and better symptom control.
The established best practice treatment for Parkinson’s disease is levodopa and carbidopa, taken together in a pill, three to five times a day. Levodopa replaces the dopamine that is lost due to the disease, and carbidopa ensures that levodopa is converted to dopamine in the brain, where it’s needed, and not in the bloodstream. But for people with swallowing difficulties, taking multiple daily doses can be especially challenging.
That’s why it’s significant that researchers from the Center for Pharmaceutical Innovation at the University of South Australia (UniSA) have developed a slow-release, injectable version of this drug combination that is given weekly.
“Levodopa is the gold-standard therapy for Parkinson’s, but its short life span means it must be taken several times a day,” said Professor Sanjay Garg, a pharmaceutical scientist and the study’s corresponding author. “Our goal was to create a formulation that simplifies treatment, improves patient compliance, and maintains consistent therapeutic levels of medication. This weekly injection could be a game-changer for Parkinson’s care.”
Artistic illustration of autophagy as it starts to enclose damaged mitochondria and other organelles. The pink hexagons depict the receptors and WIPI proteins, which start the process. Credit: Art&Science—Dorotea Fracchiolla
Autophagy is essentially the "rubbish collection" of our cells. If there are problems in this process, which is so important for our health, diseases such as Parkinson's can result. In their latest study, leading cell biologists at the Max Perutz Labs at the University of Vienna investigated mitophagy—a form of autophagy—and came to a remarkable conclusion: the researchers have described a new trigger for mitophagy.
This discovery has led to a reassessment of the hierarchy of factors that trigger autophagy. The newly discovered signaling pathways could also open up novel therapeutic options. The study has been published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.