Alzheimer Related News Items

News as of 9/07/98 (this combines the Aug. 98 report) 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

Top Items
New Drug for AD Demonstrates Robust Effect on Cognitive Function - Exelon, rivastigmine tartrate also known as ENA-713, is a new, potent brain-selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor currently under review at the FDA. A Phase III trial of nearly 700 participants showed more than half (56%) of patients treated with 6-12 mg/day of Exelon showed either improvement or stabilization in their cognitive function at the completion of the trial, according to the AD Assessment Scale-Cognitive sub-scale (ADAS-Cog), a common cognitive measurement scale. Evidence of treatment efficacy for Exelon was demonstrated in all three areas -- cognition, behavior, and activities of daily living -- used to assess the disease and was evaluated by three independent parties highly qualified to appraise a patient's progress -- the psychologist, clinician and caregiver. The study findings also confirm that many patients treated with Exelon maintained and in some cases improved, their activities of daily living. These patients were better able to perform both simple and complex activities of daily living, such as dressing independently and traveling without getting lost, as measured by the PDS scale, a caregiver rated measure of activities of daily living. Dr. Steven Ferris of NYU noted that this the first time any improvement has been reported in patients with such advanced disease, and the improvement was dramatic. These are patients who are beginning to forget their name or address or don't recognize their spouses. A marked improvement in their ADAS-cog score will, in turn, enhance their ability to carry out daily activities and their overall functioning. PR 7/27/98 International Journal of Geriatric Psychopharmacology (vol. I, issue 2)

Study: Common Microbe May Have Role in AD - Chlamydia pnuemoniae is detectable in brain regions affected by AD, but not in unaffected regions, suggesting that this bacterial infection could be a risk factor for late-onset AD. This agent could potentially stimulate an inflammatory response in the nervous system that would lead to nerve cell damage similar to what we see in AD. The bacteria is believed to infect as much as 70% of populations in some parts of the world and people often carry the bacteria from childhood. The goal of research will be to figure out how the bacteria skipped from the respiratory system to the brain. Dr. Phelps of NIA pointed out that the finding does not necessarily indicate that C. pneumoniae is a cause of AD, but it may be an exacerbating factor. Reuters 8/11/98 Med. Microbiol Immunol 1998;187:23-42

AD Could Soon be Treated with Nose Drops - Researchers in Minnesota say that the nasal passage holds great promise as a conduit for delivering drugs into the brain, as the olfactory system provides a direct link between the brain and the outside world. Working with rats they found that nerve growth factor (NGF) could be delivered in nose drops not only to the olfactory bulb in the brain, but also to the hippocampus, amygdala and other regions not directly involved with smelling. In contrast, very little of the NGF injected into the other rats reached the brain. New Scientist 9/5/98 pg. 6

Nymox AD Urine Test Study Positive - Nymox Pharmaceuticals announced their large multi-center clinical trials of their new urine test for diagnosing AD have yielded "very positive" results. The AD7C test is now proven to be accurate and useful as a urinary test for the brain disease. This multi-center trial results indicate that AD7C can also be detected in urine with a comparable level of accuracy, thus enabling urinary AD7C to be highly useful clinical tool. Reuters 8/13/98

Drugs
Cephalon Updates Investors - Cephalon's platform technology in the field of receptor-mediated kinases has focused on the development of a series of small molecule kinase inhibitors, such as CEP-1347, which Cephalon has been developing for potential use in AD. PR 7/15/98

Guilford Obtains Broad new Patents in FKBP-Neuroimmunophilin Ligand Program, Compounds that Promote Nerve Growth - They were granted 4 patents that include broad methods for treating neurological diseases with immunophilin ligands. These patents relate to compounds which are orally-active molecules that cross the blood-brain-barrier and induce regeneration and protection of neuronal cells. They are being studied for the treatment of AD.
PR 9/2/98

Nymox Says AD Drug Promising - Nymox Pharmaceutical reports that experimental studies on its drug candidate for AD, NXD2858, has yielded promising results and that it plans to target the drug for human testing in less than a year. The drug inhibits the formation of AD plaques from spherons, balls of protein found in the brain, and slows down or arrests the progression of the disease. New studies illustrate that the drug is orally bioavailable, has blood-brain penetration and shows no evidence of toxicity or significant potential side effects. Reuters 8/6/98

ACADIA Pharmaceutical Identifies Drug "Switch" Within a Receptor - Acadia Pharmaceuticals reports a breakthrough in the understanding of how drugs control the activity of muscarinic receptors. They have defined specific amino acid side chains within the receptor that make contacts with drugs and function as an on/off switch in response to those drugs. Agonists, drugs that activate the receptor, hold the switch in the "on" position, while antagonists stabilize the "off" position. Their findings provide fundamental insight into the mechanism by which drugs bind to and control the activity of muscarinic receptors. They anticipate that their new findings will accelerate their preclinical program focused on muscarinic compounds for the treatment of AD. PR 8/25/98 and published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry 8/21/98

Nymox Announces Significant Progress in Drug Screening Program for Nerve Cell Death - Nymox Pharmaceuticl announced a key screening model for selecting and developing new AD drug candidates. The model has human neuronal cells which have the AD7C-NTP gene inserted into them. The cells produce AD7C-NTP, subsequently start the process of neuronal sprouting, going through a degenerative process, and finally die by apoptosis. This sequence of cellular events very closely mimics what is known to occur in the degenerating neurons in the brains of AD patients. The model has led them to design new chemical entities to be tested as preclinical candidates, based on structure-activity relationships. PR 8/25/98

Implanted Pellet Show Promise of Targeting Dying Brain Cells That Cause AD - Implanted in the brain, small plastic pellets that release potent nerve growth factor (NGF) can keep nerve cells from degenerating and may one day help treat AD. The special polymer pellets make it possible to deliver a precise dose of NGF to the part of the brain where it is needed, over a sustained period of time. Reuters 8/25/98 Cornell Univ. research presented at Am. Chem. Soc. Meeting

Epilepsy Drug Effective For AD - A class of drugs for epileptic seizures has been found by researchers at the Univ. of Rochester to lessen aggressive behavior in AD patients and may someday reduce the need to place dementia patients in nursing homes. The anti-seizure drugs carbamazepine and divalproex measurably controlled such behaviors as screaming and yelling, hitting and spitting at caregivers, verbally abusing them, throwing things, pacing and other inappropriate actions. These drugs are believed to work because they probably stabilize circuits in the brain that get so out of whack that it becomes easy to become suddenly aggressive. These drugs may be a possible key to keeping patients out of institution since it is their aggressive behavior, and not forgetfulness, that most often leads to institutionalization. Brand names include Tegretol, Epitol and Depakote. UPI Science News 7/21/98

Protein Link to AD Studies - Researchers at the Univ. of Kentucky have pinpointed a protein, prostate apoptosis response-4 ("Par-4"), they believe is a catalyst for the rapid destruction of nerve cells associated with AD, opening the possibility for future treatments to slow the degenerative disease. Depending on the part of the brain examined, the AD patients were found to have from four to 18 times the level of Par-4 compared to those without the disease. Tissue culture tests showed that preventing the creation of the protein made the nerve cells more likely to survive. Par-4-based therapies would not be an AD cure, but rather a way of slowing or preventing the death of irreplaceable nerve cells that are critical to learning and memory. Par-4 therapies are at least 5 to 10 years away. They next plan to breed mice with high and low levels of Par-4 and then study the effects of various therapeutic compounds on those animals. AP 8/3/98 Nature Medicine 1998;4:957-962 8/98

Pharmaceutical Companies Developing 23 Drugs for AD - 1998 report by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association indicating 23 drugs for dementia being developed. Bar chart at www.phrma.org/chart/m_i98.html   and downloadable pdf file listing drugs.
PR 7/21/98

Mostly In The Mind - The benefits of antidepressant drugs could be almost entirely due to the psychological boost derived from taking a pill rather than their effects on brain chemistry, say two researchers Irving Kirsch and Guy Sapirstein in the U.S. Although pharmaceutical companies claim that antidepressants are 40 % more effective than placebos, these researchers found that the drugs were only 25% more effective. In addition, they suggest that even the 25% could be due to an additional placebo effect derived from the side effects caused by the antidepressants, which alerted patients to the fact that they were receiving an active drug rather than a placebo. They say that studies could have wrongly ascribed this additional effect to a chemical change induced by the drug. Their findings indicate a pressing need for new methodologies in clinical trials to discover the true extent of the placebo effect. One option might be to give some patients "active placebos" that cause side effects, but have no medical effects. PR 7/8/98 Prevention & Treatment - an electronic journal with full text at http://journals.apa.org/prevention/   June 28, 1998

Report of Orally Available Natural Plant Extract That Disrupts AD Amyloid Brain Deposits - The orally available dietary supplement (PTI - 00703) developed by researchers from Univ. of Washington and ProteoTech acts as a potent inhibitor of amyloid growth and fibril formation for both AD and type II diabetes and it has the ability to dissolve/disrupt pre-formed AD and type II diabetes-related amyloid fibrils. They are currently performing tests to isolate and identify the most active amyloid inhibitory ingredients within PTI - 00703 and it is being tested in rodent models of AD to determine its safety and effectiveness on dissolution/clearance of predeposited Alzheimer's amyloid in brain tissue. The identity of the plant is being kept confidential. A person with AD lives an average of 8 years. The average lifetime cost per patients is estimated at $174,000. PR 7/17/98

Oxis Therapeutics Inc - At the annual shareholder meeting they announced that their second series of molecules, known as lipid soluble antioxidants (LSAs), has been taken into preclinical development for central nervous system diseases, such as AD and Parkinson disease. Assuming successful completion of preclinical development, the company intends to file an IND application in the first half of 1999. PR 7/18/98

Galantamine Improves Memory and Learning Ability In AD Patients - A new treatment with galantamine, which recently completed Phase III trials, can significantly improve scores on a widely-used assessment scale used to measure memory and learning ability in persons with AD. In the patients with mild to moderate forms of AD, who usually worsen over time, cognitive scores were maintained at or above the baseline through one year of treatment. The drug, to be marketed under the trade name Reminyl by Janssen, has a dual mechanism of action. Like AD treatments currently on the market, it inhibits an enzyme that breaks down a critical chemical messenger in the brain called acetylcholine. However, unlike other agents, it also appears to act on the brain's nicotinic receptors. The modulation of these receptors could lead to release of more acetylcholine. The literature suggests that stimulation of nicotinic receptor may be associate with fewer of the amyloid plaques that are one of the hallmarks of AD. Reuters 7/20/98

Thalidomide Maker Hopes Safer Drugs Will Follow - The maker of thalidomide, Celene Crop, which has just won FDA approval for use against leprosy hopes safer and more effective drugs will follow. Celgene has a commitment to develop next-generation compounds. They are very interested in the potential to develop drugs that are based on thalidomide and which are more powerful. Some of the new drugs are a million times more powerful than thalidomide. These might work against an even greater range of diseases such as AD. PR 7/17/98

Genes & Genetic Issues
A2M Gene on Chromosome 12 - Researchers at Mass. Gen. Hospital and Harvard have found that older AD patients are more likely to have a mutation, or flaw, in the A2M (Alpha-2 macroglobutin) gene on chromosome 12 than siblings who have not developed the illness. Having the flaw appears to make a person more susceptible to developing late-onset AD. A healthy A2M gene flushes protein fragments that would clog the synapses, or junction, where brain cells communicate. A flawed A2M gene would literally gum up the works by allowing fragments to accumulate, forming amyloid plaques that slow nerve signals and preventing the release of growth factors and other chemicals that keep cells healthy. Rudolph Tanzi said that this finding leads us directly to a protein pathway that we think drives the AD process. Susan Bassett and Melvin McInnis of Johns Hopkins appeared on the paper. AP 7/22/98 Nature Genetics;19:4, 357-360 8/98

New Breakthrough Arthritis Drug May Debut Soon - A new and gentler arthritis pain reliever -- potentially the hottest drug of 1999 --may hit the pharmacies in six to nine months, after the FDA said it will review the drug on a priority basis. Celebra, or celecoxib, is the first of a new class of so-called COX-2 inhibitors, which block an enzyme called cyclooxygenase that causes pain and inflammation. Unlike other arthritis remedies, Celebra is touted to have fewer side effects, particularly stomach problems like ulcers and bleeding often caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). NSAIDS -- including ibuprofen and aspirin -- block COX-2, but they also inhibit COX-1, a related enzyme that protects the lining of the stomach. The first use for which Celebra is being reviewed is to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and for pain management. But the drug could eventually have much wider uses, particularly to treat AD and colon cancer. Reuters 8/24/98

Additional Genetic Influences For AD Confirmed - Four genes are known to account for approximately 50% of the genetic risk for all forms of AD and a recent linkage analysis suggested a new susceptibility gene on chromosome 12 for the common late-onset form of the disease. A study at Boston Univ. examined chromosome 12 markers in 53 families with multiple members affected with AD and confirmed the previously observed linkage. JAMA 1998;280:614 8/19/98

Gene Patterns Can Predict When - But not Whether - AD Will Strike - Study at Johns Hopkins showed that the E-4 variant (or allele) for the APOE gene influenced the timing of the onset of AD in about half of the population. About half the population will eventually get AD, but researchers do not yet know how to distinguish those who will from those who won't. For the person who is predisposed for the disease, however, they have found that the number of E-4 genes he or she has inherited can tell roughly how old that person will be when the disease strikes. In that half predisposed, those who inherit two E-4 alleles (one from each parent) experienced onset by the age of 80 to 85; those who inherited a single E-4 allele from one parent developed the disorder by age 90 to 95. Those who inherited no E-4 alleles got AD by age 95 to 100, if at all. People in the half of the population not predisposed to the disorder did not develop AD before age 100 no matter how many E-4 genes they had inherited. PR 7/21/98 citing Nature Genetics 8/98

Genetically Engineered Mice Show Characteristic Signs of AD, Could be Ideal Tool for Testing New Therapies - Laboratory mice have been genetically engineered to have human apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) in the brain which is a protein associated with increased risk of AD. These mice show learning and memory problems striking similar to those seen in human AD patient's according to researchers at the J. David Gladstone Institute and UC San Francisco. The researchers noticed a distinct difference in behavior between female and male mice, with the females experiencing a higher level of impairment. These results are consistent with clinical studies by other investigators which suggests that apoE4 increases AD risk and decreases responsiveness to treatments more strongly in women than in men. The researchers have already begun to manipulate the levels of apoE4 in the brains of these mice to see what impact these changes might have on their behavior. They believe it may be possible to design drugs that inhibit apoE4 or simulate apoE3 to counteract the neurological effects of AD. The real test of this model will come when they can test treatment strategies and see if they will work in humans. PR 8/31/98 results in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 9/1/98

Gene Knockout Mice Establish Role of Caspase-9 in Neuronal Cell Death Pathway - Research with a gene knockout mouse establishes a key role for the enzyme Caspase-9 in a specific biochemical pathway that results in neuronal cell death. These findings suggest that using compounds that block Caspase-9 or another enzyme in this pathway may be a viable strategy for treating a variety of acute and chronic age-related neurological diseases including AD, Parkinson's disease and stroke. PR 8/7/98 citing publication in Cell 8/7/98

Neotherapeutics Cites Test Results - They report tests with their lead compound, Neotrofin, has demonstrated the drug enhances all stages required to complete the nerve-regeneration process. This process starts with stimulating genes to produce nerve growth factors and leads to functional improvement in the brain. Neotrofin, or AIT-082, is currently in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of AD. PR 7/27/98

Caregivers
Assisted Living Gains Popularity - Assisted living has become the hottest new housing option for senior citizen by promising to provide a happy medium between their own home and a full nursing facility. AARP, along with the Alzheimer's Assn. and industry groups including the Assisted Living Federation of America, are recommending a set of minimum standards to state governments, which now vary widely in their oversight. AP 8/13/98

Baby Boomers Feeling Strain of Caring for Older Parents - The so-called "Sandwich Generation" is the largest growing segment of caregivers in the nation. Of the 22 million American caring for elderly parents, 40% also have kids to watch over. Three out of four caregivers are women, and many work full or part time. The National Alliance for Caregivers believes tax credits for dependent older relatives is a great idea as is the idea of having respite services available around the country for people to take breaks from caregiving. CNN 7/31/98

Elderly Find the Internet Can be a Remedy for Isolation - At a Senate Special Committee on Aging symposium on "Older Americans and the World Wide Web: The New Wave of Internet Users" the senators were told that people over the age of 60 represent the fastest growing segment of computer and Internet users. The elderly quickly find the Internet to be indispensable and logging onto the Internet prevents isolation. Cox News Service 7/20/98

U of Fla. Researchers: Elderly Should Ignore Stereotypes About Memory Loss - Older persons are much less likely to have major memory problems if they believe in themselves and work to improve their recall according to a recent study. The elderly buy into the stereotype that they can't control their memory, and it affects not only their self-esteem but also how hard they try to remember. Some of the research shows that people can improve their memory performance by as much as 50% if they work at it, use the right strategies and challenge themselves. Older people need to think of themselves in terms of their potential rather than their losses. Although there are losses, there is also enormous potential at any age to improve memory, just at there is potential to improve strength. PR 7/23/98

GlobalTrak International Corp. To Begin Manufacturing Personal Satellite Tracking End-User Products - They have secured a financial partner to begin manufacturing of their proprietary personal satellite tracking devices. Order for certain products will be accepted as of September 1998. The SeniorTrak device is a handheld or wearable device designed to locate senior citizens suffering from AD and other memory infecting diseases. The company's web site is http://www.kidtrak.com   PR 8/31/98

Approaching Death: Improving Care at the End of Life -- Book Review by Judith Ahronheim. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) embarked on a large scale study of the status of care for the dying. An impressive amount of thought and energy went into the work of the 12-member committee of experts and its staff, which held public meetings, reviewed and critiqued literature and testimony, and compiled a 418-page report. As a summary and critique of the state of affairs nationally, the IOM report can certainly be viewed as a definitive work. The New England Journal of Medicine 339:No. 4 7/23/98

Testing
New Japanese Technology Helps Diagnose Dementia - A new way of imaging the brain in three dimensions could make it easier to diagnose AD and distinguish from other kinds of dementia such as frontotemporal dementia or FTD. Researchers at Himeji Institute of Tech. in Japan have found a way to take MRI images and create a three-dimensional picture in just five minutes. They wrote new computer software that ties together the thinly sliced images that an MRI takes. This technique might help make a quicker and more accurate diagnosis possible. Reuters 7/13/98 Radiology 1998;208:431-39

Scientists Pinning Down Source of Memory in Brain - The recent development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows scientists a highly-focused view of brain activity over time. In a study focused on verbal or linguistic memory fMRI imaging showed that activity level in the left prefrontal cortex and parahippocampal cortex dictated which words were remembered or forgotten in subsequent tests. The new research should determine whether memory-imaging techniques might be used in older people at risk for AD to see if they predict who will and who will not get the disease. Researchers also hope this may give a tool to examine the very earliest effects of the disease. Reuters 8/21/98 Science 1998;281:1185-1187, 1188-1190

Nymox AD Test Supported - Nymox reports new data confirming the accuracy, utility and specificity of the company's AD7C test in AD. Results of the study comparing the Nymox AD7C test which measures lumbar CSF levels of AD7C-NTP to several other measurements found that AD7C was substantially more accurate than any of the other markers studied .
PR 7/21/98

Novel Imaging Agent Provides Insight Into Brain's Message Deliver System - The imaging system "Trodat" developed at the Univ. of Penn. can be used to determine whether the dopamine transporter is working correctly, or if it is unbalanced which leads to neurological and psychological illnesses that are linked to dopamine changes. Trodat can be a valuable tool for live diagnosis and treatment of illnesses associate with dopamine transporters. Such illnesses include Parkinson's and AD, as well as schizophrenia and ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). PR 8/25/98

Prevention
Acetaminophen May Be an Antioxidant - The over-the-counter pain redeliver acetaminophen may have antioxidant properties, a small study funded by the maker of Tylenol suggests. However, the result are too preliminary to determine if the drug is as beneficial as other antioxidant -- such as vitamin C or vitamin E -- in preventing disease. Dr. Tim Byers at the Univ. of Colorado School of Medicine believes the study is much too small to determine if the drug would be useful in preventing disease and the use of acetaminophen is not without risks. It could cause liver damage when taken chronically or may be fatal when taken in large doses. Reuters 7/29/98

Readers Digest Reports on Vitamin E: "Truly a Health Care Miracle" - The article in the August issue summarizes recent research on vitamin E and concludes that a wealth of research shows the potential benefits of this vitamin. The vitamin E supplements reduce the risk of heart disease, help prevent atherosclerosis which can cause strokes, increase immune response, ease arthritis pains, and delay the progress of AD, among numerous health benefits. PR 7/22/98

Choline Plays Key Role in Brain Development - The B vitamin choline, recently classified as an "essential nutrient for humans," appears to play a role in brain development, mounting evidence suggests. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Science recommended that pregnant and nursing woman increase their intake of the vitamin. A component of cell membranes, choline, is also a precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and other chemical messengers. Lab studies suggest that the vitamin play crucial roles in various processes relating to learning and memory. Among other things, choline appears to stimulate cell division in the developing brain. Findings to date suggest that optimal dietary choline in early life may improve human cognitive development and slow cognitive declines associated with aging. Though choline is found in many foods, vegetables, peanuts, eggs and meat, especially liver, are the best source of the nutrient. Reuters 8/6/98 Science 1998;281:794-95

In New AD Studies, Lab Tests Show Vitamin E and Other Antioxidants Preventing Brain Cell Death - In lab tests, vitamin E prevented the death of brain cells exposed to a toxic protein, amyloid beta peptide (AB), found in the brains of patients with AD. This protein is the major constituent of the senile plaques found in AD brains, and it generates oxygen free radicals that attack and kill the brain cells. In one study AB was added to the normal brain cells of test rodents and all the cells died. When the rodent brain cells were pretreated with vitamin E before adding the AB, the vitamin E prevented oxidation and cell death in almost every case. PR 8/27/98 Univ. of Kentucky research presented at Am. Chem. Soc. Mtg.

New Supplement Aims to Boost Memory, But Proof is Scanty - The "mental support supplement" a melange of amino acids, gingko biloba, plus the botanical vinpocetine, is suppose to grid our gray matter against time, combating the effects of age-related memory loss. The marketers of vinpocetine say it is the next big thing in smart drugs and 20 times more active than gingko. Preliminary studies suggest gingko helps in AD. Despite its claims of souped- up cerebral circulation, date proving vinpocetine will keep you mentally agile are sparse. Wall Street Journal 7/12/98 B1

Other Items
AD's Study Links Cognitive Decline with Specific Brain Damage - Specific patterns of cognitive decline were linked with specific AD pathology from distinct anatomic areas. Subjects who showed early signs of AD displayed significant patterns of cognitive impairment on the comprehensive neuropsychological assessments. Five years later significant patterns of abnormal brain damage emerged in autopsies of these subjects. The patterns of brain damage could be related in meaningful ways to specific cognitive problems documented during the assessments. Subjects who performed relatively poorly (compared to the overall test performance) on tests of memory were later found to have relatively more AD-related deterioration in the temporal lobe, a sector of the brain know to play an important role in performance of these functions. Similarly those who performed more relatively poorly on tests of visual and spatial skills were later found to have relatively more abnormalities in the parietal sector of the brain, and those who scored relatively poorly on tests of mental control were found to have more damage to the frontal lobe --findings that coincide with a general understanding of the role these brain sectors play in the cognitive process. The research suggests that AD affects different regions of the brain in different people --that means early symptoms of the disease won't be the same in everyone. PR 8/3/98 Neurology 4/98

Research Firm Gets Air Force Chimps - American's "astro chimps" are being mustered out of the Air Force. 111 of the 141 "space chimps" will be used for medical research, including studies into AD, diabetes and arthritis, and for breeding. AP 8/7/98

Behavioral Scientists to Gather for First International AD Symposium (Sept 17-19) - Hosted by the Alzheimer Alliance of America and the Long Island Alz. Foundation, the Symposium will provide a forum for researches to discuss their work in the area of phenomenology, prevalence, behavioral management and interventions. PR 9/1/98

Denatured Proteins Rescued by Trio of Chaperones - Heat is a protein's enemy and when it is heated the protein begins to loose its shape. When exposed to heat, organisms make heat shock proteins, known as chaperones. Susan Lindquist and colleagues at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the U of Chicago have determined that the chaperone proteins Hsp40 and Hsp70 help to partially stabilize proteins as they begin to unfold and aggregate and then Hsp104 helps the glob come apart so that Hsp40 and Hsp70 can refold individual proteins to their native states. "Understanding how Hsp104 works could help us better understand protein folding disorders, such as AD and mad cow disease" says Lindquist. PR 7/9/98 results in Cell 7/10/98

Tangled Minds: Understanding AD and Other Dementias by Muriel R. Gillick, MD --Book review by Richard Restak notes that Gillick suggests that dementia is considered dehumanizing principally because the illness destroys something we highly value: the ability to control our own life. AD is exactly the sort of condition that American find hardest to deal with -- a common disorder over which we have absolutely no control. Washington Post 9/1/98 Pg Z11 (available on their web page www.washingtonpost.com )

Poverty and Poor Education in Childhood Can Greatly Increase Risk of AD in Later Life - The chance of having AD was found to be 5 to 11 times higher in those with a family history of the illness who experienced poverty in childhood or were poorly educated. The lead author, Dr. Mortimer at U. of So. Fla, said that rather than low education and poverty causing AD, higher education and relative affluence in childhood appeared to protect individuals with a genetic risk of AD from getting the symptoms of the illness. He noted that earlier studies had shown that better development, reflected in a larger brain size, substantially reduced the risk of AD in later life, likely by providing a reserve of extra brain tissue that permitted individuals with the disease to cover up its symptoms. PR 7/21/98

A Suicide Note From AD Neurons? - The brief abstract states that new findings implicate apoptosis in the death of neurons in AD, but the evidence is still insufficient to formally indict apoptosis in the neurodegeneration associated with this disease. Nature Medicine 1998;4:957-62 8/98

Viral Inflammation May Trigger AD - The development of AD might be triggered by viral inflammation. The researchers in Oxford UK compared brain tissue of 97 people who had died of HIV infection or AIDS and 125 non-infected people of similar age. They found that the plaques indicative of AD increased with age in both groups, but were over twice as common among those with AIDS. The findings indicate that an inflammatory response in the brain such as that caused by viral infection may initiate the process leading to AD. Reuters 7/15/98 J of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 1998;65:29-33

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