A new method of treating Alzheimer's disease shows promise
Researchers from the Swedish Karolinska Institute and the Danish biotech company NsGene, working under the guidance of Professor Maria Eriksdotter, have received promising results during a clinical trial of a new method of treating Alzheimer's disease. It consists in implanting capsules into the patient's brain that release the growth factor of nervous tissue.
Patients with Alzheimer's disease suffer from premature selective death of cholinergic neurons, the functioning of which requires the so-called nerve growth factor (NGF), which is a group of proteins necessary for the growth and survival of these cells. As the concentration of this growth factor decreases, cholinergic neurons degrade and the patient's condition gradually worsens.
The researchers attempted to prevent the death of cholinergic cells by directly injecting a nerve tissue growth factor into the brain affected by the disease. To do this, they implanted capsules filled with cells producing this growth factor and releasing it into the extracellular space into the basal forebrain of six patients with Alzheimer's disease.
To assess the effect of the released nerve tissue growth factor on dying cells, the researchers evaluated the expression of specific markers of functioning cholinergic neurons. These cells interact with each other using acetylcholine, the synthesis of which requires the enzyme choline-acetyltransferase, contained both inside and outside of neurons. To assess the effectiveness of therapy, the authors developed for the first time a method for measuring the activity of this enzyme in the cerebrospinal fluid. They also assessed the activity level of another enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, which provides the cleavage of acetylcholine molecules.
The activity levels of both enzymes in the cerebrospinal fluid changed significantly 12 months after implantation of therapeutic capsules. In particular, the increased activity level of soluble choline acetyltransferase showed a pronounced correlation with the level of cognitive function, activity of cholinergic neurons and brain metabolism.
The authors note that, according to their observations, therapy slowed the decline of cognitive abilities in patients of the experimental group compared with patients of the control group. However, they note that due to the small number of study participants, it is too early to draw final conclusions and the promising approach they propose requires larger controlled clinical trials.
Article by Azadeh Karami et al. Changes in CSF cholinergic biomarkers in response to cell therapy with NGF in patients with Alzheimer's disease is published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Karolinska Institutet: Promising results for new Alzheimer therapy.
17.02.2015