Promising Alzheimer’s news...

[KauaiMark]

Too late for my mom but hopefully good news/progress for others.

...Mark


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 6, 2011--

“Biomagnetic Detection and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease”. The patent is for technology that will localize, and determine the amount, of plaque and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, the principal characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease. Upon successful development of the technology, early and definitive localization of these effects of the disease by this method will discriminate against other types of treatable dementia while also providing a new method for delivery of treatment to remove these debilitating results of the disease.


...“Dr. Flynn has developed a new way of measuring disease in vivo. We plan to locate and quantify features of different diseases without the need for radioactive substances or high magnetic fields.” Grafe continued, “Using a highly sensitive magnetic system and nontoxic nanoparticles targeted to plaque and tangles, our technology will provide in-vivo detection of these plaques associated with the neurodegenerative disease commonly known as Alzheimer’s.

 

[CarolF]

Some more promising news

Scientists make progress on Alzheimer's vaccine

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-09/scientists-make-alzheimers-vaccine-progress/3721726

Scientists at Sydney University have had success with a vaccine that could ultimately slow down advanced Alzheimer's disease in humans.

They have published details of a study which shows the vaccine slows one type of dementia by stopping neuro-fibre tangling.

Associate Professor Lars Ittner says the study was conducted on mice that were already developing the condition.

"With an active vaccination, it is comparable to measles or so, we could prevent the progression of the Alzheimer's disease pathology in our mouse models," he said.

"The beauty of this approach is it's targeting a protein which is central to the disease rather than secondary mechanism."

The study is being conducted in partnership with a drug company.

More than 250,000 Australians have dementia and it is estimated this will jump to 1 million by 2050.

 

[Carol C]

Thank you so much for posting this news. Hopeful news!

 

[pgnewarkboy]

Detection is a positive step however plaques and tangling have not been proven to cause the disease. They are still looking for the cause.

 

[Phydeaux]

The first one Biomagnetic Detection and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
sounds rather suspect. This statement "..without the need for radioactive substances or high magnetic fields", on the surface appears to diss high magnetic fields, hence my suspicion that this method of detection is bogus. We use extremely high magnetic fields daily to diagnose disease - it's called MRI.

Further, the article is void of discussing treatment once this detection method supposedly locates the pathology.

The vaccine article? We'll see... hope and pray. Alzheimer's is a God damned disease.