neurodegeneration

January 6, 2023

Early effects of Huntington disease

Impairments in brain executive function happen earlier than motor symptoms in people with the gene mutation that causes Huntington disease, suggesting younger ages and cognitive symptoms be considered for any future clinical trials.

By Kelsey Pinckard
silhouette of three men with guns
October 5, 2021

Breaking bad with Huntington’s disease

Illegal activities are a significant clinical problem in individuals with Huntington’s disease, highlighting the need for improved screening measures and protocols to guide patient management.

By Paul Govern
June 17, 2021

New neurodegeneration culprit

A young woman with a puzzling neurological illness and novel genetic variant pointed investigators to a role for dysregulated protein kinase D1 in neurodegeneration.

By Paul Govern
The team studying the regulation of innate immune response includes (front row, from left) Yang Zhao, Antiana Richardson, (back row, from left) John Karijolich, PhD, Xiang Ye and William Dunker.
May 6, 2021

Study finds that regulatory protein prevents signaling that triggers cell death

A protein implicated in neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis prevents the activation of an innate immune response that leads to cell death, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By Leigh MacMillan
July 20, 2020

Study points to potential new approach to treating neurodegenerative diseases like glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have shown for the first time that when one optic nerve in the eye is damaged, as in glaucoma, the opposite optic nerve comes to the rescue by sharing its metabolic energy.

By Bill Snyder
February 14, 2019

The yin and yang of cell signaling

Larry Marnett and colleagues have explored the role of two enzymes in metabolizing molecules associated with cell proliferation, inflammatory processes and neurological diseases.

By Sanjay Mishra