Last week, headlines reverberated across the internet with seemingly groundbreaking news: Scientists had found a cause — and with it, a possible cure — of Alzheimer's disease. The culprit, the reports said, was the bacterium that causes gum disease. But have scientists really solved one of the 21st century's biggest medical mysteries? Experts tell Live Science that caution is needed and that untangling the knotty causes of Alzheimer's disease is far from straightforward. The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease currently affects more than 5.5 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. In the brains of people with Alzheimer's, abnormal buildup of proteins
Doctors diagnose breast cancer by identifying which receptor is present. They run a series of tests for each of the three receptors, and these will return either positive or negative results. When a person has breast cancer, but all of these results come back negative, doctors diagnose the person with triple-negative breast cancer. Many treatments aim to block one or more of the three receptors. When results for all three are negative, hormone-based medications are not an effective option. Instead, a doctor will recommend other treatments, such as chemotherapy. Read the full article HERE
Research published today in the journal Brain reveals a new approach to Alzheimer's disease (AD) that may eventually make it possible to reverse memory loss, a hallmark of the disease in its late stages. The team, led by University at Buffalo scientists, found that by focusing on gene changes caused by influences other than DNA sequences—called epigenetics—it was possible to reverse memory decline in an animal model of AD. "In this paper, we have not only identified the epigenetic factors that contribute to the memory loss, we also found ways to temporarily reverse them in an animal model of AD," said senior author Zhen Yan, Ph.D., a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physiolo
We’ve all heard of the BRCA genes: Mutations in those genes put women at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer. But what if your BRCA test is negative, yet many of your relatives have breast cancer? What do you do then? In picture after picture, four sisters can be seen relaxing on a carefree winter vacation, relaxed and happy. But underneath it all, they all share a potentially life-threatening genetic issue. It came to light 27 years ago when their mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Read the full article, click HERE
Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, found that older people who experience less slow-wave sleep (in other words, deep sleep) have elevated levels of a brain protein called tau. The findings, published in Translational Medicine, note that higher levels of tau are a sign of Alzheimer's disease. Elevated levels have also previously been associated with both brain damage and cognitive decline. Read the full article HERE
As the ability to identify the lowest risk patients grows, and minimally or noninvasive treatments for breast cancer improve, experts believe the need for surgical intervention will diminish. But that doesn’t mean surgeons’ responsibilities will disappear. “One issue we’re all grappling with is that there may be less surgery to do. Our medical oncology colleagues are identifying and hitting targets, and over time surgery—and I predict radiation, as well—may become less relevant,” said Sheldon M. Feldman, MD, the chief of breast surgical oncology and director of breast cancer services at Montefiore Medical Center, and a professor of surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, both in New
hat African-Americans are at higher risk for dementia in general, and Alzheimer’s disease specifically, has been well documented, but the reasons for this remain unknown. A study by researchers at Washington University of St. Louis (WUSTL) in Missouri, published on January 7, 2018, in the journal JAMA Neurology, takes a step in the direction of figuring that out. The research found that African-Americans with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease had lower levels of tau, a biomarker linked with the disease. This finding raises the possibility that the tools used to diagnose Alzheimer’sare missing African-Americans who are in the process of developing it. According to figures from the Alzheimer’
Women who suffer persistent hot flushes during the menopause are more likely to develop breast cance
Women who suffer persistent hot flushes during the menopause are more likely to develop breast cancer, research suggests. Scientists say the risk of the disease is greatest for women who experience night sweats and other symptoms for at least a decade. Fluctuating hormone levels are thought to be to blame, with changing amounts of oestrogen during the menopause being associated with hot flushes. Oestrogen exposure is also linked to a greater breast-cancer risk, with the risk of developing the disease falling post-menopause when less of the hormone is produced. Read the entire article HERE (stock)
A brain protein linked to Alzheimer's disease might potentially be transmitted to people during neurological procedures, a new preliminary study suggests. Genetically engineered lab mice developed amyloid-beta deposits in their brains after they were injected with amyloid-laced samples of human growth hormone taken from decades-old human cadavers, researchers found. 'Catching' Alzheimer's "We have now provided experimental evidence to support our hypothesis that amyloid-beta pathology can be transmitted to people from contaminated materials," said senior researcher Dr John Collinge. He is head of University College London's department of neurodegenerative disease. Read the full article, clic
