Dementia

Researchers have discovered a new avenue of cell death in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. A new study, led by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), has revealed that a form of cell death known as ferroptosis – caused by a build-up of iron in cells – destroys microglia cells, a type of […]

The latest episode of the DDW Highlights podcast is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates.  The headline news this week reflects the high level of interest and investment in neuroscience drug discovery, particularly neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s; including […]

News round-up for 21-25 August by DDW Digital Content Editor Diana Spencer. The headline news this week reflects the high level of interest and investment in neuroscience drug discovery, particularly neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s; including positive clinical trial results for new immunotherapy and biotherapeutic candidates, and hopes that existing medications could slow the progression of […]

Medications containing semaglutide such as Ozempic, licensed for diabetes, and Wegovy, for weight loss, are being studied to see if they can treat a range of different conditions, including addiction and dementia. Semaglutide manufacturer Novo Nordisk reported earlier this month that the drug reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in adults […]

Preclinical data has demonstrated that the oral small molecule OLX-07010 inhibits tau aggregation in a model for inherited tauopathies such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Earlier this year, the company Oligomerix announced the first-in-human dosing of OLX-07010 in a Phase Ia clinical trial. “While there has been significant progress in the […]

Otsuka and Lundbeck’s Rexulti (brexpiprazole) has become the first pharmacological treatment to be approved in the US for agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the companies’ supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA). Agitation is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in Alzheimer’s dementia and one of the most […]

DDW’s Diana Spencer reviews some of the advances in drug discovery for diseases of the brain in the last month. Brain Awareness Week is an annual global campaign that takes place from March 13-19, aimed at raising awareness and support for brain science and issues related to the brain and nervous system. It is described […]

Early-cognitive decline may result from a shift in the ratio of a protein sub-type in our brain cells triggering cell-loss, according to a new study. The discovery, published in Scientific Reports, provides a new therapeutic target to prevent the onset of neurodegenerative diseases including dementia and Alzheimer’s. It is the first study to examine the […]

The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) has partnered with the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) to help advance the development of adeno-associated virus (AAV) based gene therapies for dementia.  Through the collaboration, the CGT Catapult will work with UK academic centres and the UK DRI to identify new AAV-based gene therapies that […]

The Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF), the venture capital fund investing in, and creating, biotech companies pursuing transformational therapeutic approaches for dementias, has announced the appointments of Dr Lynne Hughes and Dr James Summers as Venture Partners, bringing additional expertise in neuroscience research and development. Dr Jonathan Behr, Partner at The Dementia Discovery Fund, said: “We […]

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are studying how signals sent from skeletal muscle affect the brain. The team studied fruit flies and brain cell models called organoids, focusing on the signals that muscles send when stressed. They used immunostaining and confocal microscopy on the fruit fly brain and found that stress signals rely […]

A research team from Imperial College London and the University of Zurich have identified what causes normal proteins to convert to diseased form, causing conditions like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Kuru. The researchers also tested a way to block the process, which could lead to new drugs for combatting such diseases. Certain brain diseases are […]