Dementia

Oral bacteria that settle in the gut may produce chemicals that damage brain cells and play a role in Parkinson's disease, researchers have suggested. Scientists found that Streptococcus mutans – the bacterium responsible for tooth decay – was more common in the guts of Parkinson’s patients than in healthy people. The finding adds to the case for [...]

CTE, a brain condition linked to repeated head injuries in sport, has for the first time been identified in people who had experienced homelessness. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – often linked to boxing, rugby and American football – was detected in post-mortem examinations of people with a history of homelessness, marking the first confirmed cases [...]

A protein that helps organise brain cell connections has been identified by researchers, offering potential new ways to treat brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers from Michigan State University and Rutgers University–New Brunswick have found that a protein called cypin acts as a “librarian” in the brain. It tags and arranges other proteins in the [...]

Women who undergo hysterectomy face up to an 18 per cent higher risk of stroke, especially if both ovaries are removed, according to new research. A meta-analysis of data from more than 2 million people found that removing the uterus and cervix alone raises risk by 5 per cent, while combining this with removal of [...]

Emerging research is exploring the potential of photobiomodulation (PBM) - a light-based therapy targeting the gut-brain axis- as a promising new treatment for Parkinson’s disease. A recently published clinical trial, conducted on 60 participants in Canada, reported clinically significant improvements in multiple Parkinson’s symptoms following treatment with photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy. The results, presented last month at [...]

Researchers have shown how faults in DNA repair, caused by gene mutations, can lead to motor neurone disease, pointing to possible new treatment targets. The study found that mutations in the CFAP410 gene make neurones more vulnerable to DNA damage, rather than disrupting cell structures as once believed. Motor neurone disease (MND), also called amyotrophic [...]

A virus long thought to be harmless may play a role in Parkinson’s disease, new research suggests. Scientists at Northwestern Medicine detected Human Pegivirus (HPgV) in the brains and spinal fluid of people with Parkinson’s, but not in those without the condition. The virus appeared in half of the Parkinson’s brain samples examined but was [...]

UK-based NRG Therapeutics has raised US$67m (£50m) in series B financing to take its lead drug for Parkinson’s disease and ALS into first-in-human clinical trials. The fundraising round was led by the Dementia Discovery Fund, alongside the venture arms of Novartis and Merck KGaA. The series B funding will support Phase 1 trials of NRG5051, [...]

With high failure rates in neurodegenerative and metabolic disease research, Cantabio Pharmaceuticals is working to close the gap with the development of novel therapeutics and a diagnostic platform for biochemical stress. NR Times speaks to CEO Gergely Toth to find out more. Founded in 2015, Cantabio Pharmaceuticals has been working to develop novel therapies to reduce the [...]

A novel brain scanning technology that has created ‘neural fingerprints’ could enable early diagnosis of neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia. Stephanie Price speaks to Professor Matthew Brooks, chairman of Cerca Magnetics, which has developed the technology, to find out more. A spinout from the University of Nottingham, Cerca Magnetics has developed a lightweight, wearable Cerca [...]