Scientists Suggest New Pathway Causing Cell Death in Dementia – September 26, 2007

Scientists have discovered a link between a mutated gene and a
protein found in dead brain cells of people who suffer from a form
of dementia and other neurological disorders. The finding, reported
in the Sep. 26, 2007, issue of the ,
demonstrates for the first time a pathological pathway that ultimately
results in cell death related to frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s
disease). The discovery could eventually play a role in the design
of new drug therapies. The study was funded by the National Institute
on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).