Tatsächlich begannen die modifizierten Zellen im Gehirn der Affen NGF zu produzieren. Dieses wiederum aktivierte die degenerierten Hirnzellen. Nach drei Monaten glichen die so behandelten Gehirne denen junger Tiere, während die Gehirne der Vergleichsgruppe unverändert alt blieben. Bislang sind die Wissenschaftler jedoch den Beweis schuldig geblieben, dass die genetisch wieder belebten Affenhirne auch tatsächlich verjüngtes Denk- und Erinnerungsvermögen vorweisen können.
Entsprechende Testreihen laufen aber bereits. Da degenerative Hirnerkrankungen wie Alzheimer in Affenhirnen anders verlaufen als im Menschen, hat Tuszynski bei der zuständigen Gesundheitsbehörde der USA den Antrag auf entsprechende Tests mit dieser Gentherapie für Alzheimer-Patienten gestellt. Wenn die Behörde grünes Licht gibt, wollen Tuszynski und seine Kollegen die NGF-Gene in menschliche Gehirne injizieren und beobachten, ob die Therapie die Denkfähigkeit und Gedächtnisleistung der Alzheimer- Patienten tatsächlich positiv beinflusst.
Informationen zu Alzheimer:
http://www.alz.org
New Study May Unlock Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease and Speed Search for Effective Treatment
An immunization with the very peptide that initiates accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease reduces existing plaques and prevents further plaques from developing in mouse models, according to a research study to be published in the July 8th issue of the journal Nature.
"This is an exciting and encouraging study for the prevention and possible treatment of Alzheimer’s disease," says Bill Thies, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association vice president of medical and scientific affairs. "For many years, scientists have hypothesized that the presence of amyloid plaques causes cell death and leads to a decline in a person’s cognitive functions. Scientists now have an opportunity to test this theory and begin unlocking the mystery behind this devastating disease."
Researchers at Elan Corporation, plc. immunized a group of transgenic mice -- mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s disease pathology similar to that which is seen in humans -- with a form of the beta amyloid peptide called AN-1792. The results of their study were based on two separate experiments.
In the first experiment, the mice were immunized at an age well before they developed amyloid plaque and associated brain damage. After 13 months, the researchers compared the brains of the immunized mice to three control groups of mice that were left untreated or had been given either shots of a saline solution or a different plaque-associated protein (SAP). The group treated with AN-1792 showed virtually no detectable amyloid deposits in their brains or surrounding neuropathology. The three control groups showed no reduction in the progressive deposition of plaques. The researchers concluded that these results raise the possibility of immunization with AN-1792 as a prevention against Alzheimer's disease.
In the second experiment discussed in the Nature paper, mature mice, which already exhibited substantial Alzheimer pathology, were treated with AN-1792 for a period of seven
months. Researchers used similar controls as in the first experiment. They found the results demonstrated that the level of plaques and related neuropathology was both halted, and in fact, reduced in the treated mice -- suggesting that this treatment may clear plaques even after they have formed.
"This is a novel technique that points us in a new direction toward an effective clinical intervention for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease," says Thies. "It is a very rich time for Alzheimer’s disease research, and developments like these today are capable of changing the course of research tomorrow."
Diagnosis & Treatment Alzheimer’s disease is characterized primarily by a gradual onset of symptoms, including memory loss and decline in cognitive abilities, such as thinking, understanding, and decision-making. Not as well known are the behavioral symptoms that accompany the disease. Many families often are not prepared for symptoms such as agitation, aggression, depression, or wandering that may accompany Alzheimer’s, especially as the disease progresses.
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