A weekly recap of the latest news about Alzheimer’s and dementia

 

Alzheimer’s Orange County compiles a weekly roundup of the latest news stories and developments about Alzheimer’s and dementia to keep you updated on what’s happening locally and all around the world. Check out this week’s headlines below:

 

Sorting Protein in Neurons Defends Against Neurodegenerative Disease

ScienceDaily compares the molecule VPS35 to a sorting machine in an assembly line; it removesdefective proteins from neurons to clear the brain of the protein tau – which, as we have seen in other recent reports of Alzheimer’s research, is potentially linked to neurodegenerative disorders like dementia. Could this be the next step in developing a cure? Read more here.

 

Capito, Baldwin Champion Bipartisan Reform to Improve Palliative, Hospice Care

U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Tammy Baldwin have reintroduced the bipartisan Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA). This legislation will provide specialized medical care, hospice workforce training programs, and more to individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. This is an exciting development that could lead to improved quality of life as well as controlled costs for people with advanced dementia. Read more here.

 

Larger, Earlier Drug Trials Needed to Fight Alzheimer’s

This short but interesting read from Lund University calls for preclinical-stage drug trials to help combat the progression of Alzheimer’s. Researchers speculate that it is because Alzheimer’s is a pathology that starts long before an individual begins to show symptoms, that drug trials thus far have been fruitless in fighting off the disease. For now, the challenge is finding out when in the disease’s early stages a person’s cognition begins to deteriorate. Read more here.

 

‘Crosstalk’ Between Genes Promotes Brain Inflammation in Alzheimer’s

Inflammation in the brain has been shown to incite Alzheimer’s disease; researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) are attempting to find ways to prevent such inflammation. We’ve previously learned about plaques and the entanglement of the tau protein; MGH’s studies are suggesting that inflammation of the brain tissue is the missing piece that is the primary cause of neuron death. Read more here.