Drug offers hope on Alzheimer's (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

A new drug which shows promise as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease has been developed by UK scientists.

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports the drug, CPHPC, removes a protein thought to play a key role in Alzheimer's from the blood.

Tests at the University College London found the protein also disappeared from the brains of five Alzheimer's patients given the drug for three months.

Longer and larger scale clinical studies are now being planned.

The protein - serum amyloid P component (SAP) is always present in both the sticky clumps (plaques) and the tangles of nerve fibres that are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, and are thought to damage healthy cells.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7989814.stm

[bettyellen]

1. wow! i hope and pray this is the end. AD is the fucking worst, heartbreaking...

[tridim]

2. Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer's

Key Marijuana Compound Beats Current Alzheimer's Drugs in Test-Tube Study

Oct. 6, 2006 -- THC, the key compound in marijuana, may also be the key to new drugs for Alzheimer's disease.

That's because the marijuana compound blocks the formation of brain-clogging Alzheimer's plaques better than current Alzheimer's drugs.

The finding -- in test-tube studies -- comes from the lab of Kim Janda, PhD, director of the Worm Institute of Research and Medicine at Scripps Research Institute.

"While we are certainly not advocating the use of illegal drugs, these findings offer convincing evidence that THC possesses remarkable inhibitory qualities, especially when compared to currently available to patients," Janda says in a news release.

"Although our study is far from final, it does show that there is a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism through which THC may directly affect the progression of Alzheimer's disease."

More: http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20061006/marijuana-may-slow-alzheimers

Let's see if this new drug can beat nature's version.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Or, let's see if they work together -- maybe a synergistic effect? nt

[tridim]

4. It would be great if cannabis could be legally researched in this country.

But alas, it's schedule I and therefore has "no known medical benefit". The government has spoken.