Immune system may cure Alzheimer’s disease

Turns out, vessels connecting the brain and the immune system play critical roles in both Alzheimer’s disease and decline in cognitive ability that comes with time.

Scientists at the University of Virginia improved the function of the lymphatic vessels to dramatically enhance the ability of aged people to learn and improve their memories.

Lymphatic vessels are a network of tiny, thin-walled vessels which are designed to pick up the fluid that leaks into the tissues from the bloodstream and return it to the circulatory system.

The researchers used a compound to improve the flow of waste from the brain to the lymph nodes in the neck of aged mice. The vessels became larger and drained better, and that had a direct effect on the ability to learn and remember.

They also determined that obstructing the vessels worsens the accumulation of harmful amyloid plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease…READ FULL STORY

Ultrasound applied to brain may help patients with dementia

Patients suffering from dementia can now be treated with the ultrasound applied to the brain.

Ultrasound waves, applied to the whole brain, improve cognitive dysfunction in mice with conditions simulating vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The research, conducted by scientists at Tohoku University in Japan, suggested that this type of therapy may also benefit humans.

Led by cardiologist Hiroaki Shimokawa, the team found that applying low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) to the whole brain of the mice improved blood vessel formation and nerve cell regeneration without having obvious side effects.

“The LIPUS therapy is a non-invasive physiotherapy that could apply to high-risk elderly patients without the need for surgery or anesthesia, and could be used repeatedly,” said Shimokawa.

Dementia affects about 50 million people worldwide, with 10 million new cases occurring every year.

Shimokawa and his team had conducted previous studies showing that LIPUS improved blood vessel formation in pigs with myocardial ischemia, a condition where there is reduced blood flow to the heart.

The researchers conclude that their study has provided the first experimental evidence that whole-brain LIPUS therapy markedly improves cognitive dysfunctions without serious side effects by enhancing specific cells related to dementia’s pathology….READ FULL SOURCE