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New Hope for Alzheimers Treatment
There is now widespread agreement among research scientists and medical professionals that Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a problem quickly growing to vast proportions. As the life expectancy of Americans continues to rise, increasing the percentage of the population over 65 years of age, so does the number of Alzheimer's cases. It is currently estimated that people over 65 years of age have a 10% chance of developing Alzheimer's, while those over 85 have a 50% likelihood of developing AD, making it the leading cause of dementia among older people. Though the disease is associated primarily with memory loss, its effects also comprise a number of other severe disabilities, including changes in personality, disorientation, difficulty with speech and comprehension, and a lack of ability to move normally. Consequently, most Alzheimer's patients require a great deal of care, costing society close to $100 billion annually. According to Christian Fritze, Ph.D., Director of the Antibody Products Division at Covance Research Products, "The impact of Alzheimer's Disease on our society will only increase as our population ages. The prevalence of the disease and disabling effects on the patient are significant by themselves. In addition we are becoming increasingly aware of the far-reaching effects on families, care-giver networks and the economics of our health care system. The drive for progress towards effective treatments by the research and drug development community is growing stronger every day." A New Consensus But recent developments in the medical research community do provide some hope. During the last two years, there has been a growing consensus among Alzheimer researchers about the cause of Alzheimer's disease, providing focus for scientists exploring the new treatment options. The focus is on amyloid beta oligomers, a new wrinkle on an older hypothesis called the "amyloid cascade hypothesis". Widespread acceptance of this new conclusion is something of a milestone in the history of Alzheimer's research. As Dr. Fritze says, "The decades old quest for the causative agent in Alzheimer's Disease has recently focused on the precursors of amyloid plaques. These precursors are part of a bewildering array of processed (APP) Amyloid Precursor Protein) variants, Tau isoforms and secretase components that play a role in neuronal cytotoxicity and subsequent brain dysfunction." Amyloid plaques are sticky protein deposits in the brain containing amyloid beta peptide. Researchers have associated the buildup of this plaque with Alzheimer's disease since its discovery in 1907. But despite the clear correlation, scientists were not sure what, exactly, spurred the onset of Alzheimer's Disease. The hypothesis that amyloid beta accumulation in the brain is the major cause of Alzheimer's Disease1 has been the focus of much attention over the past decade. Although this hypothesis was the leading explanation for the cause of AD, it had several weaknesses. The most obvious problem with the theory was the fact that the buildup of amyloid beta peptides did not necessarily correspond with the severity of Alzheimer's symptoms. However, in 19982 and in 20023, researchers proposed that it was not the amyloid beta plaques themselves that were neurotoxic - and therefore the cause of Alzheimer's - but rather precursors to amyloid beta plaques formed by smaller aggregates of amyloid beta. These new ideas are gaining widespread acceptance among the Alzheimer's research community, creating a consensus that had not existed before. This new focus provides one more spur to action for Alzheimer's researchers, and underscores the need for further advancement. "The AD field demands sophisticated, highly-sensitive research tools to track these components and quantitate the existence of monomeric, oligomeric and fibrillar amyloid forms present in the progression of Alzheimer's disease," says Dr. Fritze. Antibody Treatment Two new studies, both released in October 20044, suggest that new treatment options may be on the horizon. The studies are the modification of one of two previous attempts using amyloid beta (Aβ) antibodies in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. The previous attempts, though not successful, did at least suggest new courses of action in Alzheimer's research and provided invaluable information for researchers. In the first of the two previous attempts, researchers injected the antigen itself - pieces of the beta amyloid protein that makes up amyloid plaque - into mice, in the hopes that the injections would generate an immune (antibody) response against amyloid. Results were initially positive. The injected antigen produced Aβ antibodies and slowed the onset of the disease by decreasing Aβ levels. However, when tried on humans, the procedure led to meningoencephalitis (an inflammation of tissue around the brain) in some patients, and was therefore halted. In the second attempt, a passive immunity therapy was tried in which antibodies to amyloid beta (not amyloid protein) were injected into mice, but hemorrhaging and inflammation ensued due to the high antibody doses required to be effective. New Hope But now there appears to be new hope for the use of antibodies as therapeutic agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's patients. In the first of the two new studies that appeared in October conducted by the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, NCGG, and the Center for Neurological Diseases, Brigham & Women's College, Harvard Institute of Medicine, researchers modified the first procedure. Concluding that the meningoenchaphalitis which occurred in some patients was caused by autoimmune T-cell activation, the researchers hoped to develop a vaccine that could minimize this T-cell activation while retaining the production of Aß antibodies. To accomplish this they created an oral vaccine that attached Aß DNA to an adeno-associated virus vector, which served to mitigate T-cell activation. Thus they were able to decrease Aß levels in the brains of the mice and yet not activate T-cells to the degree they had before, greatly reducing the risk of meningoencephalitis. In the other new study, conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago, researchers succeeded in making the passive immunity protocol much safer. This they accomplished by changing the point of entry for the Aß antibodies. Rather than injecting the antibodies into the body of the mice, as was done previously, antibody was injected directly into the brain of the mice. Because the antibodies were injected directly into the brain, smaller doses were needed, and side effects were minimized. The results of the above studies, and the potential for further optimized immunization strategies may prove to be watershed events in the history of Alzheimer's treatment. Covance is a leading provider of innovative antibody products and custom antibody development services to the research community for Alzheimer's disease. Visit www.Covance.com for more in-depth information and to view the suite of products for Alzheimer's disease. Boris Predovich is Vice President of Immunology and Surgical Services at Covance Research Products. Notes 1. J.A. Hardy, G.A. Higgins (1992), Science, 256:184-5. R. L. Fielding writes on many health-related topics.
MORE RESOURCES: When is it time to intervene in the care of an elder loved one? Houston Public Media Cree family worries about 97-year-old elder, needing long-term care far from home and culture CBC.ca Older adults and population aging statistics Statistique Canada Geriatrics Sinai Health Anglican elder care specialist and advocate named to Order of Canada Anglican Journal Senior and Older Adult Resources City of Hamilton CUPE endorses report on B.C. long-term care, urges other provinces to take note Canadian Union of Public Employees Abuse of older people World Health Organization Initiative to address women’s care load in Africa expands with two new projects | IDRC International Development Research Centre 'Failure of government': Nunavut elder care needs to be brought home, federal minister says - CBC.ca Canada’s aging crisis and a call for reform in eldercare The Hill Times Rustad unveils plans for seniors’ care Prince George Daily News MLA presses government on status of elder-care home work Nunatsiaq News Seniors Helping Seniors® Expands to Napa and Sonoma, CA 1851 Franchise Norbert Health and Lumina Care Announce Strategic Partnership to Transform Elder Care through AI Technology Business Wire Quebec is ‘one minute to midnight before a collapse of the elder-care system,’ provider says Montreal Gazette More New Long-Term Care Rooms Open in Mahone Bay Government of Nova Scotia Ageing and health World Health Organization Enchanted Hearts Home Care Sets the Standard for Compassionate Elder Care in Indianapolis, IN openPR Canadian grad's elder care app wins Apple's Swift Student Challenge, earns Tim Cook's praise MobileSyrup Assisted Living Technology Panasonic Former employee of Lawrence elder care facility who was accused of mistreatment and theft pleads to lesser crime Lawrence Journal-World Support for Family Caregiving Gains Momentum ElderLawAnswers.com B.C. judge orders $1.2 million home returned to victim in shocking case of elder abuse Vancouver Sun Free Flu Shot and New COVID-19 Vaccines Now Available Across Ontario Government of Ontario News Sunnybrook Leads the Way: First Canadian Hospital to Achieve Age-Friendly Health System Status Sunnybrook Hospital Automation Solutions for an Aging Society: The Future of Elder Care A3 Association for Advancing Automation With dementia rates projected to rise, northerners call for better elder care in Nunavut Nunatsiaq News The Decline of Nursing Homes Statewide Minnesota Women's Press Elder Care Graduates in Hot Demand in China Sixth Tone Seniors Housing Operating Performance Cushman & Wakefield Vt. auditor praises state regulators for improvements in elder care facility safety - Vermont Public Can Harris’s proposed ‘at-home Medicare’ end the dreaded ‘spend down’ of senior assets? The Guardian 'She was evil': Former B.C. care aide sentenced for stealing from seniors CTV News Vancouver Ontario Building New Hospital in Moosonee Government of Ontario News Caring For Aging Loved Ones: Navigating The Emotional And Practical Journey Of Eldercare (Video) Mondaq News Alerts Georgia State University, A.G. Rhodes Launch Innovative Elder Care Partnership Georgia State University News Kenora site chosen for new Wiigwas care home NWONewsWatch.com Wisconsin will need almost 10K more elder care workers to keep up with aging baby boomers Wisconsin Public Radio News When Elder Care Is All in the Stepfamily The New York Times Opportunities and challenges of integrating artificial intelligence in China's elderly care services Nature.com AMPLIFIERS Series Premiere: Transforming Elderly Care – Insights from Cherish Health CEO Sumit Nagpal Alvarez & Marsal Evolutionary game analysis of building a sustainable intelligent elderly care service platform Nature.com Is leaving my full-time job the best solution to care for my elderly parent? What are some alternative ways to manage work and caregiving? Tatler Thailand Could a robot keep grandma company? UBC IDEA lab experiments with AI for elder care - Ubyssey Online Nursing home workers go on strike for better conditions in New Hope Bring Me The News Our View: Nursing home shortage becoming crisis in state's rural areas Mankato Free Press Elder Care Assistive Robots Market Size, Share Report, 2030 Grand View Research Colonial Heights charges 18 nursing home workers, including director, in elder-abuse case Progress Index Harris proposes expanding Medicare to cover in-home senior care The Associated Press Spotting the Signs of Elder Abuse National Institute on Aging 'Happens to all families.' Elder care experts warn of 'senior slide' during the holidays News 12 Connecticut Child of resident voices concerns over care at Colonial Heights nursing home CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR Department of Aging Governor Tom Wolf Ensuring Families Have the Resources To Care for Older Adults Center For American Progress Long-Term Care, Retirement Home and Elder Care Lodge Resources Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit |
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