Can Stabilizing Amyloid Stop Alzheimer's?

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Alzheimer's and Dementia Weekly

BREAKTHROUGH: Never-before-seen images have exposed a missing link in the early-Alzheimer's cascade. Taken by the world's largest synchrotron, they imply new drugs may do better stabilizing amyloid than eliminating it. Learn more about this course-changing discovery. 

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Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have used the MAX IV synchrotron in Lund - the strongest of its kind in the world - to produce images that predate the formation of toxic clumps of beta-amyloid, the protein believed to be at the root of Alzheimer's disease. 

The unique images appear to contradict a previously unchallenged consensus. Instead of attempting to eliminate beta-amyloid, or so-called plaques, the researchers now suggest stabilizing the protein. 

It is a long-held belief in the scientific community that the beta-amyloid plaques appear almost instantaneously. Hence the term "popcorn plaques". The infrared spectroscopy images, however, revealed something entirely different. 


The researchers could now see structural, molecular changes in the brain. 

"No one has used this method to look at Alzheimer's development before. The images tell us that the progression is slower than we thought and that there are steps in the development of Alzheimer's disease that we know little about. This, of course, sparked our curiosity," says Gunnar Gouras, professor in experimental neurology at Lund University and senior author of the study. 

What was happening at this previously unknown phase? Through biochemical identification the first author of the study, Oxana Klementieva, was able to look closer at these early brain changes. 

The results revealed another discovery. Namely, that the beta-amyloid did not appear as a single peptide, a widely held belief in the field, but as a unit of four peptides sticking together, a tetramer. 

This breakthrough offers a new hypothesis to the cause of the disease. The abnormal separation of these four peptides could be the start of the beta-amyloid aggregation that later turns into plaques. 

"This is very, very exciting. In another amyloid disease, transthyretin amyloidosis, the breaking up of the tetramer has been identified as key in disease development. For this disease, there is already a drug in the clinic that stabilizes the tetramers, consequently slowing down disease progression. We hope that stabilizing beta-amyloid in a similar fashion may be the way forward in developing future therapies" says Gunnar Gouras. 

The discovery could therefore alter the direction of therapy development for the disease. The aim of most clinical trials today is to eliminate plaques. 

Researchers at Lund University will now try to understand the interaction patterns of beta-amyloid preceding the aggregation process. Finding the antidote to whatever breaks the beta-amyloid protein apart could open doors towards a major shift in­ the development of therapies for Alzheimer's disease. 

Is Alzheimer's Disease Contageous?

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Digital Journal

Alzheimer's disease is caused partly by the build-up of abnormal proteins in the brain. Scientists already know that one of these abnormal proteins, amyloid peptides also called beta amyloids, can be infectious.
It seems that Alzheimer’s disease is easier to catch than first thought.

Neurologist Yvonne S. Eisele and her team of fellow scientists had already proved that mice could catch Alzheimer’s disease from each other; however this only happened when the brain of a healthy mouse was injected with amyloid peptides from mice that already had Alzheimer's disease symptoms.
Now a new study shows about Is Alzheimer's Diseaase Contageous

Turmeric Alzheimer's Cure

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eHow

Scientists learn more about the health benefits of various spices and herbs every day. Turmeric shows promise in helping people stave off Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease robs people of their minds because of the build up of amyloid plaques and neurofibratory tangles in their brain. Studies show that consuming tumeric prevents this from happening in mice. People who live in India rarely develop Alzheimer's disease, but eat foods containing curry powder, which always contains turmeric. Consuming turmeric is safe, but always consult your doctor before taking any new spice or herb.

Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, progresses over time. Symptoms include problems with thinking, memory and behavior. More than 5.3 million Americans exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The frequency of getting this disease increases as you age. Every year the government and individuals in the United States spend more than $100 billion treating Alzheimer's disease.

Beta Amyloid Plaques
Beta-amyloid plaque appear in the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease. They consist of abnormal protein accumulation that, over time, results in inflammation of nerves which stops nerve signals from getting from one part of the brain to another part. Eventually the brain cells die, leaving the Alzheimer's sufferer with memory loss, thinking difficulties and behavior issues.

Curcumin
Turmeric comes from curcumin. You find it in curries and other spicy dishes from India, Asia and the Middle East. Like many other herbs, people first used curcumin as a seasoning. Later, people used it for medicinal purposes. Indian medicine has used turmeric to relieve pain and inflammation in the skin and in muscles for centuries.
In India, very few people get Alzheimer's Disease. Researchers TP Ng, PC Chiam, T Lee, HC Chua, L Lim, EH Kua published an article in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2006 entitled "Curry consumption and cognitive function in the elderly." In this study, they investigated the association between the curry consumption and cognitive level in 1,010 Asians between 60 and 93 years of age. The study found that those who ate curry once a month or more scored better on cognitive tests than those who ate curry rarely or never.

Benefits of Curcumin
Because of curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties, it may have a role in curing Alzheimer's Disease. Curcumin acts as an antioxidant, too. It inhibits the formation of free radicals. It decreases bad cholesterol. Small amounts of curcumin given over longer periods of time is better than taking a large dose all at once.
Safety of Curcumin
No one reported serious side effects of taking tumeric thus far, but long-term use in high doses causes liver toxicity. For this reason, avoid......read all of Turmeric Alzheimer's Cure

New imaging procedure sure to help in Alzheimer's and other dementia diagnosis

WASHINGTON -- Imaging agents currently in development that could detect the abnormal amyloid plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias could help doctors diagnose these conditions, a Food and Drug Administration panel of medical experts said Thursday.

Such agents, which would be used in combination with positron-emission tomography scans, are designed to essentially "light up" areas of the brain that contain amyloid on imaging scans, but so far none are FDA approved. Beta-amyloid is a protein contained in clumps or plaques seen in the brains of people who have died of Alzheimer's complications.

While it is not entirely clear what role amyloid plays in Alzheimer's disease, most researchers believe it is... read this story
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