The Curious Neuroprotective Effects of Protein Kinase A-active Agents
Tuesday, 22 December 2015
The impact of neurodegenerative disorders is profound. An estimated 1 million people in the U.S. endure Parkinson’s disease1, and another 5.3 million live with Alzheimer’s disease2. Over 69,000 ischemic strokes occur each year in the U.S.3, and those lucky enough to survive them are at risk for neurodegeneration. There is tremendous need for a better
- Published in Neurodegenerative Diseases
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Targeting Phosphodiesterase 4B for Cognitive Disorders
Thursday, 27 August 2015
Cognitive dysfunction, including loss of core functions such as memory, learning and reasoning occurs in many psychiatric disorders, and impairs the quality of life for millions of older adults suffering from dementia. As there is no single cause, treatments vary. However the few drugs that are available, most of which boost neurotransmitter levels, are not
- Published in Neurodegenerative Diseases
RGS4 Inhibitor Shows Activity in Parkinson’s Disease Model
Thursday, 18 June 2015
RGS (regulator of G-protein signaling) proteins attenuate GPCR signals and provide an intriguing alternative to direct receptor targeting for modulating GPCR pathways. A recent effort led by Richard Neubig at Michigan State University (Blazer, et al ACS Chem Neurosci. 2015 Apr 20) provides a big boost to validation of RGS proteins as drug targets. Their
- Published in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Brain Penetrant LRRK2 GTPase Inhibitor Shows Promise For PD
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Parkinson’s disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, currently affects nearly 7 million people worldwide. Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), a dual functional protein with separate kinase and GTPase domains, are the most common cause of autosomal dominant PD and also contribute to sporadic PD. Multiple lines
- Published in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Pharmacoperones: Correcting Misfolded Proteins, Curing Disease.
Thursday, 09 January 2014
Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), led by P. Michael Conn, have demonstrated in mice a novel technique used to cure disease caused by misfolded protein molecules. The same technique could be used to cure human diseases with similar etiology. Human diseases caused by misfolded proteins are diverse and numerous. Among them
- Published in Neurodegenerative Diseases
The Smell Test: Peanut Butter and Alzheimer’s
Wednesday, 06 November 2013
New research suggests peanut butter as innovative diagnostic tool. Imagine: you wake up one day to find you can no longer enjoy the scent of peanut butter. Now imagine this: you wake up two years later to find you can no longer remember your spouse’s name. Could the first unfortunate scenario be a pre-cursor to
- Published in Neurodegenerative Diseases
