Insights Give Hope for New Attack on Alzheimer’s

NY Times Gina Kolata December 13, 2010

“Alzheimer’s researchers are obsessed with a small, sticky protein fragment, beta amyloid, that clumps into barnaclelike balls in the brains of patients with this degenerative neurological disease.

In this microscopic views of brain tissue, cortical gray matter is shown in yellow, with amyloid plaques appearing dark brown. A buildup of amyloid is the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
It is a normal protein. Everyone’s brain makes it. But the problem in Alzheimer’s is that it starts to accumulate into balls — plaques. The first sign the disease is developing — before there are any symptoms — is a buildup of amyloid. And for years, it seemed, the problem in Alzheimer’s was that brain cells were making too much of it.

But now, a surprising new study has found that that view appears to be wrong. It turns out that most people with Alzheimer’s seem to make perfectly normal amounts of amyloid. They just can’t get rid of it. It’s like an overflowing sink caused by a clogged drain instead of a faucet that does not turn off.

That discovery is part of a wave of unexpected findings that are enriching scientists’ views of the genesis of Alzheimer’s disease. In some cases, like the story of amyloid disposal, the work points to new ways to understand and attack the disease. If researchers could find a way to speed up disposal, perhaps they could slow down or halt the disease. Researchers have also found that amyloid, in its normal small amounts, seems to have a purpose in the brain — it may be acting like a circuit breaker to prevent nerve firing from getting out of control. But too much amyloid can shut down nerves, eventually leading to cell death. That means that if amyloid levels were reduced early in the disease, when excess amyloid is stunning nerve cells but has not yet killed them, the damage might be reversed.

Yet another line of research involves the brain’s default network: a system of cells that is always turned on at some level. It includes the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, but also other areas, and is the brain’s mind-wandering mode — the part that is active when, for instance, you’re driving in your car and you start thinking about what you will make for dinner. That brain system, scientists find, is exactly the network that is attacked by Alzheimer’s, and protecting it in some way might help keep the brain healthier longer.

For example, during nondreaming sleep, ... “ Read More at the New York Times Read More...

Tags: Gina Kolata, Beta Amyloid

Passage of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act signals a recognition from the nation's leaders that a coordinated federal approach is necessary to confront one of America's most feared and costly disease. Read More in the Medical News and The Alzheimer’s Association and Contact the President to Sign this bill into law Read More...

Tags: National Alzheimer's Project Act, NAPA

Tampa, FL (Dec. 1, 2010) — Dynamic regulation of the chaperone protein Hsp27 was required to get rid of abnormally accumulating tau in the brains of mice genetically modified to develop the memory-choking tau tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a University of South Florida-led study found.

Researchers at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute demonstrated that the effective switching of Hsp27 between its active and deactivated states was critical on two fronts — to promote the recycling of the tau protein in healthy nerve cells and to clear abnormal tau from the brain before the protein could clump together into the sticky tau neurofibrillary tangles that kill brain cells involved in memory formation. Their findings were published online Nov. 17, 2010 in the Journal of Neuroscience.

“Our study shows that Hsp 27 may be a double-edged sword depending upon the contextual environment of neurons in the brain,” said the study’s principal investigator Chad Dickey, PhD, associate professor of molecular medicine at USF Health. “By better defining the mechanisms linking chaperone proteins to both the tau aggregation and degradation pathways, we can move toward more individualized, effective therapies targeting Alzheimer’s and other distinct neurological disorders.” READ MORE ON THIS ARTICLE
Read More...

Tags: Tau Tangles

Alzheimer’s disease drugs available today help improve symptoms for some patients, but do not stop or delay the abnormal build-up of plaques in the brain – a hallmark of the neurodegenerative disease that destroys memory.

That may be about to change.

The 98 investigational medicines for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, either in clinical trials or awaiting FDA review, include promising prospects that target the disease’s underlying causes. Some have shown evidence of preventing new amyloid plaques from forming in the brain, while others appear to remove plaques already there.

“Right now is one of the most exciting times to be in the field Alzheimer’s disease research,” said David Morgan, PhD, CEO and director of the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute. “Tremendous progress has been made by academic researchers, clinicians and the biopharmaceutical industry in working to come up with solutions to this memory-robbing disease.” READ MORE at UST HEALTH Read More...

Tags: Johnnie Byrd, Dr. David Morgan, USF-Byrd Alzheimer's Institute

Spinal-Fluid Test Is Found to Predict Alzheimer’s

NY Times By GINA KOLATA Published: August 9, 2010

“Researchers report that a spinal fluid test can be 100 percent accurate in identifying patients with significant memory loss who are on their way to developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Although there has been increasing evidence of the value of this and other tests in finding signs of Alzheimer’s, the study, which will appear Tuesday in the Archives of Neurology, shows how accurate they can be. The new result is one of a number of remarkable recent findings about Alzheimer’s.

After decades when nothing much seemed to be happening, when this progressive brain disease seemed untreatable and when its diagnosis could be confirmed only at autopsy, the field has suddenly woken up.

Alzheimer’s, medical experts now agree, starts a decade or more before people have symptoms. And by the time there are symptoms, it may be too late to save the brain. So the hope is to find good ways to identify people who are getting the disease, and use those people as subjects in studies to see how long it takes for symptoms to occur and in studies of drugs that may slow or stop the disease....” MORE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ON ALZHEIMER’S SPINAL FLUID TEST Read More...

Tags: spinal fluid test

Here is an article worth reading and sharing. People dealing with the ‘beast’ called Alzheimer’s disease are willing to try anything to help their loved ones. The only answer is to accelerate research into the cause and prevention of devastating neurological disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease. Many thanks to Richard Martin at the St. Pete Times for bringing this issue to the forefront. Again, read and share this important information.

'Brain power' pills raise patients' hopes, physicians' worries

By Richard Martin, St. Pete Times Staff Writer

“TAMPA — Dr. Amanda Smith is a specialist in treating Alzheimer's disease, so she's accustomed to desperate families grasping at hope as they watch their loved ones disappear into dementia.

But her annoyance is clear when she recalls one woman who came into the office recently, holding a newspaper clipping touting a product's power to "reverse memory loss by up to 10 to 15 years."

"Did you see this article?' the woman asked, clearly excited.

What she held in her hand was an advertisement for Procera AVH, one of many over-the-counter pills claiming to boost brain power. Containing various herbs, extracts and nutrients (though the labeling usually is not precise), these products are finding their target in a rapidly aging population. They represent a growing share of the $25.2 billion-a-year nutritional supplement industry.

"Clear away 'brain fog,' " claim the makers of Procera AVH, which sells for about $1 a pill, plus shipping and handling. "Guaranteed to support your memory in as little as two weeks or your money back!" boasts another popular product, Focus Factor, which costs slightly less.

"It makes me angry," said Smith, medical director of the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute at the University of South Florida. "I come to work every day legitimately trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's. These people give people false hope."

But is it all false hope? Do the products provide any benefits?” READ THE FULL ST. PETE TIMES ARTICLE HERE

Tags: over the counter drugs, Dr. Amanda Smith, Brain Pills, supplements, Nutritional supplement industry

Faculty awarded $1M in Neuroscience Collaborative grants

April 30, 2010 @ 2:49 pm
Grant recipients represented a wide range of neuroscientists across the USF campus.

A study replicating the hand motions of concert pianists through robotic modeling that may identify the biomechanical factors contributing to hand injury. A project investigating whether aerobic exercise can alleviate the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Development of a beside “brain computer” intended to help improve communication for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

These were just a few of the 13 intramural grants presented to faculty in the USF Neuroscience Collaborative at the Collaborative’s first awards luncheon April 28 in the USF Marshall Student Center. The grants were funded by $1 million in seed money provided by Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO for USF Health and dean of the College of Medicine, and Provost Ralph Wilcox, PhD, USF executive vice president.

Clifton Gooch, MD, and David Diamond, PhD, directors of the USF Neuroscience Collaborative, announced the grant recipients (see list of winners below). The Collaborative, now nearly 300 members strong, was established two years ago to accelerate progress in USF neuroscience research by encouraging the creation, development and support of translational research.

Neuroscience is one of the university’s three signature research programs, along with Diabetes and Autoimmune Disorders and Sustainable Communities.

The Neuroscience Collaborative is directed by Clifton Gooch, MD,
(above) of the College of Medicine, and David Diamond, PhD,
(below) of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“The competition for these awards was quite stiff and we were very pleased with the quantity and quality of the proposals,” said Dr. Gooch, chair of neurology at USF Health. “They represent an excellent breadth of translational research from many domains of neuroscience across the university.”

To assure the integrity and credibility of the selection process, the Collaborative contracted with an outside agency -- The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) – to handle the highly competitive grant review process. The AAAS selected three distinguished researchers in the appropriate fields to review each of the 73 submitted proposals.

Of the grants submitted, 52 percent were from the College of Medicine, 18 percent from Arts & Sciences, 11 percent from Engineering and 19 percent from other colleges (including Nursing and Public Health).

USF Provost Ralph Wilcox, PhD, (left) congratulates one of the grant recipients.

All the grants selected included two principal investigators who were new collaborators from different departments and/or colleges. For example, the innovative project involving robotic modeling of skilled hand tasks, like playing piano, pairs a researcher from the School of Music with another from the Department of Computer Science.

“This is a great start to a powerful, sustainable research initiative,” said Provost Wilcox. “It’s our expectation that these award recipients and all the others who put so much work into developing collaborative research proposals will be successful in moving to the next step – applying for competitive federal funding.”

The Neuroscience Collaborative is facilitated by the USF Health Center for Transformation and Innovation (CTI). For more information, visit www.cti-usf.com

Chad Dickey, PhD, of Molecular Medicine, collaborating with
Martin Muschol, PhD, of Physics, shows off his winning grant certificate.

2009-2010 USF NEUROSCIENCE COLLABORATIVE GRANT AWARDS

PRIMARY CLUSTERS ($50,000/year for two years)

• Aging -- Dr. Brent Small, School of Aging Studies, College of Behavioral & Community Sciences, and Dr. Paula Bickford, Center of Excellence for Aging & Brain Repair, College of Medicine; Nutraceutical Effects on Delay Eyeblink Conditioning in Humans.

• Alzheimer’s Disease -- Dr. Martin Muschol, Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Chad Dickey, Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine; Heat-Shock Complex Effects on Aggregation Kinetics and Tau.

• Mood Disorders and Addiction -- Dr. David Drobes, Oncologic Sciences & Psychology, College of Medicine, and Dr. Marcus Kilpatrick, Exercise Science, School of Physical Education; Aerobic Exercise and Nicotine Withdrawal.

• Movement Disorders -- Dr. Sang-Hie Lee, School of Music, College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Yu Sun, Computer Science, College of Engineering; Robotics Modeling of Skilled Hand Tasks.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder/Traumatic Brain Injury -- Dr. Edwin Weeber, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, and Dr. Stephen Saddow, Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering; Development of a Cubic Silicon Carbide Brain Machine Interface.

• Stroke – Dr. David Decker, Neurology, College of Medicine, and Dr. Keith Pennypacker, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine; Optimal Timing and Dosing of Therapy for Cerebral Edema after Stroke.

SECONDARY CLUSTERS ($50,000/year for two years)

• Dr. Hamisu Salihu, Epidemiology, College of Public Health, and Dr. Lewis Rubin, Pediatrics, College of Medicine; Genetic/epigenetic programming of human fetal brain by tobacco smoke.

• Dr. Niketa Patel, Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, and Dr. Mildred Acevedo-Duncan, Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences; Interactions of cdk7 spliced variants with PKC-iota during glioma cell cycle/proliferation.

COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOP/SYMPOSIA GRANT ($25,000 per workshop, one-time award)

• Dr. Huntington Potter, Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, and Dr. Ranjan Duara, Neurology, College of Medicine; Symposium on Early Alzheimer's Disease.

• Dr. Ana Mieres, School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Medicine, and Dr. Bobbie Vaughn, Department of Child and Family Studies, Florida Mental Health Institute, College of Behavioral & Community Sciences; Establishing Autism Spectrum Disorder Networks.

USF-VA COLLABORATIVE GRANTS ($25,000/year for two years)

• Dr. Emanuel Donchin, Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Jeffrey Harrow, Spinal Cord Injury, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital; Development of a Bedside P300 Brain Computer Interface.

• Dr. Lynn Wecker, Molecular Pharmocology and Physiology, College of Medicine, and Dr. Bruce Citron, Bay Pines VA Health System, Anti-apoptotic effects of nicotinic agonists.

YOUNG INVESTIGATOR COLLABORATIVE GRANT ($25,000/year for two years)

• Dr. Eva Kimonis, Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, Florida Mental Health Institute, College of Behavioral & Community Sciences, and Dr. Maureen Groer, College of Nursing; Subtypes of Callous-Unemotional Traits in “Cross-Over” Youth.

Story by Anne DeLotto Baier and photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications