Alzheimer Related News Items
News as of 5/07/00
For more info on these abstracts write/call Ed Cabic (edcabic@home.net or 410-992-7197)
For more AD information, see Alzheimer Information at http://www.connext.net/~seniors/infoad.htm
Copies of these reports are posted there
This web page was started at the Florence Bain Senior Center in Columbia MD
Single Gene Linked to Cancer and Aging - A single gene called p21 may play a role in the development of cancer and a number of age-related diseases, including arthritis, hardening of the arteries and AD, according to new study from findings of the University of Illinois at Chicago. The gene is activated when cells become damaged and the gene gives rise to a protein that acts as a brake to stop cells from growing. This gives the cells time to repair themselves. The gene is also activated as cells age. The researchers developed a technique that allowed them to turn the p21 gene off and on in human cells. Using a microarray, the researchers were able to see which other genes were either activated or inhibited when p21 was "on." They saw not only that p21 is involved in a number of cell processes, but also that it activates several genes that are linked to cancer and age-related diseases. Many of these genes contain the blueprints for disease-related proteins. For example, when the gene APP is activated by p21, it produces the beta-amyloid peptide, which forms plaques in the brain that are a hallmark of AD. "The effects of p21 on gene expression may be a contributing factor to the development of various age-related diseases," said Dr. Igor B. Roninson . "This is something we are looking to confirm." According to Roninson, the findings provide a direct strategy for developing drugs that should block the effects of p21. "We hope that these drugs might be able to have anticancer activity and also help slow down different age-related diseases," he said. By Merritt McKinney Reuters Health 4/10/00 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2000;97:4291-4296
Drugs
Don't Forget the Drug Pipeline, American Home - The market opportunity for AD is
enormous. Some 15 million people suffer from the age-related disease and current treatments,
mainly Pfizer's Aricept, are inadequate at best. About one in 10 people over 60 get the disease,
costing an estimated $100 billion a year in direct and indirect treatment costs. Translation: a
potential gold mine. Analysts say it's difficult to assess prospects for new products that have just
entered the clinic. But given the paucity of treatments, American Home's AD vaccine, AN-1792,
is certainly worth a shot. "It's a huge opportunity," said C.J. Sylvester, analyst with Paine
Webber, which has an outperform rating on the stock. "There's nothing out there that slows the
progression of the disease." "This is the first real treatment that could interrupt the progression of
the disease," declared L. Patrick Gage, head of research at Wyeth-Ayerst, American Home's drug
division. "This approach gets at the basic pathology of the disease." Hype? Perhaps. But in the
drug-development lottery, anything's possible. After all, the approach dazzled scientists when it
was published in the science journal Nature in July 1999. If all goes according to plan, Gage said
he hopes to seek regulatory approval for the vaccine in 2003. As with most major opportunities,
other drug companies are making inroads into developing products. Novartis, for instance, is in
the early stages of marketing Exelon, a drug that's in the same class of drugs as Aricept, called
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. And Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and others are trying other
approaches. All aim to break off a chunk of a market that could be worth billions of dollars as the
population ages. By Dane Hamilton Staff Reporter TheStreet.com 4/12/00
Investigational Drug Shows Promise for AD - The investigational drug galantamine appears to help preserve memory and function in AD patients--and these benefits last for at least 12 months, according to results presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Murray Raskind of the University of Washington in Seattle and colleagues at 32 other centers randomly assigned 636 patients to 6 months of treatment with a maximum daily dose of either 24 milligrams (mg) or 32 mg of oral galantamine or a placebo (''dummy'' pill). Of these patients, 353 entered an extension phase of the study and continued treatment with a daily 24-mg dose of galantamine for another 6 months. All patients in the study had a diagnosis of mild-to-moderate dementia and probable AD. At 12 months, patients who had been maintained on the 24-mg dose of galantamine had maintained their memory and ability to learn. Evidence for this lies in their scores on a test that measures learning and memory. At the end of the study, their scores were not significantly different from scores at the beginning of the study. Most side effects reported in the study were short-lived and mild in nature. The most common side effects on galantamine treatment were gastrointestinal. Only 16% of patients dropped out of the extension phase of the study prematurely due to drug-related adverse effects. A New Drug Application for the drug was filed with the US Food and Drug Administration last September. By Jill Stein Reuters Health 5/1/00
Extensive Drug Information Added to MEDLINEplus - Recognizing the public's concern for
good information about available medicines, the National Library of Medicine has enhanced its
consumer health Web site, MEDLINEplus, with extensive information about more than 9,000
brand name and generic prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The site
(at http://medlineplus.gov) gives information about side effects, dosing, drug interactions,
precautions, and storage for each drug. Because the articles are intended for the use of patients,
they are written in non-technical language. Because it is in such high demand, the "Drug
Information" link is prominently featured on every page of MEDLINEplus. PR 5/3/00
Genes & Genetic Issues
Genetic Mutations Linked to Aging - The aging process may result in part from genetic
mutations that occur as the cell-division process begins to break down over time, according to
researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. Using a relatively new
technology called a DNA microarray, they were able to look at more than 6,000 genes at once
and to see which ones were active in each age group. In this analysis, they identified 61 genes that
changed with age. The cellular damages appear to be caused by free radicals which arise
from oxidative processes, according to researchers. A substantial proportion of these genes were
ones involved in the cell-division process. As these changes occur, chromosomes in the cells could
become unstable, which might lead to signs of age-related medical problems, including
osteoporosis, AD and arthritis. In addition, there were also changes in genes involved in the
production of collagen and other proteins that help maintain skin. Other changing genes included
ones involved in inflammation, which has been linked to a number of age-related ills, such as
heart disease. Reuters Health 5/30/00 Science 2000;287:2486-2492
Cloning Produces Unnaturally Young Cattle - Report - Scientists who cloned six cows said on 4/27/00 they may have figured out how to reverse the aging process in cells using their cloning technology. They said the cloning process seemed to have literally turned back the aging clock in the cells of the six heifers. The researchers said it might be possible to use cloning to create organs that are nearly immortal for use in transplants, or tissue lines to treat diseases of aging such as AD, arthritis and heart disease. "Not only were we able to clone calves ... but these animals appear to have cells younger than their chronological age,'' Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., who led the study, said in a telephone interview with Reuters. The medical implications are profound. "It's the first day in a new era in treating age-related disease," said Dr. Michael West the president of the company. "We could take one young cell from a patient and make hundreds or thousands of young cells and put them back in the patient and give them back a young immune system or give them back young cartilage in their knees," he added. "If you had a damaged heart, we could take a few cells from you and grow up new heart cells and these would be your own cells so you wouldn't reject them," added Lanza. By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent Reuters 4/28/00
Reeve Pushes Stem-Cell Research - Christopher Reeve says a federal law banning government funding of research involving human embryos should be lifted. "While we prolong the stem-cell debate, millions continue to suffer. It is time to harness the power of government and go forward," Reeve, who was paralyzed in a 1995 horse riding accident, says in an essay in Time magazine. Researchers believe they can learn how to use the cells culled from human embryos to make body parts or to find new therapies for AD and other diseases. Reeve said such research should be funded and supervised by the federal government through the National Institutes of Health. "That will avoid abuses by for-profit corporations, avoid secrecy and destructive competition between laboratories and ensure the widest possible dissemination of scientific breakthroughs," the "Superman" actor said. AP 4/23/00
Caregivers
Stress Slows Healing of Cuts and Bruises - Stress can slow the body's healing and recovery
process by lowering levels of key immune system chemicals reported researchers at Ohio State
University of Medicine on 4/13/00. The study involved 36 women who were given a small
wound on their arm. Half of the women were caring for relatives suffering from AD and had high
scores on a standard stress test. The other women had average stress levels. There were no
differences between the two groups apart from the stress levels, but the wound of the caregivers
took nine days longer to heal than the other group. The researchers report relaxation techniques,
such as guided imagery and visualization, can help to relieve stress and boost the immune
response. By Patricia Reaney Reuters 4/14/00
Prevention
Panel Calls Antioxidant Megadoses Ineffective - There is no convincing scientific evidence
that taking large amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E, or the nutrients selenium and beta carotene can
reduce the chances of getting cancer, heart disease, diabetes, AD or other illnesses, a of these
so-called antioxidants can protect the body from a variety of illnesses, including the common
cold, there is insufficient evidence to recommend that Americans get more of these nutrients than
is necessary to prevent basic nutritional deficiencies, the panel said. In fact, extremely high doses
may lead to health problems rather than confer benefits, according to the panel, which for the first
time set upper limits for vitamins C and E and for the mineral selenium. he report, the third in an
ongoing series of dietary recommendations for healthy Americans and Canadians, follows an
exhaustive, two-year review of all the existing medical literature about antioxidants. Recom-mended intake of vitamin E was also increased from the 1989 recommendations, with the panel
advising both men and women to take 15 milligrams per day. The chief source of vitamin E
should be food, such as nuts, seeds, liver and leafy green vegetables, which contain the natural
form of vitamin E, d-alpha tocopherol, the panel said. The synthetic form, dl-alpha-tocopherol,
found in most vitamins and fortified foods, is only half as active, the panel noted. Upper limits
were also set at 1,000 milligrams for adults, because consumers who exceed these levels run the
risk of stroke and other damage because of vitamin E's powerful anticoagulant effects, the panel
said. Some experts said that the recommendations for vitamin E don't go far enough, because
many Americans, including up to 80 percent of older adults, already don't meet the recommended
intake. "Anything less than 20 milligrams is not going to make a physiologic difference," said
Jeffrey Blumberg, professor of nutrition at Tufts, who testified before the panel. "I am deeply
concerned about this." By Sally Squires Washington Post 4/11/00 A01
Family, Friends May Help Seniors Stave off Dementia - Elderly people who have strong relationships with their friends and family may be less likely to develop dementia than less well-supported seniors are, according to a report from the Stockholm Gerontology Research Centre in Sweden. The study's lead author, Dr. Laura Fratiglioni, said "The most obvious implication of this study will be the necessity to rethink all public health policy for the elderly. For years, in most western countries, the priority has been given to home services in order to avoid institutionalization. The consequences are often that old people live alone and isolated for most of the time." The odds of developing dementia were higher in people who were single, who lived alone or who did not have many relatives and friends. "The findings of our study suggest some possible preventive strategies against dementia," Fratiglioni told Reuters Health. "A rich social network might provide the emotional and intellectual stimulation which could delay the onset of the disease,'' she suggested. Reuters Health 4/14/00 The Lancet 2000;355:1291-1292, 1315-1319
"Use It or Lose It" Warning on AD - When it comes to avoiding AD, the latest advice is: "It's your brain--use it or lose it." Keeping active outside work, especially with hobbies that involve mental stimulation, may help prevent AD, according to a study presented Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio. Researchers found that people who played a musical instrument, exercised, did crossword puzzles or jigsaws, played cards, board games or similar activities, were less likely to develop AD later in life. The investigators found that AD-free study subjects tended to engage in more physical or intellectual activities between the ages of 40 and 60 than people with the memory-robbing disorder. Engaging in passive activities had no protective effect. The study findings suggest that increasing physical and intellectual activities may help reduce the risk of AD, even in people in middle age, the authors conclude. A relative increase in the amount of time devoted to intellectual activities from early adulthood (ages 20 to 39) to mid-adulthood (ages 40 to 60) was associated with a significant decrease in the probability of having AD later in life. Reuters Health 5/4/00Study: Activity Delays Huntington's Disease in Mice - An active, stimulated brain helps to delay the onset of a fatal brain disorder Huntington's disease in mice and may do the same for humans, British researchers at the University of Oxford said on 4/12/00. "Although you can't directly compare mice with humans many of the principles we've used to enrich the environment of mice can very easily be applied to humans as well," Anton Van Dellen, one of the researchers, said in a telephone interview with Reuters. "We feel the basic principle is sound -- that the more enriched your environment, the greater the amount of stimulation, the more the brain undergoes changes which we found protect from disease," he added. The scientists hope that their study, and other research looking into the impact of brain enrichment on disease, may also have implications for Parkinson's and AD. By Patricia Reaney Reuters 4/12/00
Study: Vascular Problems in Middle Age Increase Risk of Later Dementia - Reducing high blood pressure, losing weight and lowering cholesterol levels may keep middle-aged people from losing intellectual abilities in old age, according to a report presented by the National Institute on Aging 5/2/00 at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting. Data from 3,555 Japanese-American men who have been enrolled since the mid-1960s in the Honolulu Heart Program were studied and they identified men with elevated blood-glucose levels, blood pressure and body weight as well as high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They found that men who had such vascular problems during middle age were more likely to suffer from impaired judgment, memory loss and other symptoms of dementia by the time they were in their 70s. In all, 215 men were diagnosed with dementia. They found that individuals who had more than one of these risk factors did have an increased risk of vascular dementia. Furthermore, each risk factor may increase the chances of dementia by about 10 percent. According to a statement from the Academy, vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after AD. In addition to cardiovascular problems, brain scans show that small strokes have gradually destroyed parts of the brain. But even though patients with poor vascular health were at an increased risk for vascular dementia during their senior years, the researchers found no evidence that these men were more likely to have AD dementia later in life, the statement said. "It is too early to state that reducing their risk factor levels will definitely decrease the risk of vascular dementia," Dr. Sandra Kalmijn, the lead author, said in the Academy statement. "However, if these findings are confirmed by other large studies, improving the risk factor levels in middle age may result in delaying the onset of vascular dementia in older age." CNN 5/2/00Smoking Doesn't Lessen AD Risk - Contrary to earlier reports, cigarette smoking does not seem to reduce the risk for developing AD, according to results of a new study from Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, UK. The investigators studied death certificates of 24,133 British doctors who participated in a long-term health study, looking for evidence associating smoking with the development of AD or other forms of dementia. When they looked specifically at AD, the investigators found no association, positive or negative, between smoking and dementia. "The public health message is clear, Carol Brayne of the Institute of Public Health in Cambridge, UK, concludes in a related editorial, "at the population level there is no protective effect of smoking in dementia. Reuters Health 4/20/00 British Medical Journal 2000;320:1097-1102, 1087-1088
Older Smokers Risk Mental Decline - In yet another indictment against cigarettes, results of a new study by Dr. Jorge A. Cervilla and his colleagues at the University of London, UK, suggest that smoking into the golden years may put older men and women at greater risk for mental decline. In a year-long study of more than 650 London residents aged 65 and older, researchers found that current smokers were about four times as likely to be in mental decline than ex-smokers and those who never smoked. When the researchers looked at alcohol consumption, however, they found no evidence that drinking affects mental abilities. At the beginning of the study, about 10% of 654 people showed reduced mental faculties on the tests. Of the 451 who could be re-tested a year later, 7.5% were in mental decline; this, according to the researchers, adds up to a 6% increase in cases of mental impairment. The risk was far greater for current smokers, who, after other risk factors were considered, were four times more likely than others to be in mental decline. The damage smoking exacts upon blood vessels may explain the habit's link to mental impairment. Smoking leads to hardening and narrowing of the arteries and can hinder oxygen carriage through the blood, he noted. Some of the ill effects on vessels improve after smokers quit which may explain why ex-smokers in the study showed no increased risk for mental impairment. By Amy Norton Reuters Health 4/19/00 Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2000;68:622-626
Workers Exposed to Lead Have High AD Risk - Workers exposed to lead have an increased risk of developing AD in later years, according to research presented Alzheimer's Project at Case Western University Medical School's department of neurology at the American Academy of Neurology's 52nd annual meeting 5/4/00. "People who have worked in jobs with high levels of lead exposure are up to three to four times more likely to develop AD," said Dr. Amir Halim Soas, director of the project. The researchers found no association between AD and exposure to other potential toxins, such as aluminum, copper, iron, mercury, zinc and solvents. Workers can be exposed to lead if they are smelting or casting lead, removing old lead-based paints, or involved in the manufacture of products such as lead-acid batteries, lead-glazed pottery, ammunition, lead pipe, cable shielding, electronic components or paint and ink. People who work with stained glass can also be exposed to high levels of lead. Reuters Health 5/4/00
Other Items
Single Doses of Herbal Remedies Boost Memory - Single doses of the ancient herbal remedies
ginkgo biloba and ginseng can speed up reaction time and improve memory and concentration,
report British researchers at the University of Northumbria on 5/14/00. They report gingko
speeded attention, whereas ginseng seems to improve memory, the storage and retention of
information and the ability to concentrate. The most effective dose was 360 mg of ginkgo, the
standard dose. When people were given gingko at 9 o'clock in the morning their reaction times
were still faster at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The experiments with ginseng showed a single 400
mg dose improved ability to store, hold and retrieve information. The researchers said that in
some countries ginkgo is already the treatment of choice for AD. These results suggest that such
extracts may have many other medical applications such as helping people recover from local
anesthetics. By Patricia Reaney Reuters 4/14/00
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