Skip to content

Bill Nye the Science Guy is speaking at the 2024 Annual Ataxia Conference! Register now.  LEARN MORE!

Ataxia

Targeting protein degradation to alleviate symptoms in MJD

Written by Ambika Tewari   Edited by Brenda Toscano Márquez Trehalose, a natural autophagy inducer shows promise as a therapeutic candidate for MJD/SCA3 Every cell has an elaborate set of surveillance mechanisms to ensure optimal functioning. As proteins are synthesized, errors can occur leading to misfolded proteins. These abnormal proteins can Read More…

Snapshot: What is Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)?

Polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, is a commonly used laboratory technique that was invented in the 1980s. The method has many applications in different fields, ranging from identifying individuals in forensic science, detecting pathogens in water supply, and genetic testing in medicine. PCR works by first obtaining a sample that Read More…

A New Use for Old Drugs

Written by Dr. Amy Smith-Dijak Edited by Logan Morrison Basic biology helps identify a new treatment for ataxia Drug design doesn’t always have to start with a blank slate. Sometimes understanding how existing drugs work can help researchers to design new ones, or even to recombine old drugs in new Read More…

Snapshot: What is an action potential?

You may have heard that nerve cells (or neurons) in the brain use electrical activity to communicate with one another. The proteins responsible for creating these electrical signals are called ion channels. How do neurons use these electrical signals to communicate with one another in a meaningful way? A good Read More…

Snapshot: What is poly-ADP-ribose (PAR)?

DNA repair is an important topic when talking about of neurodegenerative disorders. The amount of biochemical stress the brain experiences increases naturally as we age. Some connections have been made between the amount of stresses on the brain and the age people develop neurodegenerative disorders. Many of these natural stresses Read More…

Finding New Off-Balance Protein Networks in SCA7

Written by Frida Niss Edited by Dr. Siddharth Nath Can neurodegeneration in SCA7 in part be due to faulty calcium homeostasis in the cerebellum? Polyglutamine diseases are caused by an increase in the length of CAG repeats within a specific gene. The mutation for spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) was Read More…

Snapshot: What is RNA-seq?

RNA-seq is a technology that has been used more and more in recent years to study both basic biology and disease. It’s a powerful tool has enabled scientific discovery at an unprecedented rate. But what exactly is RNA-seq? And, more importantly, what can it tell us? RNA-seq is short for Read More…

Saiba Mais: O que é pré-publicação?

A pesquisa científica leva muito tempo: experimentos são realizados, ensaios clínicos são executados e os dados gerados precisam ser analisados ​​e compreendidos antes de serem publicados. Juntos, esse processo não acontece rapidamente. Embora as pessoas possam não perceber, uma etapa que leva muito tempo entre a geração de dados e Read More…

Snapshot: What is Omaveloxolone?

March 2023 Update: SKYCLARYS™ (Omaveloxolone) has become the first FDA-approved treatment for Friedreich’s Ataxia. You can learn more about SKYCLARYS™ at this link. This Snapshot was written in May 2020 after initial positive results were shared about Omaveloxolone. A new therapeutic compound shows promise to treat Friedrich’s ataxia. What is Read More…

Translate »

Join the Ataxia community today!

Become a free member for exclusive content from NAF.