Causes

Amylin deposits in the brain may link dementia and diabetes

Deposits of a hormone called amylin in the brain may indicate risk for developing dementia and type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online in the Annals of Neurology. The analysis by researchers at the NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of California, Davis, is the first to identify amylin deposits in post-mortem brain tissue from older people who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia and diabetes.

Gene variant linked to higher risk of Alzheimer’s in African Americans

A variant of a gene involved in cholesterol and lipid production is associated with significantly higher risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease in African Americans than in non-Hispanic whites of European ancestry, a recent study found. Although preliminary, the findings suggest that the two racial groups may have different genetic risk profiles for the most common form of Alzheimer’s dementia. The research is published in the April 10, 2013, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Memorial Butler lecture features studies in early Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Family, friends, colleagues, and the NIH scientific community celebrated the life of the NIA’s founding director May 8 at the Dr. Robert N. Butler Memorial Lecture. The lecture, part of the prestigious NIH Director’s Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series, featured Dr. Ronald C. Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging and the Mayo Alzheimer’s Research Center, as well as remarks about Dr. Butler by current NIA Director Dr. Richard Hodes. Lecture host NIH Director Dr.

Suppressing protein may stem Alzheimer’s disease process

Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health have discovered a potential strategy for developing treatments to stem the disease process in Alzheimer’s disease. It’s based on unclogging removal of toxic debris that accumulates in patients’ brains, by blocking activity of a little-known regulator protein called CD33.

Analysis finds gene variants associated with Alzheimer’s amyloid deposition

NIA-supported researchers combined images of the brains of older people with Alzheimer’s or at risk for the disease with their genetic data to find a previously unknown link between the gene for butyrlcholinesterase (BCHE) and beta-amyloid deposition in the brain. Beta-amyloid is the major constituent of plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to BCHE, the study showed that apolipoprotein-E (APOE), a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s, was also associated with the level of amyloid found in the brain.

Latest NIH Alzheimer’s research progress report available

A new online report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) highlights recent progress in NIH-supported Alzheimer’s disease research.

Prepared annually by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at NIH, the latest report -- 2011-2012 Alzheimer’s Disease Progress Report: Intensifying the Research Effort -- describes new investments and summarizes research in several areas:

NIH-supported international teams identify rare Alzheimer’s disease risk gene variant

Two international teams of researchers, with NIH scientists and support, have separately identified a rare variation in the TREM2 gene as a moderate risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. TREM2 is a gene involved in inflammation and immune response, and this discovery provides an important clue for researchers seeking a better understanding of the Alzheimer’s disease process. Researchers have hypothesized for many years that a rare genetic variant can confer moderate risk for disease.

Risk gene for Alzheimer’s disease associated with lower brain amyloid

Researchers investigating a known gene risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease discovered it is associated with lower levels of beta amyloid—a brain protein involved in Alzheimer’s—in cognitively healthy older people. The findings suggest that a mechanism other than one related to beta amyloid accumulation may influence disease risk associated with the gene. The study, by researchers at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health, was published online September 27, 2012 in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease: What Do We Know?

Although Alzheimer's disease currently has no cure, recent research results point toward a day when it might be possible to delay, slow down, or even prevent this devastating brain disorder. This 24-page booklet describes the latest NIA-funded research about prevention of Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline, from physical exercise and diet to social engagement and cognitive training. Also included are tips for staying healthy as you grow older.

English

NIH-funded research provides new clues on how ApoE4 affects Alzheimer's risk

Common variants of the ApoE gene are strongly associated with the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease, but the gene's role in the disease has been unclear.  Now, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have found that in mice, having the most risky variant of ApoE damages the blood vessels that feed the brain.

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