Researchers have uncovered a previously underappreciated mechanism involved in Alzheimer’s disease and developed a compound that interrupts it. For decades, Alzheimer’s research has largely focused on amyloid plaques and tau tangles, the protein abnormalities that accumulate in the brain as the disease progresses. Yet despite billions of dollars in research and numerous drug development efforts, [...]

PFDA, a PFAS “forever chemical,” can cause craniofacial birth defects by disrupting retinoic acid regulation during fetal development, revealing the first clear molecular mechanism behind the link. Researchers have long linked perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called “forever chemicals,” to serious birth defects. However, scientists have struggled to explain exactly how these pollutants affect [...]

Two new tool compounds may help scientists study TAOK proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia and affects more than seven million people in the United States. Some treatments can slow the disease, but most address symptoms rather than the root biology, and none can [...]