Concordance was high between imputed and sequenced APOE genotypes. Moreover, the researchers replicated known GWAS associations with diet-related biomarkers.
The authors also noted several limitations to provide context for future research. These include that the study population was predominantly of European ancestry, which may limit the generalizability of findings, and that the specific participant criteria (e.g., overweight, family history of dementia) mean the resource is not representative of the general population. They also advise that potential batch effects from specimen type and study site should be accounted for in future analyses.
This genetic resource enables analyses of genetic contributions to variability in cognitive responses to the MIND diet, supporting integrative analysis with other data types to delineate underlying biological mechanisms. The data will be made available to other researchers via The National Institute on Aging Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease Data Storage Site (NIAGADS).
NIA, NINDS: UNTANGLING THE VIRAL LINK TO NEURODEGENERATION
Scientists have long sought to understand the connection between viral infections and brain health. Can common viruses, which can reside unnoticed within our bodies, contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia? A study published in Science Advances led by researchers at the NIA tapped into data from thousands of human subjects offers compelling new insights into this enigmatic area of research.
The investigation examined the neurocognitive and plasma proteomic profiles of older adults in a community-based cohort from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Researchers focused on their antibody responses to four common coronaviruses and six herpesviruses with hopes of uncovering the molecular pathways linking the immune response to these viruses with brain aging and dementia risk.
“Herpotrichone” is a natural substance that has been evaluated highly for its excellent ability to suppress inflammation in the brain and protect nerve cells, displaying significant potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This substance could only be obtained in minute quantities from fungi that are symbiotic with isopods. However, KAIST researchers have succeeded in chemically synthesizing this rare natural product, thereby presenting the possibility for the development of next-generation drugs for neurodegenerative diseases.
A research team led by Professor Sunkyu Han of the Department of Chemistry successfully synthesized the natural anti-neuroinflammatory substances ‘herpotrichones A, B, and C’ for the first time. The paper is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Herpotrichone natural products are substances obtainable only in minute quantities from Herpotrichia sp. SF09, a symbiotic pill bug fungus, and possesses a unique 6÷6÷6÷6÷3 pentacyclic framework consisting of five fused rings (four six-membered and one three-membered ring).
University of Otago Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka-led research has found stress-controlling brain cells switch on and off in a steady rhythm about once every hour—even when nothing stressful is happening.
Senior author Associate Professor Karl Iremonger, of Otago’s Department of Physiology and Center for Neuroendocrinology, says these rhythms shape activity patterns and alertness.
These bursts of brain cell activity seem to act like a natural ‘wake-up’ signal, and often lead to a rise in stress hormones, or cortisol.
Stimulating the vagus nerve with a device attached to the outer ear can help make compassion meditation training more effective at boosting people’s capacity for self-kindness and mindfulness, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.
The study, published in Psychological Medicine, adds to evidence of the potential benefits of stimulating this key nerve that connects the brain with major organs in the chest and abdomen.
The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in the “rest-and-digest” (parasympathetic) system, counteracting the “fight-or-flight” (sympathetic) stress response, and allows the brain to communicate with all major organs in the body. By transmitting signals from the body up to the brain, the vagus nerve can also regulate a range of psychological processes, including some involved in social interactions and emotional control.
OXFORD, Miss. – A University of Mississippi pharmacy professor will study how sugar molecules on proteins could lead to new ways to detect and treat diseases using a prestigious grant from the National Science Foundation.
The NSF has awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Program grant to Jing Li, assistant professor of medical chemistry and research and assistant professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science.
Li will use computer modeling to study the effects of sugar molecules connected to proteins. These molecules – known as glycosylation – affect ion channels that play a crucial role in brain activity, heartbeats and muscle movement.