The Startling Link Between Sugar and Alzheimer’s
Not surprising really, but good to remember. Put down the cupcakes! Here’s the story in the Atlantic. “A high-carb diet, and the attendant high blood sugar, are associated with cognitive decline.”
Scientists uncover potential driver of age- and Alzheimer’s-related memory loss
“Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made an important discovery toward the development of drugs to treat age-related memory loss in diseases like Alzheimer’s. They found that reduced levels of a protein called Rheb
Elderly discovered with superior memory and Alzheimer’s pathology
A super-interesting discovery: “New research on the brains of individuals 90 years and older who had superior memories until their deaths revealed widespread and dense Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles in some cases, considered full-blown Alzheimer’s pathology.” Read the story here.
Stroke survivors walk again after Stanford injects stem cells into brain
From the Telegraph: ““The remarkable recovery we saw in many of these chronic stroke patients was quite surprising,” said Prof Gary Steinberg, Chair of Neurosurgery at Stanford, who has spent 15 years researching stem cells. “This wasn’t just ‘they couldn’t
New protein injection reverses Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice in just one week
Note that the results are for mice only (so far). Human trials are coming soon. Here’s the University press release. And the news story. “Researchers have discovered that an injection of a protein called IL-33 can reverse Alzheimer’s-like symptoms and
Obama’s BRAIN Initiative’s first study results
Scientists controlled a mouse’s behavior using a method called “DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs).” Not a great acronym (given the potential abuse for such a method), but it does reflect a shift away from linking mental “illnesses
Alzheimer’s strategies — ultrasound and repurposing new drugs
Two significant news hits on Alzheimer’s recently. One team in Australia is experimenting (on mice) with ultrasound to clear up plaque buildup and the other team (in the US) is using an already approved drug commonly used to treat epilepsy
Brain Organoids
An interesting new way to study diseases of the brain. From MIT Tech Review: “A new method for growing human brain cells could unlock the mysteries of dementia, mental illness, and other neurological disorders.”
Scientists have shown that young blood rejuvenates old tissues. Now, come human tests.
From Nature: “Wyss-Coray formed a start-up company, Alkahest in Menlo Park, California, and in September 2014 it began a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial at Stanford, testing the safety and efficacy of using young plasma to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Six out
Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Could Hold Key to Cure
Some great research coming out of Stanford University. Here’s their press release, and a few news articles. The upshot is that “Brain cells called microglia chew up toxic substances and cell debris, calm inflammation and make nerve-cell-nurturing substances. New research
Memory Loss Associated with Alzheimer’s Reversed for First Time
From Science Daily: “In the first, small study of a novel, personalized and comprehensive program to reverse memory loss, nine of 10 participants displayed subjective or objective improvement in their memories beginning within three to six months after the program’s
The Future of Brain Implants
Brain implants are on their way, say Dr. Gary Marcus of NYU and Dr. Christof Koch of the Allen Institute for Brain Science. “By the end of this century, and quite possibly much sooner, every input device that has ever
A step on the way to therapeutic brain cells?
Will a person’s own brain cells be used to repair their brain one day? Maybe. Here’s an article that discusses the potential first steps — taking brain cells from a living person and growing more of them. From the Third
Researchers Grow Human ‘Mini Brains’
This advance by Austria’s Dr. Knoblich has big implications for studying brain disease. If researchers can study human brain cells in the lab instead of using animal models, the door will open to better, more effective, therapies. From the WSJ:
Scientists slow aging in mice by tweaking brain’s hypothalamus
From Singularity Hub: When we age, all parts of our body deteriorate over time. But while aging as a whole might be an accumulation of disparate processes, scientists have long wondered if it might be controlled by some central location
Brain Implants Could Restore the Ability to Form Memories
This MIT Tech Review article outlines work on a ‘memory prosthesis,’ which could help restore brain function for those with Alzheimer’s, stroke, or other types of brain injury.
China’s BGI to Sequence 2,200 Geniuses In Search For “Smart” Genes
From Singularity Hub: In the world of genomics, Chinese biotech giant BGI is big and getting bigger. The firm agreed to purchase Bay Area juggernaut Complete Genomics for a bargain basement $117 million in 2012. BGI owns 156 DNA sequencers
Will upcoming Brain Activity Map Project stimulate economy?
That seems to be what President Obama was implying in his recent SOTU address (for more on the Brain Activity Map Project, see this NYT article). In discussing the effects of one the last huge government-funded research projects, the Human
A pill to increase brain plasticity?
Harvard biologist Takao Hensch is examining a drug that “may make it dramatically easier for grown-ups to absorb new skills and information — almost as if they were seven years old or younger.” Here’s the story.
Juggling and brain power
Cross-posted from H+: This is an interesting piece in the BBC about how complex tasks enhance the structure of the brain. Time to take up juggling! Hat tip to Ramez Naam who posted this earlier today on Facebook.