This finding helps explain why Alzheimer's is a disease of aging. More importantly, it suggests a new weapon: drugs that give nature's cleanup crew's a boost.
The discovery published in Thursday by the journal Science, was made in a tiny roundworm called C.elegans.
Worms can't get Alzheimer's. So Dillin's team used roundworms that produce human beta-amyloid in the muscle of the body wall. As the worms age, amyloid builds up until it eventually paralyzes them; they can wiggle only their heads.
Then the researchers altered the genes in a pathway called insulin/IGF-1, long known to be key in controlling lifespan. Making the worms live longer protected them from paralysis.
So, in slowing down the normal aging, something slowed the buildup of toxic amyloid. But what?
Why use worms to test for a human disease? They are commonly used in age-related diseases and genetically are similar. Scripps Research Institute and the Salk Institute in California are already on the trail to new drug candidates.
About 4.5 million Americans suffer with Alzheimer's and this number is expected to triple by 2050 as the baby boomers age. The brain disease gradually robs sufferers of their memories and ability to care for themselves. There is no known cure and only drugs used to temporarily retard the progress of Alzheimer's.
Scientists don't know what causes the disease but suspect it is a gooey-protein called beta-amyloid. All brains contain it, but healthy cells get rid of excess amounts. But with Alzheimer patients this gooey protein builds up inside the brain cells and form clumps that coat the cells - plaque that is the disease's hallmark.
"Every pathway we can discover that modifies amyloid provides us with new drug targets", said Dr Sam Gandy, a neuroscientist with the Thomas Jefferson University and an Alzheimer's Association spokesman. "This now opens a new pathway" for developing anti-Alzheimer's drugs.
The bottom line with this research is that the scientists are trying to confirm the belief that two proteins, HSF-1 and DAF16 help clear away these amyloid clumps and make them less toxic.
The hope is to create drugs that boost their effects, and amyloid might not build up in the first place. Dillon said initial drug attempts were showing promise in his worms.
Malaria is the second biggest cause of death by infection on Earth, whilst in Africa it is number 1, claiming 5 million victims per year. In adults if often reoccurs, whilst the resistance diminishes over time. Malaria primarily kills the elderly, pregnant women and children. It is caused by the protozoan parasite and spread by mosquitoes in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. To add insult to injury, it is usually the poorest people that are at most risk.
Felix Andam is a native Ghanaian, where nearly 14 million of his countrymen live in poverty unable to afford adequate food or medicine. Whilst studying in the USA, he was introduced to the health benefits of a new advanced colloidal silver solution that is so new the patent is still pending. Felix started taking this advanced silver solution and has not been ill in 5 years. Rather than using large suspended silver particles (which can cause argyria as a side effect) or attaching the silver particle to a molecule to help it maintain an ionic charge (ionic silver solution); this advanced silver solution use tiny engineered nano particles which have an ionic charge without the need for being part of a larger particle. The tiny particles (10 nanometers in length) are unable to stay permanently in the body, negating the risk of argyria. The combination of tiny particles and ionic charge means that the new advanced silver solution is more effective than older counterparts at much lower concentrations and is completely non toxic to the body.
Felix tested it on his family members when he visited Ghana. The results so impressed him that began to work toward making this advanced colloidal silver available to the poor people of his home country. Felix's main goal though, was to alleviate the suffering caused by malaria. In trials which Felix over-saw, 100% of those suffering from malaria, returned to work within 3 to 5 days of receiving this new advanced silver solution.
But Felix is far from being alone in promoting the new advanced silver solution against malaria. In 2005 the US Congress invited American Biotech Labs (the manufacturer), to testify before a Congressional Committee. Keith Moeller, Vice President of American Biotech Labs says that they were ?asked to go and testify before a Congressional committee because of the fact that we had PROVEN that our product would cure full blown malaria in an average of 5 days?. Keith is very proud of his company's product and keen to emphasise the amount of intensive testing conducted and hard scientific evidence produced by his company. He recommends his company's new silver solution as ?a first line of defense? for everybody to keep in their home.
Dr R Leavitt, Professor of Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Brigham Young University, also said of this advanced silver solution that, ?to date, there are no potentially pathogenic bacteria tested that . . . [this] product has not killed?.
Dr Paul Carlton, former US Air Force Surgeon General wrote that this advanced colloidal silver solution, ?has shown to be a proven wide spectrum anti-microbial/bio-decontaminant . . that can be used to increase the safety and functionality of healthcare facilities in the event of a bio-terror attack or infectious disease outbreak such as SARS.
?In short, we currently do not have anything with such a wide spectrum of efficacy . . . in our inventory?.
The comments submitted by Professor Leavitt and Dr Carlton's about the new colloidal silver solutions effectiveness against a wide spectrum of pathogens are further supported by Felix Andam's malaria trial. Apart from the dramatic results against malaria, the trial also showed amazing success with parasites, sexually transmitted diseases and skin infections. Felix Andam said, ?I believe in silver 100%? and that ?Silver changes lives?.
The new silver solution is also a very cheap way to treat malaria, cutting out the need for expensive drugs. It is produced with extremely low concentrations of silver, just 14 parts per million making it totally safe and non-toxic.
Both Dan Farrell & Charlie Wildish are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dan Farrell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Disneyland Vacation, Web Development and Self Esteem. Do you have a loved one with Alzheimer's? Get Help And Tips With "Living With Alzheimers", in ebook and audio.. Dan Farrell's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.
Charlie Wildish has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Multi Level Marketing and Blogging. Charlie Wildish came across Silver Solution as his partner was suffering from cancer and following a mixed conventional/alternative approach. The Advanced Silver Solution assisted in controlling bacteria released from the tumour breakdown.. Charlie Wildish's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.