Science in the Spotlight
A Quarter Century of Disease-Focused Neuroscience
October 3, 2023 | Article
A quarter century ago, in September 1998, Gladstone Institutes launched the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease. In 2023, it brought together investigators and alumni to celebrate the institute’s 25th anniversary, reflect on landmark scientific achievements, and look ahead at the future of disease-focused neuroscience.
In Alzheimer Brain, Can Synaptic Pruning Be Good?
September 8, 2023 | Article
Alzforum—Loss of synapses in the brain is associated with progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, a new study shows that in mice, a mutation associated with increased risk of AD results in an excess of synapses. In conjunction with recent work from a few other groups, this suggests that removal of synapses may actually play a protective role against AD, at least early in the disease process.
Shown here is the study’s first author, Melanie Das (left), and Lennart Mucke (right).
Zeroing in on a New Treatment for Autism and Epilepsy
April 27, 2022 | Article
Scientists in Lennart Mucke’s lab at Gladstone report new findings that could guide the development of better therapeutic strategies for Dravet syndrome and related conditions.
Shown here are the study’s first authors, Eric Shao (left) and Che-Wei Chang (right).
Alzheimer’s Disease May Cause Vicious Circle between Brain Network and Immune Cell Dysfunctions
October 26, 2021 | Article
Gladstone scientists identified treatments to block subtle epileptic activity and chronic brain inflammation in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.
Maintaining Balance in the Brain
October 19, 2021 | Article
Gladstone scientists help explain how reducing the protein tau can prevent abnormal brain activity associated with Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and epilepsy.
Shown here is the study’s first author, Che-Wei Chang.
Gladstone Neuroscience Researcher Elected to the National Academy of Medicine
October 18, 2021 | Article
Lennart Mucke is recognized for his leading role in defining molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms by which Alzheimer’s disease causes synaptic failure, neural network dysfunctions, and cognitive decline. “Such achievements usually reflect the contributions of many. My former and current coworkers share this honor with me.” – Lennart Mucke
Current and Future Strategies to Treat and Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
June 16, 2020 | Video
With an estimated 44 million diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease worldwide, research is moving quickly to better understand the disease.
Autism Symptoms Improved in Mice by Reducing Alzheimer’s Disease Protein
March 3, 2020 | Article
GEN—Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News reports on a recent study from the lab of Lennart Mucke that shows how reducing levels of Tau, a protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease, could prevent some symptoms of autism.
Could Targeting an Alzheimer’s-Associated Protein Prevent Autism?
March 2, 2020 | Article
New study shows reducing levels of the protein tau prevents core autism symptoms in animal models.
Shown here is Lennart Mucke (left), and the study’s first author, Chao Tai (right).
Alzheimer’s Protein Turns up as Potential Target for Autism Treatments
March 2, 2020 | Article
Spectrum—Lowering the levels of a protein called tau, best known for its involvement in Alzheimer’s disease, eases autism-like traits in mice, according to a study from the lab of Lennart Mucke.
Alzheimer's target also could halt autism, Gladstone researchers show
March 2, 2020 | Article
San Francisco Business Times—A protein linked to Alzheimer's disease may play a role in some forms of autism spectrum disorder, potentially unlocking research into new drugs and expanding the market for therapies now in clinical trials.
New Insights into the Aging Brain
November 5, 2018 | Article
A group of scientists decided to investigate why the choroid plexus contains so much more klotho than other brain regions. In a new study published in PNAS, they showed that klotho functions as a gatekeeper that shields the brain from the peripheral immune system. Shown here is the study’s first author, Lei Zhu.
Leading the Way to Better Treatments for People with Epilepsy
March 26, 2021 | Article
Gladstone researchers harness unique tools and perspectives to pave the way to more and better treatment options for epilepsy.
Tau: A Promising Target to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
October 24, 2017 | Article
Gladstone scientists receive funding to develop new drugs to reduce tau levels in the brain.
Conducting the Brain’s Symphony
November 12, 2016 | Article
Gladstone scientists discover how to control the cacophony of electrical activity in the brain, stopping seizures and reducing deficits related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Considering Dementia from All Angles
June 9, 2016 | Article
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes take a comprehensive approach to dementia research, pursuing several potential causal factors of the disease in the hopes of discovering breakthrough treatments.
Profile: Sumihiro Maeda, PhD
April 27, 2016 | Article
Sumihiro Maeda, a research scientist at Gladstone, shares how his curiosity about where imagination and creativity come from led his path to study Alzheimer’s disease.
Reasons to Be Hopeful
December 14, 2015 | Article
New findings about Alzheimer’s disease advance the search for more effective treatments.
Alzheimer’s: Moving Towards a Cure
August 4, 2015 | Video
Hear Lennart Mucke, MD, Director of the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, discuss progress towards Alzheimer’s cures during his recent City Arts & Lectures appearance.
Protein Linked to Longevity and Enhanced Cognition Also Protects Against Alzheimer’s Symptoms
February 10, 2015 | Article
Raising levels of the life-extending protein klotho can protect against learning and memory deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, despite the accumulation of Alzheimer-related toxins in the brain.
Support Cells in the Brain Offer a New Strategy to Boost Memory
January 25, 2015 | Article
Researchers from the Gladstone Institutes have uncovered a new memory regulator in the brain involving adenosine receptors, which may offer a potential treatment to improve memory in Alzheimer’s disease.
Reduction of Tau Protein Improves Symptoms in Model of Severe Childhood Epilepsy
August 13, 2014 | Article
Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes have shown that reducing brain levels of the protein tau effectively blocks the development of disease in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome, a severe intractable form of childhood epilepsy.
Better Cognition with Gene Variant Carried by 1 in 5
June 9, 2014 | Article
A joint Gladstone-UCSF study reveals a gene linked to longevity also improves learning and memory. This discovery opens a new path for treating Alzheimer's and other aging-related diseases.
Gladstone Scientist to Receive Prestigious Pacesetter Award
October 20, 2013 | Article
Lennart Mucke, MD will receive the ARCS Foundation’s 2013 Pacesetter Award for his lifelong dedication to overcoming Alzheimer’s disease—and for mentoring students to take a similar approach.
Gladstone’s Lennart Mucke Wins MetLife Foundation Award
May 14, 2013 | Article
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Lennart Mucke, MD, who directs neurological research at the Gladstone Institutes, today received the MetLife Foundation’s 2013 Award for Medical Research in Alzheimer’s Disease at a scientific briefing and awards ceremony in New York.
Gladstone Scientists Discover that Epilepsy Drug Reverses Memory Loss in Animal Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
August 5, 2012 | Article
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered that an FDA-approved anti-epileptic drug reverses memory loss and alleviates other Alzheimer’s-related impairments in an animal model of the disease.
Gladstone’s Lennart Mucke Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alzheimer’s Association
July 14, 2012 | Article
Lennart Mucke has received the Khalid Iqbal Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional contributions to Alzheimer's disease research.
Gladstone Scientists Identify Key Network Mechanism That Could Contribute to Cognitive Problems in Alzheimer’s Disease
April 25, 2012 | Article
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have unraveled a process by which depletion of a specific protein in the brain contributes to the memory problems associated with Alzheimer's disease.