The Caring Corner®

New Research Looks at Reducing Brain Inflammation to Reduce Alzheimer’s

February 10, 2016

Alzheimer’s is a disease characterized by the build-up of proteins and tangles in the brain which break the connections with other nerve cells. A new study believes that there isn’t brain inflammation, but an overactive immune system causing the brain to inflame leading to the disease. Researchers at the University of Southhampton in England think the key to preventing the disease is to reduce inflammation in the brain.

Scientists compared both healthy and Alzheimer’s brain tissue and found those with Alzheimer’s had higher numbers of immune cells or microglia. The microglia cause brain inflammation. The researchers used a chemical called GW2580 to reduce microglia on mice and found that the mice showed fewer behavioral and memory problems. This discovery shows that there is a pathway active in the development of Alzheimer’s. Now, a new drug must be developed and studied to see if it will work in humans. There have been no new dementia drugs in over a decade according to Dr. Doug Brown, director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society. The need to find new treatments is great with the our current aging population.
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