BREAKTHROUGH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VACCINE AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S

Breakthrough In The Development Of A Vaccine Against Alzheimer's

Israel - Dr Mononego University in Beer Shiva has demonstrated the ability to test and measure specific immune responses in mice carrying human genes: he hopes to anticipate the immune response of patients with AD.

Amyloid plaques accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer patients. Dr. Monsonego has determined that the introduction of beta-amyloid peptide responsible for the formation of plaques in the brain, triggering a natural immune response. The magnitude of this response depends on certain immune system genes, very different to different people.

The research team has a humanized mouse model suffering from Alzheimer's disease with a specific gene present in approximately 30% of the study group. By stimulating an immune response to the peptide on these humanized mice, the researchers found a significantly reduced inflammatory response. These results are identical in humans.

This discovery is a very promising track to creating a vaccine based on genetic background and to develop an approach to personalized immunotherapy. Further studies should now demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the humanized mouse model.

THE NANOTECHNOLOGY AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

The Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine
On the occasion of a presentation he gave at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington last April 23, Samuel Stupp, professor at Northwestern University and director of IBNAM (Institute for Bionanotechnology in Medicine) has shown how Nanotechnology could be used to mobilize the repair capacity of the body to regenerate tissues or organs.

To illustrate his point, he presented the results he has obtained in laboratory mice paralyzed as a result of injuries of the spine, and have regained the use of their legs only 6 weeks after injection of a nanomaterial appropriate. By injecting molecules designed to self assemble to form nano fibers in the tissues of the spinal cord, it was possible to repair and make recroître damaged neurons. During their training, the nano fibers are located in areas of tissue where they activate some biological processes that allow cells to repair the damage.

The team of Sam Stupp has also found that these nano fibers were able to direct the differentiation of stem cells to the production of neurons. These developments may have implications in Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's diseases for which brain cells cease to function normally.

Sat Stupp presented preliminary results obtained in collaboration with Canadian and Mexican teams that show a significant improvement of symptoms of Parkinson's disease in mice treated with the nanostructures developed in his laboratory. He also committed in association with Jon Lomasney, associate professor of pathology at Northwestern University, a study to exploit the same type of nano fibers to restore the functionality of the heart after infarction. This builds on work that was published in 2006 and show that by using heparin, an organic polymer capable of binding to growth factors involved in angiogenesis, can be formed by self - assembling nanofibers that promote the formation of new blood vessels in vivo.

More Information:
- http://stupp.northwestern.edu/

Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Naproxen Effective at Reducing Alzheimer’s Risk

Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Naproxen Effective at Reducing Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Different types of drugs non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin, appear to be equally relevant in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to the largest study of its kind published in May 28, 2008, online Neurology ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Experts have debated whether a certain group of NSAIDs that includes ibuprofen may be more beneficial than another group that includes naproxen and aspirin information. Using Six Different studies, the data reviewed by researchers on the use of NSAIDs in 13,499 people without dementia. Over the course of these six studies, 820 participants developed Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers found that people who used NSAIDs had risk 23 percent less to develop Alzheimer's disease compared to those who never used NSAIDs. The risk reduction did not appear to depend on the type of NSAID taken.

"It is an interesting finding because it seems to challenge a current theory that the NSAID group which includes ibuprofen may work better in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's person," said lead author Peter P. Zandi, PhD study, with the school at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health in Baltimore, MD. "We thought that the NSAID group which includes ibuprofen to target a type of plaque in the brain found in Alzheimer's patients. But our results suggest it may have their other reasons for these drugs which can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's."

The author Chris Szekely, PhD wire out of the review with the medical centre, Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, said the discrepancy between studies such as this one and the negative clinical trials of NSAIDs in the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer's need to be explored further.

EXERCISE and ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer: the exercise slows brain atrophy, according to a study...
Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease who do regular exercise showed less deterioration in areas of the brain that control memory, according to a study unveiled Sunday as part of an international conference on the disease of Alzheimer's, in Chicago.

Studies with magnetic resonance imaging showed that the practice of physical exercise has a positive effect on the region of the hippocampus, a brain area important for both memory for balance. In Alzheimer's disease, the hippocampus is one of the first parts of the brain to suffer damage.

We had already shown that exercise and good physical condition slow death of brain cells associated with aging among older adults in health. And a study published earlier this month indicated that exercise can help slow the brain atrophy in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Now, researchers at the University of Kansas, United States, have used magnetic resonance imaging and other tools to analyze how exercise affects the brains of people in the early stage of disease.

They found that there was, in these patients, "a significant relationship between the size of brain regions associated with memory and fitness _ to what is happening among older adults in health . Patients in better physical shape showed less atrophy of brain tissue, while those who were less physically fit showed more damage to the brain.

The study was funded by the U.S. Institutes on Aging and neurological disorders.

Physical Activity:
There are number of studies showing that exercise has a protective effect on the brain. Physical activity is also very important to the health of the brain.

"The moderate physical activity has a beneficial effect on the vascular system and can help to release growth factors in the brain. People who exercise enough are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. "

Tips
1. Make room for physical activity into your daily life.
2. Think "activity" and not "exercise."
3. Set your goals reasonable.
4. Choose activities that you enjoy.
5. Start by adding a little physical activity into your daily routine like walking to the store instead of driving. Walking is a safe and effective aerobic exercise.
6. Combine physical activity with social interaction whenever possible.
7. Discuss with your doctor the types of physical activities that might suit you, taking into account your health.