Alzheimer's 'is brain diabetes'

[Guest guest]

Yet another reason to eat 'well':

The most common form of dementia may be closely related to another

common disease of old-age - type II diabetes, say scientists.

Treating Alzheimer's with the hormone insulin, or with drugs to boost

its effect, may help patients, they claim.

The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports

insulin could protect against damage to brain cells key to memory.

UK experts said the find could be the basis of new drug treatments.

The relationship between insulin and brain disease has been under

scrutiny since doctors found evidence that the hormone was active there.

The latest study, joint research between Northwestern University in

the US and the University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, looked at the

effects of insulin on proteins called ADDLs, which build up in the

brains of Alzheimer's patients and cause damage.

They took neurons - brain cells - from the hippocampus, a part of the

brain with a pivotal role in memory formation.

These were treated with insulin and a drug called rosiglitazone, given

to type II diabetics to increase the effect of the hormone on cells.

After this, the cells were far less susceptible to damage when exposed

to ADDLs, suggesting that insulin was capable of blocking their effects.

Treatment hope

Professor Klein, from Northwestern, said that drugs to boost

the brain's sensitivity to insulin could provide " new avenues " for

treating Alzheimer's disease.

" Sensitivity to insulin can decline with aging, which presents a novel

risk factor for Alzheimer's disease - our results demonstrate that

bolstering insulin signalling can protect neurons from harm. "

His colleague, Professor Ferreira, from Rio de Janeiro, said:

" Recognising that Alzheimer's disease is a type of brain diabetes

points the way to novel discoveries that may finally result in

disease-modifying treatments for this devastating disease. "

A spokesman for the Alzheimer's Research Trust said that the study

shed light on how insulin interacted with toxic proteins linked to the

disease.

" People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. It

is well known that insulin affects how the brain works, and this

research adds more evidence to the possibility that Alzheimer's could

be a type of brain diabetes.

" The most exciting implications are that some diabetes drugs have the

potential to be developed as Alzheimer's treatments. "

Dr King, of the charity Diabetes UK, said: " We already know

that people with Type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of developing

Alzheimer's disease.

" This study is in its early stages but it is interesting because it

suggests that insulin, alongside drugs that help the body use insulin

more effectively, may protect against the underlying biological

mechanisms associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease.

" This is very intriguing and could potentially help with new

treatments for Alzheimer's disease and shed further light on its links

with diabetes. We would certainly welcome more research in this area. "

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7866022.stm

Published: 2009/02/03 07:45:49 GMT

[Guest guest]

Diabetes and Alzheimer’s are two more conditions helped by exercise, continuing yesterday’s thread about Parkinson’s.

From: Diane Walter <dianepwalter@...>

Reply-< >

Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:47:59 -0000

< >

Subject: [ ] Alzheimer's 'is brain diabetes'

Yet another reason to eat 'well':

The most common form of dementia may be closely related to another

common disease of old-age - type II diabetes, say scientists.

Treating Alzheimer's with the hormone insulin, or with drugs to boost

its effect, may help patients, they claim.

The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports

insulin could protect against damage to brain cells key to memory.

UK experts said the find could be the basis of new drug treatments.

The relationship between insulin and brain disease has been under

scrutiny since doctors found evidence that the hormone was active there.

The latest study, joint research between Northwestern University in

the US and the University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, looked at the

effects of insulin on proteins called ADDLs, which build up in the

brains of Alzheimer's patients and cause damage.

They took neurons - brain cells - from the hippocampus, a part of the

brain with a pivotal role in memory formation.

These were treated with insulin and a drug called rosiglitazone, given

to type II diabetics to increase the effect of the hormone on cells.

After this, the cells were far less susceptible to damage when exposed

to ADDLs, suggesting that insulin was capable of blocking their effects.

Treatment hope

Professor Klein, from Northwestern, said that drugs to boost

the brain's sensitivity to insulin could provide " new avenues " for

treating Alzheimer's disease.

" Sensitivity to insulin can decline with aging, which presents a novel

risk factor for Alzheimer's disease - our results demonstrate that

bolstering insulin signalling can protect neurons from harm. "

His colleague, Professor Ferreira, from Rio de Janeiro, said:

" Recognising that Alzheimer's disease is a type of brain diabetes

points the way to novel discoveries that may finally result in

disease-modifying treatments for this devastating disease. "

A spokesman for the Alzheimer's Research Trust said that the study

shed light on how insulin interacted with toxic proteins linked to the

disease.

" People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. It

is well known that insulin affects how the brain works, and this

research adds more evidence to the possibility that Alzheimer's could

be a type of brain diabetes.

" The most exciting implications are that some diabetes drugs have the

potential to be developed as Alzheimer's treatments. "

Dr King, of the charity Diabetes UK, said: " We already know

that people with Type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of developing

Alzheimer's disease.

" This study is in its early stages but it is interesting because it

suggests that insulin, alongside drugs that help the body use insulin

more effectively, may protect against the underlying biological

mechanisms associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease.

" This is very intriguing and could potentially help with new

treatments for Alzheimer's disease and shed further light on its links

with diabetes. We would certainly welcome more research in this area. "

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7866022.stm

Published: 2009/02/03 07:45:49 GMT