Originally published July 30 2005
Brain damage caused by Alzheimer's could be reversed
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Recent tests performed on mice by University of Minnesota researchers shows that brain damage in Alzheimer's patients might be reversed.
Recent tests performed on mice by University of Minnesota researchers shows that brain damage brought on by Alzheimer's disease could be partially reversible.
The researchers bred the mice to develop a form of dementia that mimics the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
These mice were also equipped with a gene that can be "turned off."
Researchers noted that Alzheimer's disease is brought on when the brain cells that process memory and information degenerate and die.
This process is often coupled with the accumulation of amyloid plaque on nerve cells and tangles of protein, also known as 'tau.'
Scientists believe the tau protein is responsible for nerve cell degeneration and death.
After shutting down the tau protein, researchers noted that not only did dementia in mice stop progressing, the mice actually regained some cognitive abilities.
Most notably, the mice were actually able to navigate through a complicated maze previously thought to be too complicated for their level of brain activity.
Lead researcher Karen Ashe commented, "even mice that had lost half the neurons that are involved in forming memories, when we removed the molecule causing the memory loss from the remaining neurons by turning off the genes, the mice were able to learn and remember new information," continuing, "no one suspected so many neurons would still be able to function."
William Thies, vice president for medical affairs at the Alzheimer's Association, believes that although the application of this technique in humans is much further down the road, at least there is the possibility of Alzheimer's patients improving.
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