News and Announcements

Northwestern investigators have identified a novel transcription factor which regulates a signaling mechanism utilized by a fertilized embryo to protect its mother from cellular and environmental stress, according to a recent study to published in the journal Genes and Development.

Experts, including the Mesulam Center's Tamar Gefen, PhD, highlight the unique qualities of "SuperAgers". While no specific trick ensures becoming a SuperAger, engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining social connections, and reducing stress are key practices observed among them.

For decades, Marcus Peter, PhD, has drilled into an area of research focused on cell death and the roles of toxic and protective short RNAs, with the goal of developing a novel form of cancer treatment. Now, this same line of research has led Peter’s team to uncover new insights into the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. In this episode, Peter explains his pioneering work in investigating RNA interference in diseases and explains how his lab’s latest novel discovery may have relevance to an array of neurodegenerative diseases beyond Alzheimer’s.

A unique genetic variation in the MAPT gene was associated with increased risk of Pick’s disease, a rare form of frontotemporal dementia, according to a recent study published in The Lancet Neurology.

The post Genetic Variation Linked to Increased Risk of Pick’s Disease appeared first on News Center.

Recent studies from Feinberg scientists have uncovered new insights into these disorders, elucidating the mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

A mutated protein expressed in lysosomes may contribute to Parkinson’s disease, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study published in the Journal of Cell Biology.

A new study has found the immune system in the blood of Alzheimer’s patients is epigenetically altered, and many of these altered genes are the same ones that increase an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s.

Concerns about age and mental fitness have been a recurring theme through the past two presidencies and are set to only mount in 2024 with two frontrunner candidates nearing or exceeding the age of 80. Experts, including Molly Mather, PhD discuss typical signs of aging.

Marsel Mesulam, MD recently joined the Organization of Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) Neurosalience Podcast to discuss his influential career and current research focuses.

Sandra Weintraub, PhD and a group of researchers from around the country have spent the past few years developing the Dementia Nomenclature Initiative (DeNomI), a nationwide plan to address limitations in communicating dementia diagnoses and increase the general public’s understanding of related diseases. This first-of-its-kind framework aims to tackle stigma, naming inconsistencies, and a lack of education surrounding cognitive diseases. DeNomI separates clinical symptoms from biological changes, paving the way for improved research, therapy development, and enhanced healthcare communication.