Peter Nelson on Cerebellar neurodegeneration in the absence of microRNAs.

COMMENT Anne Schaefer et al. have produced an important study about miRNAs in the mouse cerebellum. Their data suggest that miRNA function is critical for mammalian neuronal survival. The authors conclude that since dicer downregulation causes neuronal cell death

Ralph Nixon on Rab5 mediates an amyloid precursor protein signaling pathway that leads to apoptosis.

COMMENT Studies of Alzheimer disease in Down syndrome (DS) and DS mouse models have shown a close connection between APP triplication, endosome enlargement—one of the earliest manifestations of AD—and neurodegeneration (1,2). Daphna Laifenfeld, with Rachael Neve’

Frédéric Checler on Longevity Tied to Insulin Action in Brain

COMMENT It is well established that p53 is an oncogene, many mutations on which are responsible for the development of various types of cancer. It has been proposed that this pathology is due to the impairment of the ability of p53 to eliminate damaged cells. Agi

Kun Ping Lu on Longevity Tied to Insulin Action in Brain

COMMENT Comment by Kazuhiro Nakamura and Kun Ping Lu Aging, Cancer, and Neurodegeneration Matheu et al.

Suzanne Craft on Longevity Tied to Insulin Action in Brain

COMMENT Taguchi and colleagues’ recent studies suggest that reducing insulin signaling through deletion of insulin receptor substrate 2 in brain (bIRS2) increases longevity even though it induces increased peripheral insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Neuro

Henriette Van Praag on Alzheimer's-type amyloidosis in transgenic mice impairs survival of newborn neurons derived from adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

COMMENT In this study by Verret et al., the effect of overproduction of β amyloid on the genesis of new neurons in dentate gyrus of the hippocampus was studied in transgenic mice with Alzheimer-type amyloid pathology. This issue had been addressed in recent years

Tobias Hartmann on Statins—New Data Suggest Benefits for AD/PD

COMMENT The Percival Effect Ben Wolozin did it again. Whenever he and his colleagues turn to statins and epidemiology something unexpected happens. The data by themselves are stunning. Stunning because of the enormous sample size, stunning because of the extreme

John Morris on AD Diagnosis: Time for Biomarkers to Weigh In?

COMMENT The authors are to be congratulated on this paper! It is very timely, the call to incorporate a biological footprint in diagnosis is appropriate, and the elimination of MCI to AD as a binary outcome is most welcome. However, from my perspective, the salie

Zaven Khachaturian on AD Diagnosis: Time for Biomarkers to Weigh In?

COMMENT This position paper by Dubois et al. is a long overdue call for reassessing the criteria, assumptions, and procedures for diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. The recommendations of this work group are well reasoned and sound. However, the task of crafting “co

Mary Reid on Paris: Synaptic Plasticity and the Mechanism of Alzheimer Disease

COMMENT Jennifer Altman comments on the Sabatini finding that Aβ directly reduces the influx of calcium

Michael Shuda on Sniff This: Therapeutic Peptides Through the Nose?

COMMENT Would the use of a surfactant (of proper ionic species, concentration, and chemical structure) enhance the intranasal delivery of therapeutic peptides? mrshuda 0

Michael Shuda on Prospects for Growth Hormone Therapy Shrink in Alzheimer’s Trial

COMMENT The study should consider the use of a higher dose of DHEA, a micronized formulation of DHEA, or keto-DHEA. mrshuda 0

Craig Atwood on Vicious Cycle?—Neuronal Cell Division Attempts in Control and AD Brain

COMMENT Cycling to Nowhere The paper by Arendt and colleagues presents compelling evidence for DNA synthesis in terminally differentiated neurons of the AD brain, and raises a number of other questions. It is intriguing to speculate whether the increase in cyclin

Carol Shapiro on Movie Alert: Acclaimed Film About Early-onset AD Debuts in New York

COMMENT It's a shame that the film Memories of Tomorrow does not have a wider distribution in the United States. I think it is an important film and one that would appeal to many throughout the country, not just in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisc

Cheryl Wellington on Mechanism of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1-mediated cellular lipid efflux to apolipoprotein A-I and formation of high density lipoprotein particles.

COMMENT ABCA1 and Lipid Efflux: Easy as 1, 2, 3 The ATPase-cassette transporter ABCA1 is a key modulator of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) metabolism in the central nervous system. In mice, ABCA1 deficiency leads to a 70 percent loss of ApoE levels in the brain (1,2), a