Scientists stop brain cells in mice from dying in potential Alzheimer's treatment breakthrough

[Olivia]

A team of British scientists has released a major study that could represent a breakthrough in the treatment of human neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the team said that it had halted brain cell death in mice by using a drug-like compound that was injected into the animals' stomachs through a mouth tube.

The team induced a neurodegenerative disease caused by abnormal prion proteins -- the nearest model of human disorders that can be found in animals -- before treating one group with the compound. According to the study, the mice who were treated remained free of symptoms like memory loss, impaired reflexes, and limb dragging five weeks later. The treated mice also lived longer than the untreated mice.

"We were extremely excited when we saw the treatment stop the disease in its tracks and protect brain cells, restoring some normal behaviours and preventing memory loss in the mice, " lead scientist Giovanna Mallucci told Sky News.

The study stresses that human trials have yet to be undertaken, and points out that it could be a decade or more before a medicine for the treatment of human neurodegenerative diseases is produced. In addition, the study notes that the mice suffered side effects, including significant weight loss and higher blood sugar.

However, the study has raised hopes that an orally-taken medicine that would protect the brain from neurological diseases can be developed.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/10/10/scientists-stop-brain-cells-in-mice-from-dying-in-potential-alzheimer-treatment/

[mountaineer]

Interesting. Having lost a parent to one form of this disease, I certainly hope effective treatments may be found.

[Liberal_Spy]

Aids (most STDs), Alzheimer's, and most cancers will be dealt with inside 20 years.

[Lando Lincoln]

Aids (most STDs), Alzheimer's, and most cancers will be dealt with inside 20 years.

Back in the early 80's, I remember reading an article while riding on the MTR in Hong Kong that was very definitive and confident in its assertion that such viral-based diseases as herpes, chicken pox and the like would be "cured" within 3 years. 

[Oceander]

Aids (most STDs), Alzheimer's, and most cancers will be dealt with inside 20 years.

Define "dealt with."

[mountaineer]

Define "dealt with."

Denied treatment under Obamacare.   

[Oceander]

Denied treatment under Obamacare.   

Sad but true.  Apparently Liberal_Spy is just like every other liberal:  giving false meaning to open-ended terms in order to play on - and use - the public's generally accepted indirect meaning for such terms - that is, the actual meaning of the term is defined indirectly by the context in which it appears, and relies primarily on its connotations rather than its denotations.  This is precisely the same way that liberals (ab)use the term "fair" - as in pay your fair share - which as they use it means redistributing wealth from "the rich" (another term they abuse and which generally means everyone who holds down a job) to their favored constituencies, whether those constituencies be poor or rich themselves.  In this way, liberals convince the public to give them power - after all, who could be against fairness - and once empowered, liberals proceed to impose policies that bear very little resemblance to actual fairness.

[mountaineer]

Antidepressants Could Help Fight Alzheimer's
5/15/2014 1:25 PM ET
RTT News


Some common antidepressants may help ward off the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study from researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine. For the study the researchers examined a group of mice, administering selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

These drugs have previously been proven to reduce the amount of amyloid proteins in the brain, which are created in higher volumes in the brains of those with Alzheimer's. Each of the mice in the study was genetically bread to develop Alzheimer's and they found that the SSRi citalopram greatly reduced amyloid developed and helped ward off Alzheimer's symptoms.

"The way the Alzheimer's field is going is [we are] trying to find the initial insult in Alzheimer's disease," the researchers explained. "We think it is the build-up of this amyloid beta peptide, and once it builds up, a lot of things go wrong."

They add: "SSRIs, by lowering a-beta levels 25 percent, were able to completely block that [plaque] growth. The plaques never got smaller, and we couldn't reverse the plaque [that was already there], but we could prevent it from growing."

[PzLdr]

Interesting. Having lost a parent to one form of this disease, I certainly hope effective treatments may be found.

Same for me. On both counts. Watching my Mom die was horrible.