Supporting those facing this hardship could help prevent dementia cases in the future, researchers suggest
Category: neuroscience – Page 6
Did The Future Already Happen? — The Quantum Mystery That Terrifies Physicists
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Scientists found three gene variants that may change when Alzheimer’s begins
One of the strongest findings involved a variant in CCNG1, which was associated with an earlier age of dementia onset. Carriers of the risk allele developed dementia roughly a decade earlier than those without it.
The same variant was also linked to higher levels of TDP-43, a protein implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, and signs of accelerated brain aging on MRI scans.
The researchers also found that a variant in RHOJ was associated with biological markers of more severe Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals carrying the risk allele had higher levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau 181 in cerebrospinal fluid and a lower Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio—changes commonly associated with Alzheimer’s pathology.
Injectable biomaterial harnesses the immune system to promote brain repair after stroke
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed an injectable biomaterial that helps transform the cavity left behind after a stroke caused by a blood clot into an environment more supportive of repair. By recruiting the body’s own immune cells, the treatment promoted the growth of new blood vessels, supported neural remodeling and improved motor performance in mice. The work appears in Cell Biomaterials.
Every year, millions of people experience strokes caused by blood clots, called ischemic strokes. Immediate treatments, including clot-dissolving drugs and mechanical removal of the clot, can restore blood flow and preserve threatened brain tissue. But these treatments cannot replace tissue that has already been lost.
Large strokes can result in substantial tissue loss and leave behind a cavity at the site of the injury. After the clot is removed, recovery relies largely on rehabilitation, which helps surviving brain circuits adapt but does not directly repair the damaged area.
Senescent cell heterogeneity in brain aging and neurodegenerative disease
This review by Graves et al. synthesizes emerging evidence that senescent brain cells are heterogeneous, dynamic, and context dependent, highlighting determinants of diverse programs and emphasizing integration of single-cell-and spatial-omics with mouse studies to facilitate mechanistic insights and possible therapeutics.