Families of Alzheimer's sufferers clamor for cancer drug -- reverses effects of disease in mice

Daily Mail UK ^ | Feb 12, 2012 | Daily Mail Reporter

[Innovative]

A skin cancer drug has reversed Alzheimer's in mice - raising hope that it could be similarly successful against the incurable disease in humans. Now families of Alzheimer's sufferers are now bombarding physicians with requests for the drug, called bexarotene and marketed as Targretin.

In research published in the journal Science, mice were engineered to exhibit Alzheimer's symptoms - such as forgetfulness and rapid cell death. After they took the drug, they became instantly smarter, performing better

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio added that plaque in the mice brains that was causing Alzheimer's had started to disappear within hours.

Six hours after mice were given the drug, amyloid levels fell 25 per cent, and eventually fell by 75 per cent. The effect lasted for three days.

Clinical trials for humans are being designed and should produce results his year, researchers said.

[Innovative]

This is beyond amazing -- I hope it works as well for people.

[HiTech RedNeck]

a true anti-alzheimer’s pill... whoo hoo! even if this isn’t a very good one, it will doubtless be the basis of others.

[HiTech RedNeck]

hey

[American in Israel]

I have heard that phophatidyserene also reverses Altzhimers. Available in oily cold water fish, organ meats and your local health food store.

[matthew fuller]

http://www.coconutoil.com/AlzheimersDiseaseDrMaryNewport.pdf

[FormerACLUmember]

Spectacular results. Immediate humans trials are needed. Bexarotene does not seem to have much in the way of side effects (pancreatitis and nausea in some patients).

[pf flyers]

My mom needs it right now.

[HiTech RedNeck]

If a known nutraceutical actually had this power, it would quickly become too obvious to ignore.

[Monitor]

Thank you, Lord, for inspiring someone to conduct this experiment.

[matthew fuller]

Just now found this- “bexarotene”-
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209144005.htm

[JohnBovenmyer]

It's already approved so shouldn't take long to add an indication if human trials confirm this. However, I warn folks to expect major FDA foot dragging. This is a retinoid, a vitamin A derivative, and the FDA is NOT fond of that class of drugs. They've been attacked politically, both from the left with the tort bar pursuing generally baseless side effect claims against isotretinoin (accutane and others), and from the right because they are teratogenic and those not careful enough to avoid pregnancy have generally gone for abortions. FDA has fought the pregnancies with a blizzard of paperwork and zero results. Strategies that would probably work better are alas not PC with many on our side of the issues. I think the bureaucrats are tired of the politics and wish the retinoids would go away. Even though pregnancy isn't an issue with Alzheimer's.

[TigersEye]

I added coconut oil to my mother’s lineup of supplements and she does seem to be getting better since its introduction.

[goodnesswins]

How much and what kind of coconut oil are you getting your mother to take...my Mom is in the beginning stages of dementia....

[TigersEye]

The recommendation was something like 2 tablespoons per day and she is pretty faithful about taking it. She goes through a 20 oz jar in about 3-4 weeks I would estimate. It was the lowest priced brand of cold-pressed organic coconut oil from drugstore.com. NOW brand.

Are there non-organically grown coconuts? lol

[AnotherUnixGeek]

But he added: 'One obstacle is that the mice may not be a good model of Alzheimer's disease. We have so many things that work in mice and we try them in humans and they just completely fail.'

Then why expend precious research funds using mice as the test subjects? It's undoubtedly easier for scientists to induce Alzheimer's in a mouse than in a primate, but initial findings in primate subjects would have much greater applicability to human beings.

[matthew fuller]

I’m trying to figure out how to give it to my mother- she’s in assisted living, has no cooking facilities, and I’m in another state. How are you giving it to your mother? It is available at walmart as a shortening ($5.98 for 1 lb., 15.5 oz., Lou-Ana brand.)

[goodnesswins]

Thanks...I believe I have some of that in storage in my long term pantry....

[TigersEye]

My mom still fixes her own food for the most part and she puts it on bread or toast instead of butter. She says it doesn't taste bad. Her favorite snack is peanut butter and butter on bread so she substitutes coconut oil for the butter. She will eat a plain piece of toast or cinnamon-raisin toast with just coconut oil on it too.

I can't say I know anything about that brand but all coconut oil is used as a shortening. That one certainly costs much less than the kind I'm getting. It is $10.99 for 20 oz.

[TigersEye]

I think I will start using it too. Maybe I will feel sharper! :-)

[matthew fuller]

I bought a can from WM to try, and I have tried it in oatmeal, abt a tblsp, and it tastes fine. What I have is a semi-solid substance at room temp, but it melts @ 77 degrees. (My mother does not get along well with microwaves or any other kind of stove.)