New Study May Have Found a Way to Reverse Alzheimer’s Symptoms Within Minutes
An amazing new study, published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, has documented improvement in the brain of a patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease within minutes of administrating a therapeutic molecule.
The researches involved with the study hypothesized that the increased amount of TNF (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), a critical component of the brain’s immune system that finely regulates the transmission of neural impulses in the brain, might cause interference with the regulation. Too much TNF, they supposed, might cause some of the effects on the brain that are normally associated with the Alzheimer’s Disease.
To reduce elevated TNF, the authors gave patients an injection of an anti-TNF therapeutic called etanercept. Etanercept (trade name Enbrel) binds and inactivates excess TNF. Etanercept is FDA approved to treat a number of immune-mediated disorders and is used off label in the study.
The study outlines the “rapid cognitive improvement, beginning within minutes, using this same anti-TNF treatment modality, in a patient with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.” Many other patients with mild to severe Alzheimer’s received the treatment and all have shown sustained and marked improvement.
“It is unprecedented that we can see cognitive and behavioral improvement in a patient with established dementia within minutes of therapeutic intervention,” said researcher Sue Griffin, Ph.D., director of research at the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock and at the Geriatric Research and Clinical Center at the VA Hospital in Little Rock.
The new study, entitled “Rapid cognitive improvement in Alzheimer’s disease following perispinal etanercept administration,” and the accompanying commentary, entitled “Perispinal etanercept: Potential as an Alzheimer’s therapeutic,” are available on the Web site of the Journal of Neuroinflammation.
For more information about Alzhiemer’s Disease and Dementia: http://www.agis.com/Eldercare-Basics/Mental-and-Physical-Health/Alzheimers/
Filed under: Alzheimer's, Research, Technology
Does anybody know if this is true?
If they can get sustained results and put this drug out on the market, it could potentially solve a major health crisis before it happens. Let’s face it, the baby boomer generation isn’t getting any younger, and, as they age, the prevalence of age related problems like Alzheimer’s is going to increase. Alzheimer’s may well become one of the leading causes of death in America if more drugs like this aren’t created and sold.
I would appreciate being on a mailing list of possible treatment for AD.
Nanacy
This drug is already on the market under the brand name of Enbrel.
I skimmed the actual article. It turns out that the authors have been doing clinical trials on Alzheimer’s with particular drug since 2006. Over the course of the trials, they noticed the type of rapid improvement described above in many of their patients. However, they were unable to quantify this with the measurements involved in the study (cognitive function tests every month). This article essentially details one patient case where they were able to document the improvements quantitatively.
From the article, it seems like there is still a lot of research to be done before this drug can definitively be said to be effective in Alzheimer’s and thus gain FDA approval to be used for that indication. However, it seems promising. A side note for anyone considering trying to get their doctor to prescribe the drug for off-label treatment of Alzheimer’s: the method of administration used is a novel method used to try to improve delivery of the drug to the brain and is not likely to be seen in general practice.
Qualifications: 2nd year pharmacy student
I read this article and the accompanying report. Like others, I immediately became curious about the claims the researchers were making, and having a close friend high up in the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Foundation I knew he would be able to get me a quick evaluation from people who would know. So, without naming names, I present their comments to my friend, and hence to me, verbatim:
“This is a legitimate report, however, a strong word of caution needs to be interjected here.
The sample is VERY small (15 people) and the one case that is described is just that, one case. One of the lead investigators has stock in the company that produces the drug and has a number of patent positions in the area. There needs to be independent confirmation from a lab that doesn’t have a financial interest to establish this finding. We need to see clinical studies, random – double-blind studies in large, diverse populations.
And very important is that the mode of delivery is very impractical and comes with a certain degree of risk. (Injection into the spinal column at the base of the neck and spending time with the feet elevated and head down.) This makes it a very poor candidate for use in the real world.”
So… what to make of this? I think every effort to investigate this treatment is a worthwhile endeavor. But I wouldn’t rush to try it. I would, however, rush to explore it scientifically and carefully. Our family members, and friends that have Alzheimer’s deserve not to be guinea pigs; - or experimented on for our own peace of mind (that we did everything we could). Rather, they deserve the best care, the best treatment, all our love… and benefit from clear rational thought and investigation. Let’s hope this turns out to be true.
That is exciting news, it will be interesting to see where this goes.