Key steps leading to such accumulation identified; could inform new therapeutic approaches
How do toxic proteins accumulate in Alzheimer’s and other diseases?

Key steps leading to such accumulation identified; could inform new therapeutic approaches
This episode of ‘Show Me the Science’ focuses on approval of a drug that attacks a key protein that contributes to dementia from Alzheimer’s disease
Test results available in less than a minute
Researchers have developed methods to study and manipulate areas of the brain, though many of those methods are restricted by the limited depth that light can reach within the brain. A multidisciplinary team at Washington University in St. Louis plans to overcome that limitation by integrating ultrasound with genetics to precisely modify neurons in the […]
Two pathologies drive the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Early on, amyloid beta plaques lead the way, but around the time cognitive symptoms arise, tau tangles take over as the driving force and cognition steadily declines. Tracking the course of the disease in individual patients has been challenging because there’s been no easy way to measure […]
Now that the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has ended, scientists are looking at ways to surveil indoor environments in real time for viruses. By combining recent advances in aerosol sampling technology and an ultrasensitive biosensing technique, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have created a real-time monitor that can detect any of […]
Accurate diagnosis is a crucial step toward appropriate treatment
People in the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s disease — after brain changes have begun but before cognitive symptoms become apparent — harbor an assortment of bacteria in their intestines that differs from the gut bacteria of healthy people, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings, […]
Some mammals and birds have a clever way to preserve energy and heat by going into torpor, during which their body temperature and metabolic rate drop to allow them to survive potentially fatal conditions in the environment, such as extreme cold or lack of food. While a similar condition was proposed for scientists making flights […]
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are defined by structural diversity, and the determinants of this diversity are an important area of biophysical investigation. IDPs are involved in a range of important biological processes, including cell signaling and regulation, that allow healthy cells to respond to environmental factors appropriately, but they are also associated with human diseases […]
Recognized for contributions to Alzheimer’s disease research
Alzheimer’s proteins rise sharply in response to stress in female mice
A new drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a rare, inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a paralyzing neurological disease. Known as tofersen, the drug has been shown to slow progression of the deadly disease. International clinical trials of tofersen, developed by the global biotechnology company Biogen Inc., […]
More research needed to determine if sleep medications prevent, delay Alzheimer’s
Findings, in mice, open up drug development possibilities for brain diseases linked to tau protein
Honored for work developing new kind of therapy for neurodegenerative diseases
Funding from the National Institutes of Health will help Jackrel and her team study Matrin-3, a poorly understood protein linked to several neurodegenerative disorders.
Research could facilitate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease
Research from labs of Rohit Pappu, collaborators sheds light on condensate characteristics
Findings suggest new approach to treating Alzheimer’s, other neurodegenerative diseases
“These trials don’t go without huge input and commitment from the participants and of course, their caregivers, and the clinical trial sites. I have the privilege of speaking to you about the trial as the lead author of this paper, but this is a team effort and includes a large group of people from multiple […]
Findings could help explain rare symptoms such as problems with language, vision
Findings in mice suggest new therapeutic approach to Alzheimer’s, other age-related diseases
Symposium brings together key leaders in the field
An idea that has propelled Alzheimer’s research for more than 30 years is approaching its day of reckoning. Scientists are launching a study designed to make or break the hypothesis that Alzheimer’s is caused by a sticky substance called beta-amyloid. The study will give an experimental anti-amyloid drug to people as young as 18 who […]
Neurons made from Huntington’s disease patients’ skin cells shed light on cognitive decline
Song Hu, Yong Wang team up to find quantitative biomarkers for clinical pain management
Researchers from several labs to study role of transposable elements
Behavior surprisingly does not require brain’s visual cortex
Extended use of tofersen may help stabilize muscle strength, control
Research uncovers how unfolded proteins are discarded, and how a perfectly good protein can wind up in the trash
Our brains consume huge amounts of energy and rely on oxygen supplied by blood vessels. When the brains of infants are deprived of oxygen for any reason, it can lead to brain injury that causes cerebral palsy, epilepsy or cognitive impairment. Song Hu, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering […]
Could aid efforts to find treatments for Alzheimer’s, other diseases
Song Hu combines hardware and machine learning for precision imaging technique
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 […]
Every cell contains millions of protein molecules. Some of them have the ability to phase-separate to form non-membrane-bound compartments, called biomolecular condensates, inside a cell. It has long been assumed that there was no further structure underlying these condensates, only solution-soluble proteins. A research group led by Rohit Pappu, PhD, the Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor […]
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis demonstrates that certain human gut microbes can mine dietary fiber to extract nutrients that otherwise would remain inaccessible to the human body. The study, published June 27 in the journal Cell, illustrates how the fiber byproducts of food production — such as rinds, peels […]
Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins, when tethered to folded domains, function either as flexible tails or as linkers between domains. Most IDRs are composed of a mixture of oppositely charged residues. Recent measurements of tethered polyampholytes have shown that arginine- and lysine-rich sequences tend to behave very differently from one another. In a paper […]
Similar to itch, pleasant touch transmitted by specific neuropeptide and neural circuit
3 of 4 tests performed inconsistently across racial groups
Diagnosing, treating sleep apnea may make driving safer for older adults
Multicenter team aims to understand how, why brain changes with age
When combined with genetic risk factors, test up to 93% accurate at identifying people at risk of Alzheimer’s dementia
Three-year $225,000 grant
These vesicles are critical for proper cell function
Five-year $2.3 million grant
The two-step denoising technique was developed in Song Hu’s lab
Five-year $2.5 million grant from NIH
Three-year $1.1 million grant from CDI
Drugs targeting amyloid, tau to be evaluated together