Scientists remove amyloid plaques from brains of live animals with Alzheimer's disease

New research in the FASEB Journal suggests that manipulation of the brain's own immune cells with IL-6 could lead to reversal of Alzheimer's disease pathology

A breakthrough discovery by scientists from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL, may lead to a new treatment for Alzheimer's Disease that actually removes amyloid plaques—considered a hallmark of the disease—from patients' brains. This discovery, published online in The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), is based on the unexpected finding that when the brain's immune cells (microglia) are activated by the interleukin-6 protein (IL-6), they actually remove plaques instead of causing them or making them worse. The research was performed in a model of Alzheimer's disease established in mice.

"Our study highlights the notion that manipulating the brain's immune response could be translated into clinically tolerated regimens for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases," said Pritam Das, co-author of the study, from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL.

Das and colleagues made this unexpected discovery when they initially set out to prove that the activation of microgila trigger inflammation, making the disease worse. Their hypothesis was that microglia would attempt to remove the plaques, but would be unable to do so, and in the process cause excessive inflammation. To the surprise of the researchers, when microglia were activated by IL-6, they cleared the plaques from the brains.

To do this, the researchers over-expressed IL-6 in the brains of newborn mice that had yet to develop any amyloid plaques, as well in mice with pre-existing plaques. Using somatic brain transgenesis technology, scientists analyzed the effect of IL-6 on brain neuro-inflammation and plaque deposition. In both groups of mice, the presence of IL-6 lead to the clearance of amyloid plaques from the brain. Researchers then set out to determine exactly how IL-6 worked to clear the plaques and discovered that the inflammation induced by IL-6 directed the microglia to express proteins that removed the plaques. This research suggests that manipulating the brain's own immune cells through inflammatory mediators could lead to new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease.

"This model is as close to human pathology as animal models get. These results give us an exciting lead to newer, more effective treatments of Alzheimer's disease," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "This study demonstrates that investment in experimental biology is the best way to approach the challenge posed by an aging population to the cost of health care."

Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fasebjournalreaders.htm. The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). The journal has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century and is the most cited biology journal worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information. FASEB comprises 22 nonprofit societies with more than 80,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. FASEB advances health and welfare by promoting progress and education in biological and biomedical sciences through service to its member societies and collaborative advocacy.

Details: Paramita Chakrabarty, Karen Jansen-West, Amanda Beccard, Carolina Ceballos-Diaz, Yona Levites, Christophe Verbeeck, Abba C. Zubair, Dennis Dickson, Todd E. Golde, and Pritam Das. Massive gliosis induced by interleukin-6 suppresses A deposition in vivo: evidence against inflammation as a driving force for amyloid deposition. FASEB J. doi:10.1096/fj.09-141754 ; http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/abstract/fj.09-141754v2

>>>> quote: "I know nothing about the use of No-Doz or caffeine related to amyloid plaque with caffeine. I've never even heard of it. Sound like it could have serious, undesirable side effects. Read this: http://www.the-natural-path.com/alpha-lipoic-acid.html <<<< Sorry about that -- I presumed that you directed me to that website because it immediately followed your statement that caffeine sounded dangerous. SORRY.

I have been taking 600 mg of this every morning.

1000 mg gives me heartburn, but 600 mg works fine.

Whether it is helping with my memory or not...

...I can't remember.

>>>> "I have been taking 600 mg of this every morning. 1000 mg gives me heartburn, but 600 mg works fine. Whether it is helping with my memory or not... ...I can't remember." <<<<

Thank you for sharing, and I'm sorry about the late reply, after I read your posting, I had a difficult time re-locating it in My Comments, in order to reply.

I do fine with 200, and not so bad with 300 -- but two mornings ago I swallowed two No-Doz for 400 mgs. total, and obviously they didn't dissolve in my stomach -- but later on around 2:30 am when they apparently did dissolve, I was WIDE awake, and hypervigilent for HOURS, unfortunately too physically tired to get up and do something useful, but mentally really 'wired.' On occassion, I also get the diarrhea, and once or twice had minor heart palpitations - speeding racing, thump-thump, while going up a flight of stairs, I know its a typical side effect of "too" much caffeine.

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