Alzheimer's 'reversible'
2005-07-17 16:56
Washington - The memory loss that afflicts millions of Alzheimer's disease sufferers could be reversed through genetic manipulation, according to a report in the July 15 issue of the US journal Science.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota who forced mice to experience Alzheimer's-like dementia discovered that they could reverse the rodents' loss of memory by "turning off" the gene that caused progressive brain degeneration, according to the report.
The mice actually regained memory in the treatment, the report said, suggesting that people suffering from Alzheimer's and similar neurodegenerative diseases could benefit from the same type of treatment.
"Most Alzheimer's disease treatments focus on slowing the symptoms or preventing the disease from progressing," said neurology professor and leader of the research team Karen Ashe.
Effects
"But our research suggests that in the future we may be able to reverse the effects of memory loss, even in patients who have lost brain or neural tissue," Ashe said.
The study offers hope to millions of mostly elderly people worldwide who suffer from Alzheimer's, a crippling disease with no known cure.
Ashe's team of researchers tested the mice on their ability to swim through a water maze.
They implanted transgenes - genes which originated in another organism - into mice to force the mice into dementia and brain atrophy, similar to the way humans experience Alzheimer's.
This caused the mice to "forget" how to make their way in the water.
Degeneration
The scientists then "turned off" the transgenes, hoping to halt the degeneration. They were surprised to see that the mice were actually able to reverse the dementia and remember how to handle the maze.
While cautioning on the applicability of tests on mice to humans, the scientists said their research suggests that memory loss can be reversed in the early stages of Alzheimer's-like diseases.
The scientists also said their research indicates that neurofibrillary tangles, tangled bundles of fibres in neurons, might not be one of the key causes of dementia as previously thought. Instead, they might only be a consequence of the process.