Applying Existing Medications To Alzheimer's

SAN FRANCISCO, Sep. 6, 2007 (KGO) (KGO) -- There is encouraging medical news in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

Research published in the journal "Neuron" highlights the work of San Francisco scientists.

In the near future, medicine already available for other conditions could be used for Alzheimer's.

The men and women at "The Adult Day Health Care Center" in Berkeley are among the estimated 5 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease.

"Now something that actually treats the cause of it would be incredibly exciting. I mean it would be, well, wonderful," said Caroline Kingsley, Alzheimer's Services, East Bay.

Scientists may be one step closer. They have long known that something called amyloid protein build up in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

Now, researchers at the Gladstone Institute in San Francisco have made a discovery about the possible role of amyloids.

For three years, they studied the brain system of mice that were genetically altered with the protein.

"We were very surprised to find that these amyloid proteins actually do not just shut the system down," said Lennart Mucke, M.D., Gladstone Institute. "In actuality, what we found is that it stimulated the network in abnormal ways."

In fact, the mice suffered what scientists describe as "silent seizures." They're not outwardly visible, but picked up by sophisticated brain scans.

"The idea is that having these intermittent interferences, it is hard to retrieve memories, to lay down new memories, to learn, and think," said Mucke.

Dr. Mucke is lead author of the study. He believes if humans are suffering those same silent seizures, there could be a treatment already on the shelf.

Drugs that epilepsy patients use to prevent seizures could be the solution.

More research is needed, but eventually the medicine might prove helpful, especially in the early stages of Alzheimer's..

"And there is even a good chance that one might stall the progression of the disease," said Mucke.

Any breakthrough would likely come too late for these patients, but the center's director is still applauding the research.

"For the next generation and for many of us going forward, as we age who are very concerned and nervous about memory loss, then I'm like hooray," said Micheal Pope, Alzheimer's Services, East Bay.

The next step is a follow up study with human subjects. Those clinical trails could be just a year or two away.

More information can be found below:

Gladstone Institute Alzheimer's Research

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