From: deputyfife23x@gmail.com   
      
   Down syndrome research untangles therapeutic possibilities for Alzheimer's   
      
   September 17, 2015   
      
      
       
   Down syndrome research untangles therapeutic possibilities for Alzheimer's   
   Michael Rafii, M.D., Ph.D., UC San Diego Health. Credit: UC San Diego Health   
      
      
      
      
   More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Of   
   them, 400,000 also have Down syndrome. Both groups have similar looking brains   
   with higher levels of the protein beta amyloid. In fact, patients with Down   
   syndrome develop the    
   abnormal protein at twice the rate. Results of a pilot study, published in the   
   September issue of Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, confirms the   
   pathogenic role of beta amyloid in dementia as seen in both AD and Down   
   syndrome.   
      
   "People with Down syndrome represent the world's largest population of   
   predetermined Alzheimer's disease. By studying these individuals, we can   
   develop insights into how Alzheimer's disease naturally progresses and   
   potential drug targets," said principal    
   investigator Michael Rafii, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurosciences and   
   interim co-director of the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) at UC   
   San Diego.   
      
   The 3-year study, called the Down Syndrome Biomarker Initiative (DSBI),   
   involved twelve participants between the ages of 30 and 60 with Down syndrome,   
   to study their aging process. The study focused on how soon protein plaques   
   developed, where in the    
   brain they were located and the effects of the plaques on cognition. To   
   quantify how much amyloid was present in the brain, the study included   
   extensive neuroimaging such as volumetric MRI, amyloid PET, FDG PET, and   
   retinal amyloid imaging.   
      
   "This study shows some of the earliest known Alzheimer's disease biomarker   
   changes in adults with Down syndrome and underscores the need for additional   
   studies," said Rafii. "This study will set the stage for the first clinical   
   trial of anti-beta amyloid    
   therapy in the preclinical treatment of Alzheimer's disease in adults with   
   Down syndrome."   
      
   AD is believed to occur from the toxic buildup of beta amyloid. There are many   
   forms of AD that are genetically inherited, including Down syndrome. People   
   with Down syndrome have an extra copy of the 21st chromosome where the   
   production gene for the beta    
   amyloid protein resides.   
      
   The ADCS was founded by the late Leon Thal, MD, a world leader in Alzheimer's   
   research, to promote the discovery, development and testing of new drugs for   
   the treatment of AD. It is part of a larger AD research and treatment effort   
   at UC San Diego, which    
   includes the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, under the   
   direction of Douglas Galasko, MD, and Edward Koo, MD, and the Memory Disorders   
   Clinic, headed by Rafii.   
      
   Studies of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders at UC San Diego are part   
   of the clinical and bench strength of the UC System. In the past five years,   
   more than 130 UC investigators have conducted 350 research projects in the AD   
   field, receiving    
   roughly $339 million in funding support for both basic research and clinical   
   trials.   
      
   Provided by: University of California - San Diego   
      
      
       
   Explore further   
      
      
   One step closer to defeating Alzheimer's disease   
      
   Mar 02, 2015   
      
   Tackling brain inflammation ameliorates Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to   
   a study published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.   
      
      
   Can caffeine be used to treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease?   
      
   Mar 31, 2015   
      
   The proposed link between caffeine and reductions in the beta amyloid plaque   
   accumulation characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggest a possible   
   role for caffeine in AD treatment. The latest evidence linking beta amyloid ...   
      
      
   Brain imaging changes in individuals with Down's may help advance Alzheimer's   
   trials   
      
   Apr 14, 2015   
      
   Researchers have characterized three different brain imaging changes in   
   individuals with Down syndrome, who are at very high risk for development of   
   Alzheimer's disease, even before the onset of progressive memory and thinking   
   ...   
      
      
   Novel approach blocks amyloid production in Alzheimer's mouse model   
      
   Apr 29, 2015   
      
   Offering a potential early intervention for Alzheimer's disease (AD),   
   researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and   
   Cenna Biosciences, Inc. have identified compounds that block the production of   
   ...   
      
      
   Alzheimer's disease works differently in patients with and without Down   
   syndrome   
      
   Jun 25, 2015   
      
   Researchers at the University of Kentucky's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging have   
   completed a study that revealed differences in the way brain inf   
   ammation--considered a key component of AD-- is expressed in different subsets   
   ...   
      
      
   Brain's ability to dispose of key Alzheimer's protein drops dramatically with   
   age   
      
   Jul 31, 2015   
      
   The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is advancing age. After 65,   
   the risk doubles every five years, and 40 percent or more of people 85 and   
   older are estimated to be living with the devastating condition.   
      
   http://m.medicalxpress.com/news/2015-09-syndrome-untangles-thera   
   eutic-possibilities-alzheimer.html   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)