IRP Discoveries

Another Piece of the Alzheimer’s Puzzle

A Conversation with Dr. Lori Beason-Held

Dr. Lori Beason-Held

Expert estimates suggest that more than 5.5 million Americans may have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s, a disease currently ranked as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Because of the condition’s growing prevalence and profound consequences for patients, understanding Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline is an important goal within the Intramural Research Program. 

One example of the IRP’s many contributions to the field of Alzheimer’s research is a 2013 study that detected brain changes in older adults who would go on to develop cognitive impairment years before their memory began to fail. This research, led by IRP staff scientist Lori Beason-Held, Ph.D., aimed to understand who might be susceptible to developing Alzheimer’s disease and what factors contribute to the development of the disease before symptoms appear.

Tracing the Pathway From Skin Irritation to Itching

Disrupting Itch-Related Process Could Relieve Relentless Itching

person scratching their skin

For most people, the arrival of spring time means more time spent outdoors — and greater exposure to nuisances like biting insects and poison ivy that make us itch. New IRP research has revealed a detailed picture of how a particular type of cell causes itching, findings that may ultimately help researchers develop treatments for disorders that cause severe and long-lasting itch.

Overlooked Immune Cells Trigger Preterm Labor

New Insights Could Help Reduce Premature Births

mother and newborn baby

Any baby born less than 37 weeks after conception is considered premature, but not all premature births have the same root cause. In a new study, IRP researchers have detailed how a particular component of the immune system can trigger premature labor, which could help doctors prevent more preterm births.

Modified Stem Cells Boost Regeneration After Stroke

New Technique Overcomes Major Obstacle to Stem-Cell-Based Treatments

neurons (white) grown from neural stem cells

Your brain cells need plenty of oxygen and nutrients to survive — that is, unless you’re a hibernating ground squirrel. By tapping into the cellular process that keeps these animals’ brains healthy during the long winter months, IRP scientists have discovered a way to increase the survival of neuron-producing stem cells implanted into the brain after a stroke, a development that could one day dramatically improve stroke treatment.

Experimental Treatment Wards Off Blinding Autoimmune Disease

Drug Candidate Calms Overzealous Immune Response in the Eye

damage to the eye caused by hyperactive immune cells

Our immune cells don’t like strangers and attack many organisms and substances that they have never seen before, including harmless ones. In autoimmune diseases, this reaction gets out of hand and our own cells are caught in the crossfire. IRP scientists have found that a new therapeutic compound can curb this sort of autoimmune carnage in the eye.

Brain Data Predicts Alcohol Disorder Symptoms

Study Results Could Help Improve Treatment for Alcohol-Related Problems

MRI images showing connectivity between different parts of the brain

Your brain is always busy, even when you’re not thinking about anything. Scientists believe the way brain cells communicate with one another when the brain is in that ‘resting state’ might differ in individuals with certain diseases. In a recent study of this idea, IRP researchers found that resting state brain activity could effectively predict the severity of alcohol-related problems.

Cutting-Edge Carriers Deliver Controllable Cancer Chemotherapy

New System Could Boost Treatment Effectiveness and Curb Side Effects

nanovesicles

Cancer kills more than half a million men, women, and children each year in the U.S, and chemotherapy is only slightly more discriminating than the disease it treats. As a result, many cancer treatments kill cells throughout the body and cause severe side effects. New IRP research could solve this problem by creating a way to release those toxic compounds only when and where doctors desire.

Inflammation Cuts Lifeline for Blood-Producing Stem Cells

Discovery Could Lead to New Approaches for Boosting Blood Cell Counts

red blood cell (left), platelet (middle), and white blood cell (right)

Much of human biology is a black box — scientists know the key players and the end results, but not how those outcomes come about. Consequently, it remains a mystery why some medications help patients. A new IRP study has cracked open the black box to reveal how high levels of an inflammatory molecule inhibit blood cell production in some individuals and why a particular medicine helps reverse this life-threatening condition.

Cutting-Edge Technique Simultaneously Edits Multiple Genetic Targets

Alternative to CRISPR/Cas9 May Cause Fewer Undesired Changes

diagram of DNA strand

IRP researchers have always worked on the cutting edge of biomedical science, from testing the first successful treatment for childhood schizophrenia to pioneering the first screening technique for HIV. In a new study, an IRP team recently achieved yet another first: simultaneously editing two genetic sites in mice using a brand-new approach called base editing that may prove to be more precise – and therefore safer – than other gene editing methods.

Lab-Designed Virus Shows Promise for Inner Ear Gene Therapy

Delivery Method Could Eventually Help Correct Mutations That Cause Hearing Loss

inner ear cells infected by a lab-designed virus with a gene that produces a glowing green protein

Most people probably think of viruses as villains that bring illnesses like measles, HIV, and the flu, but some viruses are proving to be valuable allies in the fight against genetic diseases. In a new study, a team of scientists from the NIH IRP and their colleagues showed the promise of a lab-designed virus for delivering gene therapies aimed at correcting hereditary hearing loss.