Alzheimer's drug candidate may be first to prevent disease progression

Salk Institute ^ | December 14, 2011

[decimon]

Salk scientists develop new drug that improves memory and prevents brain damage in mice

A new drug candidate may be the first capable of halting the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's disease, based on the findings of a study published today in PLoS one.

When given to mice with Alzheimer's, the drug, known as J147, improved memory and prevented brain damage caused by the disease. The new compound, developed by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, could be tested for treatment of the disease in humans in the near future.

"J147 enhances memory in both normal and Alzheimer's mice and also protects the brain from the loss of synaptic connections," says David Schubert, the head of Salk's Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, whose team developed the new drug. "No drugs on the market for Alzheimer's have both of these properties."

Although it is yet unknown whether the compound will prove safe and effective in humans, the Salk researchers' say their results suggest the drug may hold potential for treatment of people with Alzheimer's.

[decimon]

Ping

[mo]

Lab rodents....aren’t humanoid...unlike the Capitol Hill and Statehouse species...

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

In the meantime, there is increasing suspicion that the cause of Alzheimer’s may be a mix of a common form of one of five types of spirochete bacteria that often live in the mouth, plus chronic bleeding gums.

Simply put, normally the bacteria could not travel to the brain, but if the capillaries in the mouth are broken, they have a straight shot. They cannot live in the brain, so die, but the brain has no way of eliminating them, thus over time they form the plaque typical of Alzheimer’s.

The solution to this is both easy and cheap. Brush your teeth with common baking soda a time or two a week. It kills such spirochetes in just 5 seconds of exposure. The rest of the week use regular toothpaste, both for the fluoride and for tartar control.

Baking soda toothpaste isn’t strong enough, so don’t bother. Just get a box of the stuff at the grocery, and it should last for many months.