PET Alzheimer's disease[/caption]Carol Forsloff - Drugs designed for one disease have been helpful for others, as scientists frequently point out. For example, hydroxyzine, a medication used to control allergies, has a side value of aiding sleep. Now scientists have found that a cancer drug shows promise in reversing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Statistics show that the average 80-year-old has a 1 in 3 chance of developing the disease. The risk at age 85 is 50%. So finding a cure is critical to reduce the overwhelming costs of caring for individuals who lose brain function over time to the extent that many need 24-hour supervised care. With the aging of the population and the number of baby boomers reaching 65 and beyond, research that shows promise in the treatment of Alzheimer’s is particularly important.
Researchers at Case University’s School of Medicine have found that the drug bexarotene, used to treat cancer, can reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice.
Paige Cramer, PhD candidate and first author of the study is quoted as saying,“When used in mice, the drug was successful in removing the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain — a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — as well as reversing cognitive symptoms and memory deficits. This is an unprecedented finding,” says. “Previously, the best existing treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in mice required several months to reduce plaque in the brain.”
In 2011 Dr Ananya Mandal, MD described a study conducted at Sao Paulo University in Brazil on the use of lithium to treat Alzheimer’s patients. Scientists there found that lithium pills, used in the treatment of certain psychiatric disorders, slowed down memory loss in the elderly and reduced the build-up of damaging proteins that are found in the brain fluid of Alzheimer patients.
While new hope for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is found in these crossover drugs, there is also hope offered by support groups of various kinds. The future of aging gracefully is found in these special ways, as the medical profession, family members and support personnel combine resources to help those who may not otherwise be able to help themselves.