Early detection of Alzheimer’s
A team of scientists and engineers from Northwestern Univ. in Evanston, Illinois, published the results of their study on an early Alzheimer’s detection method in the science journal Nature Nanotechnology last week. The study, titled “Towards non-invasive diagnostic imaging of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease,” promises to develop something that does not now exist: early detection of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Using noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers say they can now detect signs of Alzheimer’s in a living animal. Their press release says that a probe they developed “pairs a magnetic nanostructure (MNS) with an antibody that seeks out the amyloid beta brain toxins responsible for onset of the disease.”
It means they can see on an MRI the amyloid beta toxins (also called oligomers) that attach to the brain and gradually cause Alzheimer’s, and they can see the toxins long before any symptoms of the illness manifest themselves.
“We have a new brain imaging method that can detect the toxin that leads to Alzheimer’s disease,” neuroscientist Dr. William L. Klein said in the press release. “Using MRI, we can see the toxins attached to neurons in the brain.
“We expect to use this tool to detect this disease early,” he added. “And to help identify drugs that can effectively eliminate the toxin and improve health.”
Another scientist involved with the research is Dr. Vinayak P. Dravid, a Professor of Materials, Science and Engineering. He speaks of the early detection benefits of their research, and how it should be helpful in determining the efficacy of medications.
“Non-invasive imaging by MRI of amyloid beta oligomers is a giant step forward towards diagnosis of this debilitating disease in its earliest form,” said Dr. Dravid. “This MRI method could be used to determine how well a new drug is working. If a drug is effective, you would expect the amyloid beta signal to go down.”
Alzheimer’s breakthrough on horizon?
Other developments in the battle with Alzheimer’s includes a drug called Namzaric getting approval from the FDA in December. Namzaric combines two existing medications, memantine hydrochloride and donepezil hydrochloride, often used together, in separate pills, by patients anyhow. Not only will patients have one less pill to take, data has shown cognition improvement when they are taken together rather than separately.
And in November, a potential breakthrough was announced by researcher Dr. Joy Yu of the U.S. biotechnology company Genentech Inc.. Dr. Yu said they found a way of attaching antibodies to something called transferrin, which takes iron into the brain.
Antibodies delivered to the brain could prevent a build-up of those amyloid beta toxins, which is what is stopping neurons in the brain from firing, which in turn is what causes Alzheimer’s Disease. That research has shown great promise and is ongoing.
Alzheimer’s MRI probe therapeutic
The researchers from Northwestern note that the MRI probe that helps to detect Alzheimer’s may also have a therapeutic effect. When they studied animals with Alzheimer’s who’d had the MRI probe, they found their behaviour improved, they said.
Their research is also ongoing and they do not have a time-frame on when their methods will be readily available for use by medical practitioners.
