Research in Brief
As retinal cells transition from one state to another, they exhibit molecular changes that correspond to those of liver cells.
Tau tangles tend to accumulate in brain cells that also express the Wolframin-1 protein—a discovery that’s been corroborated in human tissue and a mouse model.
BrightFocus-funded researchers crosslink exfoliation syndrome (XFS), a condition that can lead to glaucoma, with common comorbidities and shared risk factors as a way of predicting which patients are at increased risk.
Learn about a potential blood test to diagnose AD and monitor its progression and response to treatments.
People with Alzheimer’s pathology, but no significant cognitive decline (termed, resilient), have increases in synaptic signaling and energy production and decreased damage to waste clearance and anti-oxidant proteins when compared to people with AD-dementia.
After early human development, the nerve cells of the eye no longer regenerate. Researchers are looking for ways to genetically manipulate this pathway to protect and repair damaged retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma.
Recent work from BrightFocus grantee Zhuohao He, PhD, advances knowledge of tau in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegeneration, and opens new avenues for drug development.
Neurodegeneration in a key brain region has been associated with sleep disturbances in people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease – a finding which could lead to earlier intervention and better treatment options.
High-throughput analysis reveals that retinal genes are influenced by a high-fat diet alone, independent of gut bacteria, in ways that increase susceptibility to macular degeneration.
A genetic mutation is found to impair lipid metabolism and function of microglia, key defensive players in the brain.
