Path Is Found for the Spread of Alzheimer’s

NY Times ^ | February 1, 2012 | GINA KOLATA

[neverdem]

Alzheimer’s disease seems to spread like an infection from brain cell to brain cell, two new studies in mice have found. But instead of viruses or bacteria, what is being spread is a distorted protein known as tau.

The surprising finding answers a longstanding question and has immediate implications for developing treatments, researchers said. And they suspect that other degenerative brain diseases like Parkinson’s may spread in a similar way.

Alzheimer’s researchers have long known that dying, tau-filled cells first emerge in a small area of the brain where memories are made and stored. The disease then slowly moves outward to larger areas that involve remembering and reasoning.

But for more than a quarter-century, researchers have been unable to decide between two explanations. One is that the spread may mean that the disease is transmitted from neuron to neuron, perhaps along the paths that nerve cells use to communicate with one another. Or it could simply mean that some brain areas are more resilient than others and resist the disease longer.

The new studies provide an answer. And they indicate it may be possible to bring Alzheimer’s disease to an abrupt halt early on by preventing cell-to-cell transmission, perhaps with an antibody that blocks tau.

The studies, done independently by researchers at Columbia and Harvard, involved genetically engineered mice that could make abnormal human tau proteins, predominantly in the entorhinal (pronounced en-toh-RYE-nal) cortex, a sliver of tissue behind the ears, toward the middle of the brain, where cells first start dying in Alzheimer’s disease. As expected, tau showed up there. And, as also expected, entorhinal cortex cells in the mice started dying, filled with tangled, spaghettilike strands of tau.

Over the next two years, the cell death and destruction spread outward to other cells along the same network...

[neverdem]

Trans-Synaptic Spread of Tau Pathology In Vivo

[TigersEye]

btrl

[neverdem]

Ping

[GOP Poet]

very cool. thanks.

[nathanbedford]

ping

[BykrBayb]

Liberalism is spread the same way. All your tau are belong to us.

[Popman]

Bm

[goodwithagun]

Since our brains are made of cholesterol, I've often wondered if there was a connection between the constantly dropping cholesterol level recommendations and Alzheimer's. I know that heart burn meds (not Tums or Rolaids) have been linked to Alzheimer's, and that these meds shut down acid production so that nutrients aren't properly absorbed. Hmmm.

[alicewonders]

That is interesting, thanks. Seems like everyone is on one or more of those medications.

[Traveler59]

Great article, and the hundreds of true medical researchers are to be commended for their long hours and years of work that may or may not create a brilliant medical break through. But each discovery is another step to solving the medical problems that vex us today.

I wonder what Obamacare will do to medical research? My first look at the law show medical research will pretty much end.

[Rudder]

Interesting...but that’s just one study, others to follow, I presume.

[Rudder]

Since our brains are made of cholesterol...

That's like saying a red corvette is made out red paint. Cholesterol serves as the precursor for the white matter--myelinated neurons-- not the whole brain.

[Eagles6]

Do you have links for this info?

[goodwithagun]

I don't, although you could probably do a google search on it, but my dad's new doc gave him the info. Dad started seeing a new doc and this guy wanted a full med history report from him, something that dad's old doc didn't have. When dad told him that he was there for a GERD script refill, and then later told the doc that his dad had Alzheimer's, the doc suggested that dad manage his heartburn in other ways. Dad's not happy about altering his diet, but he's willing to make sacrifices to spend more time with my kids!

[goodwithagun]

I don't, although you could probably do a google search on it, but my dad's new doc gave him the info. Dad started seeing a new doc and this guy wanted a full med history report from him, something that dad's old doc didn't have. When dad told him that he was there for a GERD script refill, and then later told the doc that his dad had Alzheimer's, the doc suggested that dad manage his heartburn in other ways. Dad's not happy about altering his diet, but he's willing to make sacrifices to spend more time with my kids!

[csmusaret]

Researchers at MIT have discovered that Magnesium L Threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier and improves mental function. There is hope that it might also prevent and/or mitigate Alzheimer’s. It is available at Swanson’s Vitamins and other suppliers.

[r-q-tek86]

Ping

[neverdem]

The studies, done independently by researchers at Columbia and Harvard,...

"Interesting...but that’s just one study, others to follow, I presume."

It's two original studies and articles. I linked one at PLoSOne in comment# 1, IIRC. I couldn't find the one at Neuron by Bradley T. Hyman et al. I couldn't find any advance online edition link at Neuron, or trying a couple of other search strategies, one of which gave an author search at PubMed. My guess is that the NY Times writer, Gina Kolata, got a courtesy copy somehow.

[neverdem]

Comment# 1 link's the PLoSOne article about Alzheimer's.

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FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.

[Eagles6]

Couldn’t find anything on this. What scrip was your Dad on?