Are We Taking the Wrong Approach to Curing Alzheimer’s?

One surprising new treatment calls the conventional wisdom into question.

By Sharon Begley | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Jul 16, 2009

« Return to Article

Discuss

Member Comments

  • Posted By: mac101 @ 09/07/2009 10:50:00 AM

    Just one more example of hubris in the medical and pharmaceutical industries -

    we don't know what we don't know. But we are sure willing to jump to immediate conclusions and base billions of dollars on incomplete information.

    We automatically assume that drugs are always the answer, even though we aren't clear what the question is.

  • Posted By: choltrn @ 07/16/2009 10:02:10 AM

    A perfect example of Western medicine and its arrogance. I still maintain the sharp increase in Alzheimer's, ADHD, cancer, and autism is directly linked to the poisons in our food, water, personal care products, and drugs. Even people who think they maintain a healthy lifestyle are exposed to these chemicals through food additives and common personal care products like shampoo, body wash, lotion, sunscreens, etc.

    • Posted By: 2cents @ 08/03/2009 2:32:38 PM

      More like a perfect example of creating a story out of nothing. There were so many more interesting and groundbreaking studies at ICAD than this story about dimebolin. Doing virtually anything to a brain changes the levels of Abeta. There are many forms of Abeta and not all of them are toxic. It is the toxic changes that are of interest - not the simple total amount of Abeta. This study is still in its infancy and we should realize that evn Dr. Gandy isn't sold on it either.

    • Posted By: olderwiser @ 07/16/2009 6:18:02 PM

      Go easy on doing away with the soaps. I remember during world war two when bath soap was scarce and you really could smell the results on the transit bus. Armpits on a hot summer day when things were crowded and the standing passengers holding onto the overhead bar could cause you to get off a stop earlier just to get a breath of fresh air. But I do agree that we have a lot of products that we could do without which seem to have some pretty harmful ingredients in them.

  • Posted By: 2cents @ 08/03/2009 2:25:04 PM

    Wow, the questions surrounding what this drug does are so many it is a wonder how Ms. Begley can suggest that Alzheimer's research may be barking up the wrong tree. Sam Gandy himself has suggested that the drugs beneficial affect may have more to do with strengthening cells' mitochondria than increasing Abeta. The Abeta in those studies was only shown to increase during the initial administration of the drug. What happens over longer times is still not known. It is also important to point out that not all Abeta is created equal. Certain soluble forms of the protein are more toxic than others so having a high level of the protein in the brain does not always equate to brain injury. There is little doubt that Abeta is toxic to neurons.

    The fact that dimebolin was shown in limited studies to improve cognition is not a surprise. It is an antihistamine. It will act to reduce inflamation which is a major factor in Alzheimer's pathology. It is known that increasing the blood flow to affected areas of Alzheimer's brain will improve cognition temporarily - but this is not a cure, nor will it control the disease. Until the actual mechanism of this drug are understood it is way, way, way too soon to call into question any of the repeatable and verified results pointing towards Abeta as a central factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

  • Posted By: MichaelX @ 07/17/2009 2:51:28 PM

    Contrary to popular belief, smoking pot does not make everyone stupid and lethargic.
    It can be an attention enhancer and allow better focus on a lot of things.
    Maybe try it on these patients and see what happens. They will certainly remember a good buzz.

    • Posted By: olderwiser @ 07/17/2009 5:02:05 PM

      Great idea. Alzheimer's to Alzhighmer's.

      • Posted By: olderwiser @ 07/17/2009 5:03:58 PM

        Good way to mask not really caring what's for supper.

  • Posted By: olderwiser @ 07/17/2009 9:51:51 AM

    Drug solutions to brain problems just don't seem to be correct. May as well go back into the Amazon jungle trying one leaf and another until your head clears.

    • Posted By: olderwiser @ 07/17/2009 12:16:40 PM

      Medical Ponzi. Drug cures one thing but creates three other problems. Three drugs fix the three problems and simultaneously create nine more problems, and so on.

  • Posted By: mcbridekevin @ 07/17/2009 12:22:54 AM

    OK but if its not Beta amyloid then why do people with mutations in the beta amyloid get heredity early onset alzheimer's. To say a the action of drug that you have no idea of how it works refutes thousands of studies that implicate beta amyloid is a little silly. Makes for fun light reading but really is a little sillly. As far as claiming that beta amyloid research has a stranglehold and set back research is even sillier. There is a whole camp of researchers focused on the Tau protein but I guess they don't count

  • Posted By: chicka @ 07/16/2009 11:07:07 PM

    Is there a possibility of getting this drug in the U.S.A. now? IF you had a family member with Alzheimers, you would try it like I would for mine.....

  • Posted By: denjef @ 07/16/2009 10:33:50 PM

    Bunch of rubbish- Research Prana Biotechnology out of Australia- no more treating symptoms- this is a cure in the making- for Parkinson's and Huntington's as well...

  • Posted By: Yogidad @ 07/16/2009 10:08:42 PM

    There are many possibilities here. Amyloid plagues are clearly related to Alzheimer's disease because increasing and decreasing has shown an affect on patient's functioning. For example, The conventional wisdom in Hypo-Thyroid disorder was to avoid adding artificial thyroid for as long as possible. Now it is noted that introducing foreign thyroid early slows the onset of hypo-thyroid conditions. It is believed that the auto-immune activity is either diverted or somehow reduced. Similar activity may be involved here. Likewise, adding estrogen can sometimes reduce conditions that are exacerbated by the bodies own estrogen. It ultimately came to light that subtle differences in estrogen molecules accounted for the difference and the added estrogen reduced the bodies own "bad" estrogen. So my guess is it's more complicated than add amyloid and subtract amyloid. To understand it one would have to attempt to address the situation on the level of complexity that the human system actually functions.

  • Posted By: Michael Sheridan - Sacramento @ 07/16/2009 1:09:59 PM

    An article posted July 14 in Science Daily contained information about a very promising new drug, PMX205, that works in a completely different way. I am very glad progress is being made in this field and hope we may soon see multiple efficacious treatments.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090714125000.htm

  • Posted By: olderwiser @ 07/16/2009 9:18:34 AM

    Forgetting the brain, the rest of the body does very well with a proper dose of exercise combined with a proper diet. Forgetting the body, then, somebody needs to find the proper way to exercise the brain. A strong body seems to fend off deteriorating tendencies as we age. Why, then, can't a strong brain, properly exercised, fend off deteriorating tendencies, including Alzheimer's disease?

Reply

Report Abuse

Enter comments if any for reporting abuse