Current Alzheimer Research - Volume 7, Issue 2, 2010

Dimebon, originally developed as an anti-histamine drug, is being re-purposed for new indications as an effective treatment for patients suffering from Alzheimer's and Huntington’s diseases, albeit with an as-yet unknown mechanism of action. We have performed molecular pharmacology profiling of this drug on a panel of 70 targets to characterize the spectrum of its activity, with the goal to possibly elucidate a potential m Read More

The hippocampus is critical for learning and memory and heavily affected in dementia. The presence of stem cells in this structure has led to an increased interest in the phenomenon of adult neurogenesis and its role in hippocampal functioning. Not surprising, investigators of Alzheimer's disease have also evaluated adult neurogenesis due to its responsiveness to hippocampal damage. Although causal relationships have n Read More

The use of natural compounds is an interesting stratagem in the search of drugs with therapeutic potential for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We report here the effect of the hyperforin derivative (IDN5706, tetrahydrohyperforin), a semi-synthetic derivative of the St. John's Wort, on the brain neuropathology, learning and memory in a double transgenic (APPswe, PS-1dE9) mouse model of AD. Results indicate that, ID Read More

The processing of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) is a critical event in the formation of amyloid plaques which are composed of the 4kDa amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). Processing of APP occurs through a non-amyloidogenic pathway, mediated by initial α-secretase cleavage or through an amyloidogenic pathway via sequential cleavage by β- and γ- secretase enzymes, which produces Aβ peptides. Currently, the diagnosis o Read More

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) has been recognized as a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, its underlying molecular mechanisms are still elusive. Here we show that HHcy induces an elevation of amyloid beta (Aβ) levels and deposition, as well as behavioral impairments, in a mouse model of AD-like amyloidosis, the Tg2576 mice. This elevation is not associated with significant change of the s Read More

A key event in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis is the formation of insoluble peptides β-amyloid aggregates and this process is favoured by a condition of hyperhomocysteinemia. To date, there is growing evidence that implicates glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the pathophysiology of amyloidosis but no data are available on the characterization of brain GAGs involved in the enhancing β-amyloid fibrillogenesis in relatio Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline including loss of memory, orientation and reasoning. However, a relevant aspect of AD is the presence of a variety of behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD), beyond the well-known progressive cognitive impairment. Approximately 50% to 80% of patients diagnosed with AD present behavioural or psyc Read More

Amyloid β(1-40) peptide was immobilized on an Au-colloid modified gold electrode and an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) system was elaborated for determining the association constants, Ka, between small molecular ligands and the peptide. The changes in the resistance of the modified electrode layer with deposited Aβ(1-40) peptide were measured with EIS in relation to a series of concentrations of the liga Read More

This paper presents the results obtained with the innovative use of special types of artificial neural networks (ANNs) assembled in a novel methodology named IFAST (implicit function as squashing time) capable of compressing the temporal sequence of electroencephalographic (EEG) data into spatial invariants. The aim of this study is to test the potential of this parallel and nonlinear EEG analysis technique in providing Read More