Alzheimer's disease affects almost 4 million Indians and is predicted to triple its numbers by 2050. A disease that impacts basic cerebral functions like memory and thinking skills, it is irreparable and currently has no cure or treatment available. Latest scientific developments involve the encouraging promise of the restorative usage of cord blood stem cells in curing this progressive brain disease.
Neuroscientists from the University of South Florida, USA led by Dr. Jun Tan, MD, PhD, Robert A. Silver Chair and Director of the Rashid Laboratory for Developmental Neurobiology at the Silver Child Development Centre, USF Department of Psychiatry have been bestowed a federal grant of USD 1.5 million in order to assess a new methodology of treatment in a mouse model for Alzheimer's disease using human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCBC) for a period of 5 years by National Institute on Aging. In a mouse model, investigative studies by this team of researchers have demonstrated that immunity can be transmitted using human umbilical cord blood cells, which betters the pathology connected with Alzheimer's disease. Alternatively, additional research work has shown that a particular immune system repression is associated with notably diminished anomalous concentrations of the beta amyloid protein related to Alzheimer's disease."This new NIH study will continue to build on our understanding of the HUCBC's mechanism behind improvement in Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Tan said. "It will help provide a better understanding of brain immune cells called microglia, which promote brain inflammation in Alzheimer's disease."Dr. Tan and his research team comprising of Paul Sanberg, PhD, DSc, Director of the Centre of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, and David Morgan, PhD, professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology and chief scientific officer of the Byrd Alzheimer Institute at USF Health revealed that certain molecule, CD40 on the exterior of these microglia cells is triggered by its partner, CD40L (CD40 ligand) that prompts a series of cascading events that eventually leads to brain inflammation potentially causing injury to the brain's neurons. However, these eventualities resulting in damaging the immune response system could be obstructed by particular antibodies.
In order to reduce the Alzheimer's pathology in the brain, Dr. Tan and his team proposed to examine the prognosis that human umbilical cord blood cells has the potential to diminish the interaction between the CD40L molecule and its CD40 target. A mouse model trial will be executed with genetically altered memory problems imitating Alzheimer's disease as they age.
Moreover, the research team believes that by generating a cocktail amalgamation of the specific molecules would be the fundamental reasons behind the favourable outcomes of the human umbilical cord blood cells in demonstrating its possibility in treating Alzheimer's."We will give the compound to these transgenic mice to assess the possibility of bypassing the need for HUCBC and making future therapies more cost effective," Dr. Tan said. "This approach shifts the focus from treating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease to treatments that slow down the disease or prevent it altogether." Dr. Tan said. "Our long-term goal is to move this combination treatment into phase I human trials for patients with mild to moderate this disease."
Neuroscientists from the University of South Florida, USA led by Dr. Jun Tan, MD, PhD, Robert A. Silver Chair and Director of the Rashid Laboratory for Developmental Neurobiology at the Silver Child Development Centre, USF Department of Psychiatry have been bestowed a federal grant of USD 1.5 million in order to assess a new methodology of treatment in a mouse model for Alzheimer's disease using human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCBC) for a period of 5 years by National Institute on Aging. In a mouse model, investigative studies by this team of researchers have demonstrated that immunity can be transmitted using human umbilical cord blood cells, which betters the pathology connected with Alzheimer's disease. Alternatively, additional research work has shown that a particular immune system repression is associated with notably diminished anomalous concentrations of the beta amyloid protein related to Alzheimer's disease."This new NIH study will continue to build on our understanding of the HUCBC's mechanism behind improvement in Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Tan said. "It will help provide a better understanding of brain immune cells called microglia, which promote brain inflammation in Alzheimer's disease."Dr. Tan and his research team comprising of Paul Sanberg, PhD, DSc, Director of the Centre of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, and David Morgan, PhD, professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology and chief scientific officer of the Byrd Alzheimer Institute at USF Health revealed that certain molecule, CD40 on the exterior of these microglia cells is triggered by its partner, CD40L (CD40 ligand) that prompts a series of cascading events that eventually leads to brain inflammation potentially causing injury to the brain's neurons. However, these eventualities resulting in damaging the immune response system could be obstructed by particular antibodies.
In order to reduce the Alzheimer's pathology in the brain, Dr. Tan and his team proposed to examine the prognosis that human umbilical cord blood cells has the potential to diminish the interaction between the CD40L molecule and its CD40 target. A mouse model trial will be executed with genetically altered memory problems imitating Alzheimer's disease as they age.
Moreover, the research team believes that by generating a cocktail amalgamation of the specific molecules would be the fundamental reasons behind the favourable outcomes of the human umbilical cord blood cells in demonstrating its possibility in treating Alzheimer's."We will give the compound to these transgenic mice to assess the possibility of bypassing the need for HUCBC and making future therapies more cost effective," Dr. Tan said. "This approach shifts the focus from treating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease to treatments that slow down the disease or prevent it altogether." Dr. Tan said. "Our long-term goal is to move this combination treatment into phase I human trials for patients with mild to moderate this disease."