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ELEFTHERIA KODOSAKI, THE CONVERSATION19 JANUARY 2021 Alzheimer's disease is a devastating condition that is currently unstoppable and incurable. The main cause of the disease is the loss of neurons and other brain cells in the brain – also know as degeneration. This degeneration is what leads to problems with memory and other cognitive functions. Researchers can tell which neurons die first or exhibit increased vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease based on where they're located in the brain and what they look like. But they don't know what genes or proteins these neurons express. Knowing these factors is important for recognising and...

The experimental drug J147 is something of a modern elixir of life; it's been shown to treat Alzheimer's disease and reverse aging in mice and is almost ready for clinical trials in humans. Now, Salk scientists have solved the puzzle of what, exactly, J147 does. In a paper published January 7, 2018, in the journal Aging Cell, they report that the drug binds to a protein found in mitochondria, the energy-generating powerhouses of cells. In turn, they showed, it makes aging cells, mice and flies appear more youthful. "This really glues together everything we know about J147 in terms of...

Although their goal was to cure diabetes, scientists may have stumbled onto a new medication to help treat the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease. According to a press release from researchers at Lancaster University, a new drug being tested for diabetes patients was found to have “significantly reversed memory loss” in test subjects and is now being examined as possible treatment for neurodegenerative disorders. The medication, known as a triple receptor drug — or “triple agonist” — reportedly works in multiple ways to protect the brain against degeneration and promote growth. Researchers say that a study of mice being given...

Capturing the essence of the 1940s and 50s in modern times is getting harder and harder for photographers. While there are plenty of hot rods out there to shoot these days, fewer and fewer “factory” vehicles can be found. But that’s not the only trouble. With modern construction, vintage buildings are also becoming scarcer by the day. This leads to a whole lot of hassle for those set on bringing back memories of the past through modern photography. But as photographer and car enthusiast Michael Paul Smith, who posts his work on Flickr, discovered, recreating the past may actually be...

Ron Reagan, Jr., admitted Monday night that embryonic stem cell research will probably be absolutely useless in the quest to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease - throwing cold water on the big media's campaign to sell the controversial science as medically effective in battling the affliction that killed Reagan's father. "Alzheimer‘s is a disease, ironically, that probably won‘t be amenable to treatment through stem cell therapies," Reagan told MSBC's Chris Matthews. So why have he and his mother, former first lady Nancy Reagan, made stem cell research their cause celeb? "For people to suggest that [Nancy Reagan] shouldn’t support...