'Holy grail' drug reverses devastating symptoms of Alzheimer's

[alkemical]

'Holy grail' drug reverses devastating symptoms of Alzheimer's


A revolutionary drug that reverses the devastating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease is being developed by British scientists.

Described as the "holy grail" of Alzheimer's research, the drug can improve memory in brains ravaged by the condition that affects millions around the world, including 500,000 Britons.

Although existing pills can delay the progress of symptoms including memory loss, none is capable of repairing the damage to the brain.

With 500 new cases of the disease diagnosed every day as people live longer, there is a desperate need for new treatments.


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Tests show that the new drug, being developed at St Andrews University, stops brain cells from dying in mice suffering from a condition similar Alzheimer's disease.

Crucially, the drug also improves the animals' memory and learning, suggesting that brain tissue destroyed by the disease is actually repaired.

Rebecca Wood of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, which funded the study, said: "A drug that can stop Alzheimer's disease from killing brain cells is the holy grail for researchers working to overcome the condition." Describing his results as "striking" researcher Dr Frank Gunn-Moore said: "Humans are always more complex than animals but if you can give somebody another six months of good quality life, that has huge implications."

The drug works by stopping a chemical reaction behind much of the brain cell death in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

Key players in the reaction are ABAD, an enzyme that in healthy people helps power the brain, and amyloid, a sticky protein that clogs up the brain in Alzheimer's patients.

When the two come together, they trigger the release of toxic chemicals which kill brain cells. This cell death leads to memory loss and, eventually, the loss of the ability to walk, talk and even swallow.

The St Andrews drug, currently known as Tat-mito-ABAD-DP, stops the reaction in its tracks, giving the brain time to heal.

When mice bred to suffer from a condition similar to Alzheimer's were injected with the drug, their memory improved and they found it easier to learn.

The scientists, who discussed their breakthrough in an article in the journal Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, are now working on refining the drug to ensure it is suitable for human trials.

They are also searching for other similar compounds which may be even better at combating the disease.

However, while the work is groundbreaking, the extensive research and testing needed means that such a a drug is around a decade away from the market.

Should it prove successful in treating humans, it is likely it will be used in combination with other drugs, including vaccines which are being developed by other researchers.

"Our research holds a possible key for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, particularly in its early stages," said Dr Gunn-Moore, a neurobiologist, who carried out the study in conjunction with American researchers.

"I am not saying it is a cure but it is a certainly a stepping stone. It has opened up a new avenue for us to look at.

"We will never have a one drug wonder, we will have to have combinations of drugs in the treatment of something like Alzheimer's disease."

The Alzheimer's Research Trust described the discovery as "very important" but cautioned that such a drug is still many years from the pharmacy shelf.

Chief executive Rebecca Wood said: "Alzheimer's is a complex and under-funded disease, so it is a real challenge to find the right targets to fight it.

"If researchers can find proof that inhibiting a particular reaction will prevent the death of brain cells then this is a real step forward - but we desperately need to fund many more steps if we are to beat this devastating disease and find a cure."

Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "This study provides another important piece in the puzzle for understanding Alzheimer's disease and points toward a possible new treatment

target."

The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's costs the NHS up to to £14billion a year - more than it spends in total on stroke, heart disease and cancer.

Experts predict that the ageing population will cause a global epidemic, with one in 85 people around the world having Alzheimer's by 2050.

A vaccine capable of stopping the disease in its tracks is being developed in Switzerland and could be available for use in as little as six years.

[alkemical]

bump for science

[defenseman]

Very nice...dman

[baja]

I am glad you bumped this I had forgotten about it.

[REB]

Very cool. I also read this 5 page article this morning about fish oil and it's benefits for Alzheimers and other things. Also found the part about early mans brain development and Omega 3's interesting.

http://health.msn.com/general/articl...6680&GT1=10212

[TheDave]

Excellent... I've had 2 family members die from this. Hopefully my kids won't have to see me go that way.

[mhgaffney]

We've all known people with this horrible affliction. Anything that helps is worth while.

But far better than a palliative -- would be to prevent Alzheimer's by cleaning up the heavy metals and other poisons that are killing the brain cells of people we love.

This is an environmental disease -- caused by brain pollution.

The cure is prevention.

[baja]

Here is a true magic bullet if there ever was one;

http://www.zeolite.com/

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by baja fan

Here is a true magic bullet if there ever was one;

http://www.zeolite.com/

I used to use zeolite in my aquarium filters to purify the water.

We were talking about what to do with radioactive wastes a while back,
here is another interesting use for zeolites:

{Zeolites have uses in advanced reprocessing methods, where their micro-porous ability to capture some ions while allowing others to pass freely allow many fission products to be efficiently removed from nuclear waste and permanently trapped. Equally important are the mineral properties of zeolites. Their alumino-silicate construction is extremely durable and resistant to radiation even in porous form. Additionally, once they are loaded with trapped fission products, the zeolite-waste combination can be hot pressed into an extremely durable ceramic form, closing the pores and trapping the waste in a solid stone block. This is a waste form factor that greatly reduces its hazard compared to conventional reprocessing systems.}

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by mhgaffney

We've all known people with this horrible affliction. Anything that helps is worth while.

But far better than a palliative -- would be to prevent Alzheimer's by cleaning up the heavy metals and other poisons that are killing the brain cells of people we love.

This is an environmental disease -- caused by brain pollution.

The cure is prevention.

Trans fats are also bad news for the brain. Under natural conditions the
body uses omega-3 oils found in fish and flax seed to construct brains
tissue. But when we eat things containing trans fats, which are found in
shortening and margarine, it gets used to build brain tissue instead.
This is especially bad for children as their brains are growing and
the are the ones most likely to get fed cookies, peanut butter,
and packaged cereals. It's not just the brain though, trans fats
cause a wealth of problems, including heart disease, hardening of
the arteries, poor cell membranes that are more prone to let viruses in,
and there are links to trans fat causing Alzheimer's. ( BTW, one
method that is being researched it to use fish oil rich in omega 3 to treat Alzheimer's.)
Unfortunately the big food companies love putting this stuff in food
because it lasts forever, so they are in almost everything that is baked
or fried.

[baja]

interesting

[baja]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

Trans fats are also bad news for the brain. Under natural conditions the
body uses omega-3 oils found in fish and flax seed to construct brains
tissue. But when we eat things containing trans fats, which are found in
shortening and margarine, it gets used to build brain tissue instead.
This is especially bad for children as their brains are growing and
the are the ones most likely to get fed cookies, peanut butter,
and packaged cereals. It's not just the brain though, trans fats
cause a wealth of problems, including heart disease, hardening of
the arteries, poor cell membranes that are more prone to let viruses in,
and there are links to trans fat causing Alzheimer's. ( BTW, one
method that is being researched it to use fish oil rich in omega 3 to treat Alzheimer's.)
Unfortunately the big food companies love putting this stuff in food
because it lasts forever, so they are in almost everything that is baked
or fried.

You might want to look into this;

http://www.raysahelian.com/krilloil.html

and this;

http://www.udoerasmus.com/articles/udo/fish_oil.htm

[Bronco Bob]

Omega-3 oils go rancid very quickly. That's why fish stink so much when they
go bad. I would be dubious of buying a packaged product containing omega-3 oil.
What I do is buy whole flax seed from Wild Oats, and then just before I
use it, I put it in a coffee grinder. The flax seed hull protects the omega-3
from the air, but it is too tough to digest. So by grinding the seed just
before using it, it insures the omega-3 oil is as fresh as possible while
still being able to digest it. Another good thing to take is vitamin E.
It is an anti-oxident and it helps clean up free radicals caused by
rancid oils. Olive oil is also very good for you and I use it almost
exclusively in my cooking.

[baja]

I do the same (grind as needed flax seed) only I use a ceramic grinder which does not heat the seeds while grinding them as heat is a killer of the nutrients in the seeds.

Flax seed is great as far as it goes but this oil blend is much more complete. It comes dated and refrigerated in a dark glass bottle. I believe Whole Foods carries this.

http://www.udoerasmus.com/FAQ/FAQ_index_en.htm