Tag: Amyloidosis

Intellia has released clinical data for NTLA-2001, a gene therapy for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis. What is transthyretin amyloidosis? Transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis is the buildup of misfolded transthyretin, a protein generated by the liver. Normally, this protein is partially responsible for the transport of thyroid hormones, hence its name; however, transthyretin is vulnerable to mutations and...

A group of researchers has been able to ameliorate Alzheimer-like pathologies in mice by using a microtubule-stabilizing compound [1]. Cellular highways Microtubules (MTs) are tiny pipe-like structures that are made mostly of the polymerized protein tubulin. They constitute an important part of the cytoskeleton, a network of filaments that permeates the cell and performs many...

In a recent study, researchers from the Buck Institute have shown that cellular senescence, one of the hallmarks of aging, is partially responsible for Alzheimer's disease. Why we Age: Cellular SenescenceAs your body ages, more of your cells become senescent. Senescent cells do not divide or support the tissues of which they are part; instead,...

Alkahest has announced plans to launch a Phase 2 human trial that aims to address cognitive impairment and takes the unusual approach of using an external medical device that filters a harmful protein from the blood of end-stage renal disease patients. The medical device, known as an AKST1210, will be connected in-line with a haemodialysis...

A recent article, published in the Oxford journal Brain, categorizes and draws attention to an age-related disease that impacts the brain yet is widely unknown, even among scientists: limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) [1]. The symptoms of this disease are similar to those of Alzheimer's disease. It causes cognitive impairment and, when presenting alongside Alzheimer's...

Through a new approach dubbed AMBAR, the biotechnology company Grifols has attempted to reduce the amount of harmful, Alzheimer’s disease-causing amyloid beta in the brain by collecting it with a blood protein called albumin and draining it out of the bloodstream. This approach differs from the previous antibody and catabody approaches and offers new hope...