Category: Degenerative Disease

2022-23, Brain, Degenerative Disease, General Neuroscience, Neurology, Neuroscience

Selective Striatal Neuron Degeneration in HD Linked to Autophagy Impairment

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease that causes the progressive breakdown of neurons over time, resulting in the development of involuntary movements (chorea), psychiatric disorders, and cognitive decline. HD is caused by the dominant mutation of the HTT gene encoding huntingtin, a protein whose normal function is unknown but is linked to projection neuron death in the striatum of the … Continue reading Selective Striatal Neuron Degeneration in HD Linked to Autophagy Impairment

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2022-23, Degenerative Disease, General Neuroscience, Neurology, Neuroscience

Use of Retinoid Therapy May Restore Vision in Blind Adults

Sooraj Shah ’24 Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a family of retinal disorders, which result in severe vision loss from birth. LCA is one of the most common causes of childhood blindness, affecting approximately 2-3 infants for every 100,000 births. Currently, no direct cure for LCA exists, but recent developments in gene replacement therapy have shown promise in partially restoring retinal light-sensing ability with variability … Continue reading Use of Retinoid Therapy May Restore Vision in Blind Adults

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Degenerative Disease

Diagnosis and management of Guillain–Barré syndrome in ten steps

Sabah Bari ’24 Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by an overactive immune system that causes damage to peripheral nerves, leading to loss of sensorimotor function starting at the extremities and spreading to the torso. Some symptoms of GBS are potentially fatal, such as respiratory failure, cardiac arrhythmias, blood pressure instability, which are all directly involved with the autonomic nervous system. The … Continue reading Diagnosis and management of Guillain–Barré syndrome in ten steps

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Brain, Degenerative Disease

Get Your Head Out of the Game

Gwenyth Mercep ’22 Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disease associated with exposure to repetitive head impacts, such as those from tackle American football [1]. CTE can cause numerous and debilitating early-life symptoms like behavioral and mood disturbances, most notable, impulse control and depression [1]. Episodic memory loss and dementia, forms of cognitive dysfunction, are reported by patients with CTE later in life [1]. … Continue reading Get Your Head Out of the Game

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Cellular and Molecular Science, Degenerative Disease, Health and Medicine

Engineered T-cells as a Target for Fibrosis in Myocardial Disease

Simran Kaur ‘20 Fibrosis, the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix by fibroblasts into cardiac tissue, is a significant process in the development of cardiac disease and subsequent cardiac failure, but there are not many clinical treatments that can effectively target it. Cardiac fibroblasts express an antigen that can be targeted by the transplantation of antigen-specific CD8+ T-cells because CD8+ T-cells are involved in the inflammatory … Continue reading Engineered T-cells as a Target for Fibrosis in Myocardial Disease

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Cognition, Degenerative Disease, General Neuroscience, Neuroscience

New Role for Bardet-Biedl Syndrome Proteins in Neuronal Function Loss

Priyanshi Patel ’22 Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) is a rare genetic condition that causes retinal degeneration, kidney failure, obesity, and cognitive impairment. BBS is a genetically heterogeneous, autosomal recessive disorder that is characterized by early-onset retinal degeneration, obesity, and cognitive impairment. In a recent investigation, scientists from the University College London and the University of Vienna were able to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms that … Continue reading New Role for Bardet-Biedl Syndrome Proteins in Neuronal Function Loss

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Degenerative Disease

A Vaccine for Alzheimer’s?

Nicole Zhao ’20 Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys memory and thinking skills (1). When the disease was classified by Dr. Alzheimer in 1906, he noticed that the brain tissue of his patient with early-onset Alzheimer’s was riddled with amyloid-β plaques and tangles. Tangles are jumbled bundles of fibers inside neurons that disrupt the ability of neurons to communicate with each other … Continue reading A Vaccine for Alzheimer’s?

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Degenerative Disease, Neuroscience

Molecular Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease Between Male and Female Patients

By Nicole Zhao ‘20  Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes memory, cognitive  and behavioral problems (1). In the United States, approximately 5.5 million people live with Alzheimer’s with two-thirds being women (2). Although  Alzheimer’s treatments are heavily researched, the impact of sex on the molecular level of the disease has not been explored. In this article, sex refers to the physiological and biological … Continue reading Molecular Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease Between Male and Female Patients

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Degenerative Disease

The Effect of Different Herbal Extracts on the Potential Prevention of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Kavindra Sahabir ‘21 An estimated 24 million people worldwide are suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. A major causative factor in the onset and progression of these diseases is the formation of misformed alpha-synuclein proteins, which aggregate and cause major problems in the nervous system. Thus, in developing strategies to combat these diseases, researchers must look for ways to block the … Continue reading The Effect of Different Herbal Extracts on the Potential Prevention of Neurodegenerative Diseases

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Degenerative Disease

Oral Health May Affect Alzheimer’s Disease

Ellie Teng ‘21 Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that affects millions per year by destroying and reducing mental functions. Dementia, the loss of memory, is a common symptom of this disease. Recent studies have shown a surprising connection between Alzhemer’s and maintaining good oral hygiene. Scientists at the University of Bergen have determined gum disease to be a factor in the development of Alzheimer’s in … Continue reading Oral Health May Affect Alzheimer’s Disease

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Degenerative Disease, Psychology

A Novel Approach to Treating Psychopathy Associated with Huntington’s Disease.

By Snigdha Kanadibhotla ‘21 Characterized by uncontrollable and spastic movements, Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that is estimated to affect about 1 in 10,000 people in the United States (1). HD has pervasive effects that damage neurons in brain regions associated with mobility, emotion, and intellectual capacity leading to symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and difficulty learning. Despite its complex and varied … Continue reading A Novel Approach to Treating Psychopathy Associated with Huntington’s Disease.

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Degenerative Disease, Medicine and Physiology, Neuroscience

A Promising Therapeutic Compound for Huntington’s Disease

By Jalwa Alfroz There is currently no available treatment that can promisingly cure the neurodegenerative disorder Huntington’s disease (HD). HD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by an inherited defect in a single gene encoding the highly conserved protein, Huntington. It is also an autosomal dominant defect, which means that a person only needs one copy of the defective gene to develop the disorder. The … Continue reading A Promising Therapeutic Compound for Huntington’s Disease

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