Category Archives: Development lab

Findings at this stage often grab the most headlines – a new drug tested in mice, or a new marker found in the blood of patients. These stories inspire real hope, because they are applicable to our lives and could be a step towards new treatments being available to patients sooner.

We share this excitement – well designed and thorough studies at this stage can provide strong evidence for a new treatment or intervention. But we still urge caution.

Was the study done in animals or people? How many people took part? Did they see a big effect? Do the findings back up previous evidence?

These are the questions we ask ourselves when new stories are featured in the press. Positive findings must be able to be repeated, to show that they weren’t just due to chance. As the supporting evidence builds, so do our confidence levels.

Size of the brain’s memory centre indicates risk of dementia with Lewy bodies

A US study of people with mild memory and thinking problems suggests that monitoring the size of a brain structure called the hippocampus could indicate the specific cause of dementia in those who develop the condition later in life. The research, published today (November 2) in the journal Neurology, shows that the hippocampus is much less likely to shrink in those who later have dementia with Lewy bodies compared to those who go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Targeting inflammation restores memory in Alzheimer’s mice

Researchers at the University of Manchester have shown that a common anti-inflammatory drug may be able to rescue memory problems in mice with features of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug, called mefenamic acid, was also shown to halt brain inflammation in the disease according to a study published today in the journal Nature Communications.

New approaches to understanding Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease

In a study presented today at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2016, researchers at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute have explored how some people may develop the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s but never develop symptoms. Alzheimer’s is typified by the build-up of amyloid protein in the brain, and Parkinson’s disease by the loss of a key chemical messenger in the brain called dopamine. However, it’s becoming clear that individuals can exhibit these changes but show no changes in their memory, thinking or day-to-day function. Using brain imaging data from large-scale studies into both diseases, the team identified regions of the brain associated with resilience to these changes, such as a key region in the memory centre of the brain which was preserved despite the build-up of amyloid. By mapping these potential protective networks in the brain, the researchers hope to identify potential new approaches to treat the disease as well as ways to indicate those most at risk.

Genetic and non-genetic resilience against memory decline and Alzheimer’s

Researchers across the world are keen to understand why some people experience memory decline or diseases like Alzheimer’s, while others don’t. At AAIC2016, two teams of researchers are presenting findings revealing clues to genetic and non-genetic factors influencing a person’s resilience to memory decline and Alzheimer’s.

Hallmark Alzheimer’s protein may have been passed between people in historic growth hormone treatments

A study published today by London researchers has revealed evidence that the hallmark Alzheimer’s protein, amyloid, may have been passed to a small number of people through human-derived growth hormone treatments given before the mid-1980s. The research suggests that amyloid, which builds up in the brain in Alzheimer’s, could be transmitted through contaminated brain tissue extracts in a similar way to the prion protein responsible for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The findings are published on 9 September in the journal Nature and funded by the NIHR UCL/UCLH Biomedical Research Unit and the Medical Research Council