science top stories popular news  

Daily non-political popular news in brief.

New clues to stroke role in Alzheimer's

06-06-2007 · EurekAlert!

Researchers have discovered key details of how stroke or traumatic brain injury can trigger Alzheimer's disease by enhancing formation of brain-clogging amyloid plaques. Their experiments established that "executioner" enzymes that kill brain cells during stroke or head trauma also interfere with the normal disposal of an enzyme that helps generate plaque. This interference increases the level of the enzyme in brain cells, they found.

Read more »

Keywords: clues, stroke, role, alzheimer, clue

« Previous | Next »

Similar news on "New clues to stroke role in Alzheimer's":

  1. Researchers hot on the trail of brain cell degeneration
    03-19-2007 · EurekAlert!
    A research team headed by Academy Research Fellow Michael Courtney has identified a new molecular pathway in neurons. The pathway is a factor in the degeneration of brain cells, which in turn plays an important role in neurological conditions and diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and stroke.
    Similar news · Read more »
  2. Study identifies glucose 'sensor' that plays dual role in glucose metabolism and fat synthesis
    12-26-2006 · EurekAlert!
    In a new study, scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have described for the first time a glucose-activated sensor that acts as a switch to decrease production of endogenous glucose in the liver, and increase conversion of glucose to fat for storage in adipose tissue. This dual action makes the sensor, Liver X Receptor, a potential target for new therapies aimed at obesity and diabetes. The research may also have implications for heart disease and stroke.
    Similar news · Read more »
  3. Key Function Of Nervous System Enzyme Found; Impact On Drug Development Against Alzheimer's
    09-29-2006 · ScienceDaily
    Ever since scientists first elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathology and loss of nerve cells in Alzheimer's disease, drug companies have been working to develop drugs which will inhibit the outbreak of this severe form of dementia. Now researchers in Munich and Berlin (Germany) have discovered that an enyzme which has a central causal role in Alzheimer's disease happens also to have a key function in the normal development of the nervous system. This enzyme, beta-secretase or BACE1, ensures that nerve fibers (axons) are adequately isolated with sheaths of myelin, enabling rapid conduction of electrical impulses, as well as preventing short-circuits, akin to plastic insulation on electrical wires.
    Similar news · Read more »
  4. Brain inflammation may be friend, not foe, for Alzheimer's patients
    06-01-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Inflammation in the brain may not be so bad after all when it comes to Alzheimer's disease. Scientists have shown that a key inflammatory regulator, a known villain when it comes to parsing out damage after a stroke and other brain injuries, seems to do the opposite in Alzheimer's disease, protecting the brain and helping get rid of clumps of material known as plaques that are a hallmark of the disease.
    Similar news · Read more »
  5. Alzheimer's molecule is a smart speed bump on the nerve-cell transport highway
    01-17-2008 · EurekAlert!
    Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that proteins carrying chemical cargo in nerve cells react differently when exposed to the tau protein, which plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease.
    Similar news · Read more »
  6. Blood protein offers clues to heart attack in seemingly healthy people
    07-02-2007 · EurekAlert!
    We've all wondered how a seemingly healthy person can actually be at high risk for heart disease or a heart attack. Now researchers have uncovered a new clue to this mystery. The culprit: myeloperoxidase, a protein secreted by white blood cells that both signals inflammation and releases a bleach-like substance that damages the cardiovascular system.
    Similar news · Read more »
  7. Decoding Autism: Study finds DNA clues to developmental disorders
    02-24-2007 · Science News Online
    New results direct the search for autism-influencing genes to a previously overlooked DNA segment and highlight the role of a crucial chemical-messenger system in creating brains susceptible to autism.
    Similar news · Read more »
  8. Blood may help us think
    10-16-2007 · Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
    MIT scientists propose that blood may help us think, in addition to its well-known role as the conveyor of fuel and oxygen to brain cells. The theory has implications for understanding brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and schizophrenia.
    Similar news · Read more »
  9. Explaining a link between strokes and Alzheimer's
    06-04-2007 · EurekAlert!
    University of Leeds scientists have shown how stroke victims could be more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease -- years or even decades after making a full recovery.
    Similar news · Read more »
  10. MIT finds new role for well-known protein
    10-17-2007 · Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
    In a finding that may lead to potential new treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT report an unexpected role in the brain for a well-known protein.
    Similar news · Read more »