http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Scientists have identified a synergistic interaction that disrupts normal intracellular transport mechanisms and leads to the accumulation of neuron-damaging clumps of protein associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by a specific loss of neurons in the midbrain and brainstem. The research, published by Cell Press in the December 24 issue of the journal Neuron, identifies a new potential therapeutic option for preventing PD-associated neuropathology. http://www.physorg.com/news180780803.html Electronics Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:30:02 EST news180780803 Scientists have identified a key molecular switch that may drive the onset of Huntington's disease (HD), an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that leads to severe disruptions in muscle coordination and cognitive function. The research, published by Cell Press in the December 24 issue of the journal Neuron, enhances the understanding of HD pathogenesis and may direct new strategies for treating this devastating brain disease. http://www.physorg.com/news180780313.html Medicine & Health Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:00:17 EST news180780313 (PhysOrg.com) -- Research into Alzheimer's disease seems an unlikely approach to yield a better way to fight urinary tract infections (UTIs), but that's what scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere recently reported. http://www.physorg.com/news178359416.html Chemistry Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:20:01 EST news178359416 Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling the development of Huntington's disease in a variety of mouse models. http://www.physorg.com/news176126406.html Medicine & Health Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:01:53 EST news176126406 Researchers in the USA have discovered a potential new function for anti-epileptic drugs in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The study, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Neurodegeneration, found that neurons in the brain were protected after treatment with T-type calcium-channel blockers, which are commonly used to treat epilepsy. http://www.physorg.com/news175896230.html Medicine & Health Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:04:27 EST news175896230 Tsuruta et al. find that a lipid kinase directs a voltage-gated calcium channel's degradation to save neurons from a lethal dose of overexcitement. The study appears in the October 19, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology . http://www.physorg.com/news175165687.html Biology Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:20:02 EST news175165687 Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified genes which may influence the onset age of Parkinson's Disease (PD). The findings, which currently appear on-line in BMC Medical Genetics, are the first to identify genes contributing to the variation in onset age and may help identify mechanisms and therapeutic targets capable of delaying symptoms. http://www.physorg.com/news174139192.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:38 EST news174139192 New data on signaling proteins, called G proteins, may prove important in fighting diseases such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. For many decades scientists have puzzled on "How signaling proteins transport and organize in specific areas of the cell?" Researchers from Nano-Science Center and Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, provide yet unrecognized clues to solve this mystery. http://www.physorg.com/news172769341.html Chemistry Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:40:05 EST news172769341 A new study shows that nervous system integrity and axonal properties may play a key role in prion diseases. The findings, from researchers at the Rudolf Virchow Center and the Institute of Virology of the University of Würzburg, expand our understanding of the development of prion disease and suggest novel targets for therapeutic and diagnostic approaches in its early stages. Details are published August 21 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens. http://www.physorg.com/news170079903.html Medicine & Health Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:28:20 EST news170079903 Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists have made an important advance in understanding the biological processes involved when cells are prompted to die. The work may help scientists to eventually develop new treatments for the many common diseases and conditions which occur when cell death goes wrong. http://www.physorg.com/news169393112.html Medicine & Health Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:10:02 EST news169393112 A new class of molecules capable of blocking the formation of specific protein clumps that are believed to contribute to Alzheimer's disease pathology has been discovered by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. By assaying close to 300,000 compounds, they have identified drug-like inhibitors of AD tau protein clumping, as reported in the journal Biochemistry. http://www.physorg.com/news169132024.html Chemistry Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:00:01 EST news169132024 New research has uncovered an early disruption in the process of memory formation in older humans who exhibit some early brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) but show little or no memory impairment. The work, published by Cell Press in the July 30th issue of the journal Neuron, sheds light on the role of amyloid protein in memory impairment and may lead to development of strategies for predicting and treating cognitive decline in individuals who are at-risk for AD. http://www.physorg.com/news168094743.html Medicine & Health Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:30:02 EST news168094743 Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has helped many couples conceive healthy children and is generally considered a safe practice. However, a new long-term analysis of PGD in mice suggests that this procedure may increase risks of weight gain and memory decline in adulthood. http://www.physorg.com/news167399961.html Medicine & Health Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:00:12 EST news167399961 A study by Nanyang Technological University (NTU)'s Assistant Professor Li Hoi Yeung, Assistant Professor Koh Cheng Gee and their team have made an important contribution to the understanding of the process that cells go through when they die. This process known as 'apoptosis' or programmed cell death, is a normal process in the human body which removes perhaps a million cells a second. http://www.physorg.com/news166786296.html Biology Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:50:02 EST news166786296 A new Mayo Clinic study may help physicians differentially diagnose three common neurodegenerative disorders in the future. The study will be presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease on July 11 in Vienna. http://www.physorg.com/news166525282.html Medicine & Health Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:02:01 EST news166525282 A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute, Katholeike Universiteit Leuven, and the University of Antwerp, Belgium, among other institutions, has created a genetically modified fruit fly that mimics key features of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a common neurodegenerative disorder that strikes about one out of every 2,500 people in the United States. http://www.physorg.com/news165067856.html Biology Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:10:01 EST news165067856 Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism linking soluble amyloid -- protein with the synaptic injury and memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The research, published by Cell Press in the June 25 issue of the journal Neuron, provides critical new insight into disease pathogenesis and reveals signaling molecules that may serve as potential additional therapeutic targets for AD. http://www.physorg.com/news165066096.html Medicine & Health Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:43:18 EST news165066096 Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have quantified the probability of a male who carries a "high normal" variant of the Huntington's Disease (HD) gene having a child who develops the disease. Although thought to be a very rare event, the probability has never been estimated using current information and disease guidelines. The findings, appear on-line in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, may be useful during prenatal genetic counseling. http://www.physorg.com/news163763696.html Medicine & Health Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:55:52 EST news163763696 (PhysOrg.com) -- The instruction manual for maintaining an efficient brain may soon include a section on synaptotagmin-IV (Syt-IV), a protein known to influence learning and memory, thanks to a study by UW-Madison researchers. http://www.physorg.com/news161879449.html Medicine & Health Mon, 18 May 2009 15:31:43 EST news161879449 A global analysis of brain proteins over a 10-week period in a mouse model of Huntington Disease has revealed some new insights into this complex neurodegenerative disorder. For example, profound changes (comparable to those seen in late-stage HD) actually occur well before any disease symptoms show up, and most of the changes are confined to a specific stage during disease progression. These findings should aid in determining the optimal times for therapies that aim to treat or cure this disease. http://www.physorg.com/news159115703.html Medicine & Health Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:48:50 EST news159115703 Caused by a mutation of the SMN gene, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an infantile and juvenile neurodegenerative disorder where motor neuron loss causes progressive paralysis. A new study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine details the first research focused on human muscle tissue atrophied due to a genetic condition, and sheds light on two distinct mechanisms at work in different forms of SMA. http://www.physorg.com/news158303237.html Medicine & Health Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:07:49 EST news158303237 Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have been able to speed recovery and substantially reduce damage resulting from spinal cord injury in preclinical studies. http://www.physorg.com/news157718167.html Medicine & Health Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:36:42 EST news157718167 Cells have two chances to fix the same mistake in their protein-making process instead of just one - a so-called proofreading step - that had previously been identified, according to new research. http://www.physorg.com/news156087023.html Biology Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:30:55 EST news156087023 Scientists have new information about the complex genetic signature associated with Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. The research, published by Cell Press in the January issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, uses a powerful, high-resolution analysis to look for genes associated with this devastating neurodegenerative disorder. http://www.physorg.com/news149947901.html Medicine & Health Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:11:41 EST news149947901