Summary
According to Web MD, new research from scientists in California shows that in Alzheimer's disease patients, the immune system cells called macrophages are not very capable of cleaning away amyloid-beta, a building block of Alzheimer's-related brain plaque.
Original source:
http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/107/108462.htm
Details
New research shows that plaque buildup in the brains of Alzheimer's patients may be related to immune system problems.
Researchers in California recently studied 24 people with probable or possible Alzheimer's disease, as well as 20 healthy people.
Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease gradually damages areas of the brain involved in memory, intelligence, judgment, language, and behavior.
Alzheimer's disease is most common among older adults, but it's not a normal part of aging.
That's twice as many as in 1980, but far less than the 11-16 million cases that the group says could be seen by 2050 due to the aging population.
"Macrophages are the janitors of the innate immune system, gobbling up waste products in the brain and throughout the body," says researcher Milan Fiala, MD, in a news release.
Fiala works in the medical school of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as the Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center.
Macrophages from healthy participants were up to the task, but those from Alzheimer's patients couldn't clean up adequately.
"If further study shows that this defective macrophage function is present in most Alzheimer's disease patients, new hormonal or immune-boosting approaches may offer new approaches to treating the disease," says Fiala.
He says the immune system glitch may also be present in other diseases involving a buildup of waste and plaques, such as heart disease and Gaucher disease, a rare metabolic condition.
Fiala and colleagues are currently doing lab tests with a naturally occurring hormone called insulin-like growth factor.
They also plan to investigate other natural substances, such as curcumin, a chemical in the curry spice turmeric, says the news release.
Curcumin has shown potential against
Alzheimer's disease and cancer in other experiments on mice.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher, author and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he is well known as the creator of popular downloadable preparedness programs on financial collapse, emergency food storage, wilderness survival and home defense skills. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He's also a noted pioneer in the email marketing software industry, having been the first to launch an HTML email newsletter technology that has grown to become a standard in the industry. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body.
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Sunday, June 19, 2005
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