Brain cells recover after Alzheimer's plaques removed

[HuckleB]

Brain cells recover after Alzheimer's plaques removed

http://record.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/4661.html

"Brain cells in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease have surprised scientists with their ability to recuperate after the disorder's characteristic brain plaques are removed.

University researchers injected mice with an antibody for a key component of brain plaques, the amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide. In areas of the brain where antibodies cleared plaques, many of the swellings previously observed on nerve cell branches rapidly disappeared.

"These swellings represent structural damage that seemed to be well-established and stable, but clearing out the plaques often led to rapid recovery of normal structure over a few days," said senior author David H. Holtzman, M.D., the Charlotte and Paul Hagemann Professor and head of the Department of Neurology. "This provides confirmation of the potential benefits of plaque-clearing treatments and also gets us rethinking our theories on how plaques cause nerve cell damage."

Prior to the experiment, scientists had regarded plaque damage to nerve cells as a fait accompli — something that the plaques only needed to inflict on nerve cells once.

..."

[Zebulon]

1. So where do you go for brain plaque removal?

A mentist?

[Psephos]

4. No, you can remove the plaque yourself with mental floss n/t

[DoBotherMe]

2. That is exciting news!

Alzheimer's may be reversible. D ; )

[davidwparker]

3. Thank you, God. Whatever these scientist are working

with -- stems cells, whatever -- they need more it. I certainly believe God has, in nature, given us all we need to fight the diseases that we have. It's a shame the * administration wants to revert to the dark ages.

[Digit]

5. My cousin was diagnosed at Mayo Clinic with A & she is only 51.

She had been having memory problems for a couple of years and lost her job because of it. It seemed to begin with a traffic accident where she was rear-ended. The Mayo clinic finally confirmed the diagnosis. I have no idea if these two things could be related.

[seventythree]

6. anesthesia

-- based only an anecdotes, we are thinking that anesthetics hasten Alzheimer's. Wonder if it could impact the plaque. Anyone else have thoughts, or have witnessed a decline after surgeries?