New gene therapy may ‘fix memory problems in Alzheimer patients’

[Modbert]

New gene therapy may ?fix memory problems in Alzheimer patients?

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) in San Francisco have discovered a new gene therapy that successfully fixed memory problems in mice with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Learning and memory requires communication between brain cells called neurons. This communication involves the release of chemicals from neurons that stimulate cell surface receptors on other neurons.

This important process, called neurotransmission, is impaired by amyloid proteins, which build up to abnormally high levels in brains of AD patients and are widely thought to cause the disease.

“What we were most curious about, of course, was whether normalizing EphB2 levels could fix memory problems caused by amyloid proteins. We were absolutely thrilled to discover that it did,” said Lennart Mucke, director of the GIND.

Well hopefully this is an awesome step forward.

 

[RallyxPoint]

but it wont be a instant fix?

 

[waltky]

Scientists say for late-onset Alzheimer's, a disease that strikes people aged 65 and older, up to 80 percent of the cases can be explained by genetic variations...

Five New Genes Associated with Risk of Alzheimer's
April 07, 2011 - Countries around the world are anticipating a wave of new cases of Alzheimer's disease and a host of new families that will have to cope with the toll of this incurable, brain-wasting disease. That's because people are living long enough to get late-onset Alzheimer's. But science is offering a glimmer of hope. Two large studies of Alzheimer's patients provide important new genetic clues about who is at risk for getting the disease.

Scientists in the U.S. and Europe have been conducting an intensive search for the genetic triggers for Alzheimer's. Their studies confirmed five genes already known to be associated with it, and now they've come up with five more. "These findings, the 10 genes - either singly or additively - combine to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease; [They] certainly speak to the point that there is a genetic, a very strong genetic component to the disease," said Dr. Steven Snyder, who is a neuroscientist at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which provided funding for the U.S. study. Scientists say for late-onset Alzheimer's, a disease that strikes people aged 65 and older, up to 80 percent of the cases can be explained by genetic variations. Dr. Snyder says many more genes may be involved, but with the findings of these studies, researchers hope to develop drug therapies to help delay or prevent the disease. Some scientists estimate it will be at least 15 years before drugs could be developed to combat Alzheimer's or genes could be manipulated to reduce the risk.

"Manipulation will come in time," Dr. Snyder said. "Unfortunately, it will be too much time. For science to progress, it has to be slow and methodical." Dr. Snyder points out that genetic makeup does not always dictate a person's risk of getting Alzheimer's. "It won't explain 100 percent of an individual's risk of Alzheimer's disease," he said. "There are other aspects of biology and epigenetics that will account for some of the differences. And the epigenetic differences can be positive and negative."

Epigenetics are something that affects a person without changing genetic makeup, such as lifestyle choices. For example, studies show people who speak more than one language don't develop recognizable symptoms of Alzheimer's until five years later than those who speak only one language. Another study finds that exercise both delays the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms and improves mental ability. Likewise, there have been indications that high cholesterol, stroke and head injuries can increase the risk of developing the disease.

At present, there is no proven way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, and the numbers of people who get it are expected to multiply rapidly. Alzheimer's Disease International predicts that the number of cases will almost double every 20 years, so that by 2030, 66 million people will have it and by 2050, 115 million people and their families will be affected by this devastating disease. That's why public health officials and medical scientists are so focused on finding a way to slow the onset of Alzheimer's or find a way to prevent it.

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[Sheldon]

...studies show people who speak more than one language don't develop recognizable symptoms of Alzheimer's until five years later than those who speak only one language.

Heh. Learn something new everyday.

 

[strollingbones]

but studies also show...the longer you delay the decline of a.d. with education, puzzles etc.....when it does hit...it hits much harder and takes the person down faster...with that said the stages of a.d. are different for each person

 

[Old Rocks]

As one well over 65, Alzheimers is one of the fears of anyone my age. Without any hope of reversal, before it completely took everything, I think I would take the Hemingway route.

If they can actually find a way to reverse it after the onset, then this is some of the best news I have heard in a long time.

 

[waltky]

Uncle Ferd says he gonna get one o' dem brainzappers fer Granny fer her b-day...

Testing brain pacemakers to zap Alzheimer's damage
Jan 20,`13 WASHINGTON (AP) -- It has the makings of a science fiction movie: Zap someone's brain with mild jolts of electricity to try to stave off the creeping memory loss of Alzheimer's disease.

And it's not easy. Holes are drilled into the patient's skull so tiny wires can be implanted into just the right spot. A dramatic shift is beginning in the disappointing struggle to find something to slow the damage of this epidemic: The first U.S. experiments with "brain pacemakers" for Alzheimer's are getting under way. Scientists are looking beyond drugs to implants in the hunt for much-needed new treatments. The research is in its infancy. Only a few dozen people with early-stage Alzheimer's will be implanted in a handful of hospitals. No one knows if it might work, and if it does, how long the effects might last.

Kathy Sanford was among the first to sign up. The Ohio woman's early-stage Alzheimer's was gradually getting worse. She still lived independently, posting reminders to herself, but no longer could work. The usual medicines weren't helping. Then doctors at Ohio State University explained the hope - that constant electrical stimulation of brain circuits involved in memory and thinking might keep those neural networks active for longer, essentially bypassing some of dementia's damage. Sanford decided it was worth a shot. "The reason I'm doing it is, it's really hard to not be able, sometimes, to remember," Sanford, 57, said from her Lancaster, Ohio, home.

Her father is blunter. "What's our choice? To participate in a program or sit here and watch her slowly deteriorate?" asked Joe Jester, 78. He drives his daughter to follow-up testing, hoping to spot improvement. A few months after the five-hour operation, the hair shaved for her brain surgery was growing back and Sanford said she felt good, with an occasional tingling that she attributes to the electrodes. A battery-powered generator near her collarbone powers them, sending the tiny shocks up her neck and into her brain. It's too soon to know how she'll fare; scientists will track her for two years. "This is an ongoing evaluation right now that we are optimistic about," is how Ohio State neurosurgeon Dr. Ali Rezai cautiously puts it.

More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's or similar dementias, and that number is expected to rise rapidly as the baby boomers age. Today's drugs only temporarily help some symptoms. Attempts to attack Alzheimer's presumed cause, a brain-clogging gunk, so far haven't panned out. "We're getting tired of not having other things work," said Ohio State neurologist Dr. Douglas Scharre. The new approach is called deep brain stimulation, or DBS. While it won't attack Alzheimer's root cause either, "maybe we can make the brain work better," he said. Implanting electrodes into the brain isn't new. Between 85,000 and 100,000 people around the world have had DBS to block the tremors of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. The continuous jolts quiet overactive nerve cells, with few side effects. Scientists also are testing whether stimulating other parts of the brain might help lift depression or curb appetite among the obese.

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[waltky]

Uncle Ferd hopin' dey come up with sumpin' so he don't go goofy like Granny...

An Alzheimer's 'epidemic' could hit the USA by 2050
February 6, 2013 - The number of people with the brain disease could nearly triple during the next three decades.

A new government-funded report confirms what advocacy groups have been warning for years: The number of people in the USA with Alzheimer's disease will almost triple by 2050, straining the health care system and taxing the health of caregivers. Numbers are projected to rise from about 5 million now to 13.8 million. The disease robs people of their memory, erases personality and makes even routine tasks like dressing and bathing impossible. "We're going to need coordinated efforts for this upcoming epidemic,'' says lead author Jennifer Weuve, assistant professor of medicine at Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago. "People have trouble getting their heads around these numbers, but imagine if everyone in the state of Illinois (population 12.8 million) had Alzheimer's. I look around Chicago and can't imagine it.''

The study is published Wednesday in the journal Neurology. Researchers analyzed information from 10,802 black and white Chicago residents, ages 65 and older, from 1993 to 2011. Participants were interviewed and assessed for dementia every three years. Age, race and level of education were factored into the research. The projections are similar to a study done 10 years ago but include new data from the 2010 Census about death rates and future population rates. An upcoming study will examine the effect on health care costs, which are expected to exceed $2 trillion, according to the Alzheimer's Association. "These numbers are more credible because they involve new Census data,'' says Dallas Anderson, director of population studies and epidemiology of Alzheimer's disease at the National Institute on Aging. "If you know anyone who has Alzheimer's disease now, you know how dire this projection is for the nation.''

The three-fold increase is largely the result of the aging Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. The main risk for Alzheimer's is age. The population of people 65 and older is expected to more than double from 40.3 million to 88.5 million, according to the 2010 Census. "We've had great success in this country when we've decided to focus on a condition,'' Weuve says. "We've done it with good research in heart disease, cancer and HIV, but we are in our infancy when it comes to Alzheimer's research."

Alzheimer's is the only disease among the top six killers in the USA for which there is no prevention, cure or treatment. The government boosted funding last year and made prevention a 2025 goal. Funding for the disease was $606 million -- exceeding $500 million for the first time in 2012. But it trails other diseases: HIV at $3 billion and cancer at $6 billion. An additional $100 million for Alzheimer's research for 2013 is awaiting approval, the Alzheimer's Association says. "We need to put the pedal to the metal on research,'' says George Vradenburg, chairman of USAgainstAlzheimers, an advocacy group. "We need to find a way to prevent this terrible disease."

Former president RonaldReagan, who left office in 1989, disclosed in 1994 that he had Alzheimer's. Others include Robert Sargent Shriver, actress Rita Hayworth and singer Glen Campbell. In 2011, the University of Tennessee's legendary women's basketball coach Pat Summitt revealed she has Alzheimer's. The study was financed by the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer's Association. "There is great urgency for meaningful, timely and comprehensive action," says Maria Carrillo, vice president of medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer's Association.

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[waltky]

Uncle Ferd says dat'd be a good way to keep tabs on Granny when she goes out roamin'...

Sheriff proposes ankle monitors for Alzheimer's
Mar 20,`13 -- A northern Utah sheriff's office is floating a unique and unproven idea for keeping seniors with Alzheimer's disease and dementia safe: Give them ankle monitors normally used on criminals on house arrest or parole.

There are no shortage of private health care companies and law enforcement agencies around the country that offer tracking devices such as bracelets, necklaces or pocket-size locators that allow families to find loved ones who suffer from dementia and wander off. But the Davis County sheriff's proposal to strap seniors with the bulky ankle monitors - which most people associate with criminals on parole - appears to be a new one.

Deputy Sheriff Kevin Fielding said the agency announced the idea in a news release Tuesday so it could gauge public interest. Sheriff's officials know many options exist for families trying to keep their grandparents safe, but the agency already has the monitors and technology available through a private company it contract with for its inmates. "If grandma wanders off, we could find exactly where she is," Fielding said. "If we could bring a search to a close in 30 minutes in a winter like we had this year, that'd be a whole lot better than eight hours." Fielding said the ankle monitors also could be used for autistic children, or anyone at risk of wandering off.

The monitors would be voluntary and offered to residents for about $4 a day, or $120 a month. Police would monitor the person's movement only when the family contacts them. The county would make no money off the program, but it could cut costs by avoiding having to deploy numerous officers for long stretches to find people, Fielding said. Searches can require dozens of officers and the use of ATVs, snowmobiles and other equipment, and they easily cost tens of thousands of dollars. The idea would have to be approved by county commissioners. So far, nobody has expressed interest other than members of the media, Fielding said.

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[waltky]

$4 app helps Alzheimer's caregivers...

Mobile App Helps Alzheimer’s Caregivers
March 27, 2013 - Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease can be stressful. Patients with the degenerative brain condition have a host of medical needs that can require the services of numerous health care professionals. Even for the most organized caregiver, keeping track of all that medical information can be a challenge. Now a new piece of mobile software provides a helping hand.

Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia, is generally a condition of old age. Since people are living longer all over the world, the number of Alzheimer’s parents and grandparents in their 70s, 80s and 90s is expected to triple in some countries by the middle of the century. Increasingly, family members are being called upon to assist in the care of loved ones with Alzheimer's, a complex and difficult task that many people find themselves unprepared for. That is why the Hebrew Home, a privately-run geriatric care organization in Riverdale, New York, developed a new iPhone and iPad application called Balance.

The $4 App, which can be purchased online, offers caregivers helpful information about Alzheimer’s, including tips on getting a reliable diagnosis of the condition, recognizing its symptoms, and managing routine daily care of the Alzheimer’s patient, such as feeding, bathing and hygiene. Balance is the brainchild of Hebrew Home's program development director, David Pomeranz. He says the app also displays the latest news about research into the causes and treatment of Alzheimer's disease - all with the aim of helping those caring for Alzheimer's patients. "It is not easy and we hope this will make it a little easier for people," he said.

This undated image provided by Merck & Co., shows a cross section of a normal brain (right) and one of a brain damaged by advanced Alzheimer's disease

The Hebrew Home is a not-for-profit organization that provides care, mostly in community-based settings, to 75,000 patients with Alzheimer’s disease throughout the metropolitan New York City area. "We are dealing with their family members because as a philosophy, we feel that we need to care for the caregiver equally in our [response to the] care needs [of] the client themselves, since if the caregiver does not have the proper supports, they simply cannot be a caregiver," Pomeranz said.

He says the Balance software is designed to let the user organize medical and other information so they can easily keep tracks of the health status of their patient. It allows caregivers to manage doctors’ appointments in real time and share information with physicians on the patient's daily mood swings. As if to underscore that Alzheimer's is a global health issue, Pomeranz says the App is being downloaded by caregivers all over the world. "It has been interesting to see that we have had apps purchased [in countries] from Egypt to the Netherlands to Greece. It is like the United Nations every day, to see where people are buying this," he said. Pomeranz says software developers are working on a version of Balance for mobile devices using the Android operating system.

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