http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive cognitive impairment and memory loss. Now, a new study published by Cell Press in the September 8 issue of the journal Neuron identifies a previously unrecognized link between neuroinflammation and the classical pathological brain changes that are the hallmark of the disease. In addition, the research identifies a new potential therapeutic target for AD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-inflammatory-plaque-formation-alzheimer-disease.html Neuroscience Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:01:25 EST news234619212 Lithium profoundly prevents the aggregation of toxic proteins and cell loss associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a mouse model of the condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-lithium-profoundly-brain-parkinson-disease.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:14:26 EST news228107624 Massachusetts General Hospital investigators appear to have found the mechanism behind a previously reported link between the rare genetic condition Gaucher disease and the common neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's disease. In a report to appear in the July 8 issue of Cell and receiving early online release, they describe how disruption of the molecular pathway that causes Gaucher disease leads to the toxic neuronal deposits of the protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn) found in Parkinson's and related disorders. In addition, rising α-syn levels further inhibit the Gaucher's-associated pathway, leading to even more α-syn deposition, a finding that indicates therapies targeting this pathway may be a new option for patients with Parkinson's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-rare-genetic-disorder-unique-insight.html Genetics Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:14:03 EST news228053599 Unlocking the mechanisms that cause neurodegenerative prion diseases may require a genetic key, suggest new findings reported by University of Illinois at Chicago distinguished professor of biological sciences Susan Liebman. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-gene-classes-linked-prion-formation.html Genetics Thu, 26 May 2011 12:47:24 EST news225632811 New research sheds light on common pathogenic mechanisms shared by Huntington's disease (HD) and HD-like disorders. The study, published by Cell Press in the May 12, 2011, issue of the journal Neuron, uses a new transgenic mouse model for an HD-like disorder to unravel complex molecular events that drive disease pathology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-mouse-insight-rare-neurodegenerative-disease.html Neuroscience Wed, 11 May 2011 12:33:13 EST news224335946