Clinical trial of people destined to develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease shows eliminating amyloid from brain may prevent symptoms, supports need for confirmatory studies
Anti-amyloid drug shows signs of preventing Alzheimer’s dementia
Author: The SOURCE/Medicine & Health
$4.5 million supports pathbreaking neuroimmunology research
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has received a three-year $4.5 million grant from the Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation, aimed at advancing research on neuroimmunology and neurodegeneration with the ultimate goal of developing new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Administered by WashU Medicine’s Brain Immunology & Glia (BIG) Center, the Carol and Gene […]
WashU Medicine launches center for rare diseases
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has launched the Center for Rare, Undiagnosed and Genetic Diseases, supported by an $8.5 million grant from Children’s Discovery Institute (CDI), a partnership with St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation and WashU Medicine. The new center brings together WashU Medicine researchers and the rare […]
Patient defies genetic fate to avoid Alzheimer’s
Remarkably, Doug Whitney, 75, has escaped genetic destiny. Like many members of his family, Whitney inherited a rare genetic mutation that all but guarantees he would develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. But Whitney, whose relatives first showed symptoms of cognitive decline in their early 50s, remains mentally sharp with no signs of the devastating disease, and […]
Fatal neurodegenerative disease in kids also affects the bowel
As a leading researcher of rare diseases that affect children’s brains, Jonathan D. Cooper, PhD, thought little about the gastrointestinal (GI) system. That is, until the parents of children with a condition that Cooper studies urged him to investigate why debilitating digestive issues troubled their kids, who suffer from an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative brain condition […]
NIH grant funds study of cerebral small vessel disease
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been awarded $7.5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate a form of dementia caused by cerebral small vessel disease, the second-leading cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. The grant funds the Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID) Center, […]
Gratitude inspires generous support for WashU Medicine’s neurosurgery department
Andrew Taylor, an emeritus trustee of Washington University in St. Louis, and his wife, Barbara, have made a $50 million gift to WashU Medicine’s neurosurgery department to enhance groundbreaking research, innovative patient care and the training of the next generation of neurosurgery leaders. In recognition of the Taylors’ generosity, the department has been named the Taylor […]
Brain tumors hijack circadian clock to grow
Virtually every cell in the human body has an internal clock. These clocks take their cues from a central clock in the brain. In a normal, biological process called synchrony, the central clock coordinates daily rhythms around the body, so that every cell and tissue recognizes the same external time of day. Knowing local time […]
Grant will fund development of vaccines to prevent dementia
Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia are devastating disorders that emerge following the buildup of misfolded proteins in the brain. The newest generation of Alzheimer’s therapeutics targets accumulations of the protein amyloid beta with engineered antibodies, but the results have been underwhelming, with some adverse effects, not to mention using engineered antibodies can be prohibitively expensive. […]
Researchers make glioblastoma cells visible to attacking immune cells
Strategy involves placing targets on deadly cancer’s cells, potentially making them vulnerable to immunotherapies
Healthy brains suppress inappropriate immune responses
Harnessing this process may offer therapies for neuroinflammatory diseases such as MS, mouse study suggests
WashU researchers use genetics to find psychopathology risks
When trying to understand how genetic influences factor into youth behavior, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have taken the “big trawl” approach, casting their net wide to pull in all the measured traits, behaviors and environments that make up who we are and examine associations with the genetic building blocks comprising risk for […]
Multiple sclerosis appears to protect against Alzheimer’s disease
Findings could point to new strategies to treat Alzheimer’s
Aging-related genomic culprit found in Alzheimer’s disease
With new technique, patient-derived neurons accurately model late-onset Alzheimer’s, point to potential treatments
Accuracy of diagnostic blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease varies
Head-to-head comparison of six tests reveals which ones could replace spinal taps, brain scans
Researchers find biological clues to mental health impacts of prenatal cannabis exposure
Scientists are trying to understand how cannabis may affect long-term neurodevelopment when people were exposed to it in the womb. Previous work by Washington University in St. Louis researchers Sarah Paul and David Baranger in the Behavioral Research and Imaging Neurogenetics (BRAIN) lab led by Ryan Bogdan, PhD, found associations between prenatal cannabis exposure and potential mental health conditions in childhood […]
Gut bacteria boost immune response to fight tumors
Roughly one in five cancer patients benefits from immunotherapy – a treatment that harnesses the immune system to fight cancer. Such an approach to beating cancer has seen significant success in lung cancer and melanoma, among others. Optimistic about its potential, researchers are exploring strategies to improve immunotherapy for cancers that don’t respond well to […]
International trials underway for childhood malnutrition therapy developed at WashU
Gift from Andy Newman supports world-changing research on the gut microbiome
Epilepsy drug prevents brain tumors in mice with NF1
Study lays groundwork for clinical trial aimed at preventing brain tumors in children with NF1
Award of up to $31 million supports development of osteoarthritis treatment
Researchers aim to create treatment that promotes tissue regeneration, restores joints
Neurons help flush waste out of brain during sleep
There lies a paradox in sleep. Its apparent tranquility juxtaposes with the brain’s bustling activity. The night is still, but the brain is far from dormant. During sleep, brain cells produce bursts of electrical pulses that cumulate into rhythmic waves — a sign of heightened brain cell function. But why is the brain active when we […]
Alzheimer’s blood test performs as well as FDA-approved spinal fluid tests
Could make early Alzheimer’s diagnosis, treatment accessible to more people
Clues to preventing Alzheimer’s come from patient who, despite genetics, evaded disease
Breaking link between early, late stages of disease may prevent dementia
Gut bacteria of malnourished children benefit from key elements in therapeutic food
Findings could guide recommendations for treating, preventing childhood malnutrition
Team to develop breathalyzer test for COVID, RSV, influenza A
Chakrabarty, Cirrito to develop test with $3.6 million grant from Flu Lab
How do toxic proteins accumulate in Alzheimer’s and other diseases?
Key steps leading to such accumulation identified; could inform new therapeutic approaches
What to know about the new Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi
Washington University involved in clinical trials, will offer drug in collaboration with BJC HealthCare
Diagnosis of rare, genetic muscle disease improved by new approach
Accurate diagnosis is a crucial step toward appropriate treatment
Stress increases Alzheimer’s risk in female mice but not males
Alzheimer’s proteins rise sharply in response to stress in female mice
Mind-body connection is built into brain, study suggests
Findings point to brain areas that integrate planning, purpose, physiology, behavior, movement
Discovery of T cells’ role in Alzheimer’s, related diseases, suggests new treatment strategy
Findings, in mice, open up drug development possibilities for brain diseases linked to tau protein
Adding med to antidepressant may help older adults with treatment-resistant depression
For older adults with clinical depression that has not responded to standard treatments, adding the drug aripiprazole (brand name Abilify) to an antidepressant they’re already taking is more effective than switching from one antidepressant to another, according to a new multicenter study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Aripiprazole originally was […]
Disrupted flow of brain fluid may underlie neurodevelopmental disorders
New imaging technique reveals circulation patterns in developing brain
Gut bacteria affect brain health, mouse study shows
Findings suggest new approach to treating Alzheimer’s, other neurodegenerative diseases
WashU, Eisai form drug discovery collaboration
Focus is on therapies for Alzheimer’s, other neurodegenerative diseases
Immunotherapy eliminates disease-causing cells in mice with MS-like disease
Successful cancer treatment approach extended to autoimmune disease
Study yields clues to why Alzheimer’s disease damages certain parts of the brain
Findings could help explain rare symptoms such as problems with language, vision
Rejuvenated immune cells can improve clearance of toxic waste from brain
Findings in mice suggest new therapeutic approach to Alzheimer’s, other age-related diseases
Cellular housekeeping process implicated in fatal neurological disorder
Neurons made from Huntington’s disease patients’ skin cells shed light on cognitive decline
New strategy shows potential to block nerve loss in neurodegenerative diseases
Research into how key molecule triggers axon death may lead to new therapies
Scientists ID pathway that triggers mice to scratch when they see others do the same
Behavior surprisingly does not require brain’s visual cortex
Investigational drug for genetic form of ALS improves disease’s molecular signs
Extended use of tofersen may help stabilize muscle strength, control
New center’s aim: To ID biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases
A new center established at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis aims to accelerate research into biomarkers of neurodegenerative conditions such as Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS) and the so-called tauopathies, a group that includes Alzheimer’s disease along with rarer diseases such as frontotemporal dementia, corticobasal syndrome […]
Protein linked to intellectual disability has complex role
Finding therapies for fragile X may depend on understanding the many ways protein’s loss affects brain
Diabetes, metabolic syndrome in mice treated with novel class of compounds
Improves insulin secretion, lowers blood sugar
Emotional aspects of chronic pain isolated in brain circuitry
Animal study could help ID new treatment targets for negative emotions linked to pain
‘Fight or flight’ – unless internal clocks are disrupted, study in mice shows
For humans and animals, many aspects of normal behavior and physiology rely on the proper functioning of the body’s circadian clocks.
Cannabis use disorder: another COVID risk factor
Research indicates problematic marijuana use is correlated with poorer COVID-19 outcomes
New Alzheimer’s treatment targets identified
Study points to FDA-approved drugs that have potential to slow or reverse brain damage
New snack foods nurture healthy gut microbiome
Microbiome-modifying foods designed with specific combinations of plant fibers