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Protein modifications key influencers in neurodegenerative diseases

— Exploring the post-translational modifications of a key protein in Parkinson's disease, researchers at EPFL and USC uncover potential pathways for future therapies in neurodegenerative diseases in general.

© EPFL/iStock photos

AI unlocks new insights in neurodegenerative disease research

— EPFL researchers develop an AI-driven, label-free method for studying protein aggregates, offering new perspectives in neurodegenerative disease research.

Pathological phosphorylation (yellow) of Tau proteins (red-orange) leads to disintegration of microtubules in the neuron axon. (iStock photos)

ClearTau: a new tool for studying neurodegenerative diseases

— EPFL scientists have developed ClearTau, an innovative method and platform for reconstructing aggregates of the protein Tau found in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. The breakthrough can speed up the development of diagnostics and targeted therapies for Tau-related disorders.

Nathan Riguet. Credit: EPFL

Nathan Riguet wins the 2022 BMI thesis prize

— The 2022 prize for best PhD thesis from EPFL’s Brain Mind Institute has been awarded to Dr Nathan Riguet.

iStock photos

A new mutation behind synucleinopathies

— Scientists at EPFL have carried out an extensive study of a newly discovered mutation that can uncover new insights into the molecular basis of pathology formation in a family of disorders that includes Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

iStock photos

A deep look into Huntington's brain aggregates

— A new study from EPFL reveals novel insights into the ultrastructure and biochemical composition of huntingtin aggregates, the mark of Huntington’s disease, pointing to new avenues for treatment strategies.

© 2021 EPFL

Shining a light on neurodegenerative disorders

— The Wyss Center together with Hilal Lashuel’s lab at EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) today announced a collaboration to explore the potential of using light as a therapy for Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

Anne-Laure Mahul-Mellier. Credit: EPFL

EPFL neuroscientist wins Vontobel Award for Age(ing)

— Anne-Laure Mahul-Mellier, a neuroscientist at EPFL’s School of Life Sciences, has won a Vontobel Award for Age(ing ) from the University of Zürich for her work on Parkinson’s disease.

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Key players join forces to tackle unmet needs in Parkinson's disease

— The laboratory of Professor Hilal Lashuel at the EPFL Brain Mind Institute, and Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd – a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialized in the discovery and development of small molecules – entered a three-year collaboration agreement in October 2020. Their objective: to combine and apply their unique expertise and resources to discover and develop highly needed therapies for millions of patients suffering from Parkinson’s and related neurodegenerative diseases. Leveraging strong ties between academia and industry is key to address such highly complex disorders.

Huntington's disease causes the death of neurons. @iStockphoto

Discovery shows promise for treating Huntington's Disease

— Scientists at EPFL's Brain Mind Institute have identified an enzyme that can play a central role in developing a new route of treatment for Huntington's Disease.

The amyloid-beta peptide accumulates to amyloid fibrils that build up dense amyloid plaques. Credit: selvanegra (iStock photos)

Gold nanoparticles uncover amyloid fibrils

— EPFL scientists have developed powerful tools to unmask the diversity of amyloid fibrils, which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. The scientists made the breakthrough by developing gold nanoparticles that combine with cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, to provide rapid and unprecedented images of fibrils.

© 2020 EPFL

New insights into the processes that cause Parkinson's disease

— In a breakthrough for Parkinson’s disease, scientists at EPFL have reconstructed the process by which Lewy bodies form in the brain of patients. The study offers new insights into how Parkinson’s disease begins and evolves, and opens up a set of potential new treatment targets.

Hilal Lashuel. Credit: EPFL - Alain Herzog

EPFL and AbbVie collaborate to advance Alzheimer's research

— EPFL and AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, have entered into a three-year collaboration agreement to advance research in and development of novel mechanism-based therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease.

Neurofibrillary tangles (dark purple, elongated structure) in the hippocampus of an old person with Alzheimer-related pathology (credit: Wikimedia Commons user Patho)

Alzheimer's: Breaking the “code of Tau”

— Tau protein is one of the major targets in Alzheimer’s disease. EPFL scientists have now found a way to crack the previously inaccessible set of changes that turn Tau into a toxic molecule, known as the “code of Tau”.

A cell visualized with the PRISM method © T. Lasser/EPFL

Super-resolution microscopy in both space and time

— In a breakthrough for biological imaging, EPFL scientists have developed the first microscope platform that can perform super-resolution spatial and temporal imaging, capturing unprecedented views inside living cells. The landmark paper is published in Nature Photonics.

Neurofibrillary tangles (credit: Jose Luis Calvo Martin & Jose Enrique Garcia-mauriño Muzquiz/iStock)

Alzheimer's Tau protein forms toxic complexes with cell membranes

— Alzheimer’s disease is caused by tangles in the brain made up of malfunctioning aggregated Tau proteins. Scientists at EPFL have discovered a new toxic form of Tau that forms as a result of its interaction with cell membranes. The research is published in Nature Communications and provides novel insights into possible mechanisms by which this protein moves in the brain and kills neurons.

The location of the htt gene on chromosome 4 (credit: Genetics Home Reference/NCBI) and the 3D structure of huntingtin (EBI)

Imaging a killer: High-resolution structural analysis of Huntingtin

— An international team of researchers has obtained the first ever atom-level structural insights into bona fide monomeric forms of Httex1, a part of the huntingtin gene that is thought to underlie Huntington’s disease.

The structure of huntingtin (EBI)/iStock photos (human sketch)

Cracking the code of Huntington's disease

— Huntington’s disease is caused by a gene mutation that causes a protein to build up in the brain. In a world first, EPFL scientists have synthesized and studied modified forms of a mutant part of the protein, deepening our understanding of how it contributes to the disease, and pointing to new therapeutic strategies for treating it.

A mouse neuron with Lewy bodies (green) © M. Fares (EPFL)

A better model for Parkinson's

— Scientists at EPFL solve a longstanding problem with modeling Parkinson’s disease in animals. Using newfound insights, they improve both cell and animal models for the disease, which can propel research and drug development.

© 2015 EPFL

Fibril growth and seeding are key to Parkinson's disease

— 08.07.15 – EPFL scientists have discovered how the aggregation process of a protein could lead to Parkinson’s disease. The study opens the way for entirely new treatment strategies.