STUDY IN MICE
Alzheimer’s research is called ‘stunning’
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By Spencer Hunt
A skin-cancer drug could offer hope for the millions of patients coping with the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists at Case Western Reserve University led a study of the drug bexarotene on mice and found that it helped wipe out a protein linked to Alzheimer’s.
Their study, published yesterday in the journal Science, showed that the drug reduced the amount of amyloid beta by as much as 75 percent. The protein damages nerve cells.
The mice returned to normal behaviors three days after treatment with bexarotene, which is marketed as Targretin.
“No one, ourselves included, would have ever imagined that any drug would have worked with this speed,” said Gary Landreth, a Case neuroscientist and lead researcher. “It’s stunning.”
There are an estimated 5.4 million people with Alzheimer’s in the United States.
Amyloid beta is a common substance in human brains, but Alzheimer’s patients lose the ability to clear it from synapses. The researchers suspected that bexarotene’s effect on brain activity might help with Alzheimer’s.
If not cleared, the protein builds up as plaque and blocks synapses, ultimately killing nerve cells, said Dr. Doug Scharre, director of cognitive neurology at the Ohio State University Medical Center.
“The fact that this agent gets rid of the amyloid is very positive,” said Scharre, who was not involved in the study.
Scharre said many researchers speculate that by the time drugs are used in human trials of Alzheimer’s patients, it’s too late to halt serious problems.
“We can’t revive a dead nerve cell,” Scharre said. “If we could attack this at the very early stages of memory loss, we could have much better results.”
Other studies of drugs that showed promise in mice produced little change in human patients, said Maria Carrillo of the Alzheimer’s Association, which has helped fund some of Landreth’s research.
“We’re not sure that this is going to actually show the desired clinical benefits,” Carrillo said. “We owe it to ourselves and our constituents to follow every lead that we have.”
Landreth said he hopes to begin human trials soon.
“I want to be in the clinic within the next few months,” he said.
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MARK CLARK (GRANDVIEWOHIO2008)
Hate to be the buzz kill here as alzheimers is on the top of the hideous things you or a love one can get, but, for some reason things work alot better in mice than men.
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MARK BEYER (MARKTBEYER)
Hate to be more than a buzz kill, but if this proves out, the pharma co's are going to score big by putting out their pills at $$$ rate equal to putting their great-great-great grandchildren through Harvard. Thanks USA ... for nothing (yet again). If you don't believe me, look at history. If you still don't believe me, just wait and see.
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LAURA BRADLEY-SEAQUEST (LAURABRADLEY)
Wonderful but it won't be available for several decades. Perhaps it will help my great-grand children.
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LUKE THOMAS (C_ETUDE@YAHOO.COM)
There is NO CURE for Alzheimer's. I think a lot of it comes from the meat people eat due to prions and there are many variations of "mad cow". Keep in mind these researchers are getting BILLIONS of your tax payers' dollars so yeah they are all going to say "stunning" to promote getting more of the government milk and honey. We are also living unnaturally long lives - and brains naturally deteriorate - mostly from lack of use which is most likely the cause of dementia. Diabetes also damages the brain and that's very common all over America. But Alzheimer's, which has to do with PLAQUES in the brain, is similar to Mad Cow so I think it's a variation of that disease, but NOBODY is doing brain biopsies of people who died from Alzheimer's - which is where the research should start - NOT mice.
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BILLY BUSH (TOOBER)
pure *********
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BOB DEMARCO (BOBDEMARCO)
This is really a well written story and should be shared in the Alzheimer’s community. Two issues. “Bexarotene has a good safety and side-effect profile. The Case Western Reserve researchers hope these attributes will help speed the transition to clinical trials of the drug.” Clinical trials with humans are expected to start in the next month or so. Bob DeMarco, Founder Alzheimer’s Reading Room http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/
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VICAR OF HELL (VICAROFHELL)
@Luke Thomas (c_etude@yahoo.com) First off good job on using your e-mail on a public forum, I am sure you don't recieve any spam at all. Second, the government spends about $500 million a year, not "billions". Adviser's are asking for $2 billion a year to make a real impact (projections have patients with Alzheimer's costs at about $1 trillion dollars annually). AIDs research is about $3 billion annually in comparison.
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STEVE BAILLE (SHORTNORTHSTEVE)
Luke: You are woefully uninformed on many of your points. Thanks for telling us what YOU think cause Alzheimer’s….. Without even a shred of scientific evidence.
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BEN G (BEN_G)
Things appear to work better in mice because they don't have lots of complex, long-term memories. I'm sure they can get motor function back but getting back lost memories is a pretty tall order.
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DUFFY MCSWEENEY (DUFFMAC)
We lost my uncle Wally Gray to this disease a couple years ago. Wally was a proud Ohio State grad and migrated to Detroit with his wife Carol and lived in the area most of his life. What I find extraordinary about his story is that he left his brain for research purposes to "that school up north". Even in death, Buckeyes and Wolverines have one common goal... to eradicate Alzheimer's.
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MARK CLARK (GRANDVIEWOHIO2008)
shortnorthlibtard and vicarofstupid stop attacking people and talk about the issues, you libtards.
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SUE WICK (WICK)
So are you guys politicians? Attack the person,Dance around the issue?. I hope they do find away to combat Alzheimer's. I have a friend that has been diagnosed with this condition. She is only 58. It's crazy how fast it takes your life away. Please pray for a breakthrough!!! ONE NATION UNDER GOD-WAKE UP AMERICA!!! Get back under GOD'S covering before it's too late!!!
