Alzheimer's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gets worse over time and accounts for 60% to 70% of cases of dementia.
The scientists and engineers in Northwestern University have developed a non-invasive MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) probe. The technique pairs a magnetic nanostructure (MNS) with an antibody that seeks out the amyloid beta brain toxins responsible for onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimers Disease
Alzheimer''s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting memory and thinking and making the person increasingly dependent on others.
Advertisement
The accumulated toxins have associated magnetic nanostructures and they help show up as dark areas in MRI scans of the brain.
"We have a new brain imaging method that can detect the toxin that leads to Alzheimer's disease," said neuroscientist William L Klein who led the research team along with materials scientist Vinayak P Dravid.
![Brain Food]( "Brain Food")
It is a myth that the brain quits generating new cells once you reach adulthood. They are regenerating all the time.
"Using MRI, we can see the toxins attached to neurons in the brain. We expect to use this tool to detect this disease early and to help identify drugs that can effectively eliminate the toxin and improve health," Klein said.
The conventional imaging method is by positron emission tomography using probes that target amyloid fibrils but these fibrils are not closely linked to the development of the disease, said the study.
The new technology is detecting something different from conventional technology: toxic amyloid beta oligomers instead of plaques, which occur at a stage of Alzheimer's when it is useless to give therapeutic intervention. It is believed that Amyloid beta oligomers is the the culprit in the onset of Alzheimer's disease and subsequent memory loss.
In a person suffering from Alzheimer's, the mobile amyloid beta oligomers attack the synapses of neurons, destroying memory and ultimately resulting in neuron death.
"Non-invasive imaging by MRI of amyloid beta oligomers is a giant step forward towards diagnosis of this debilitating disease in its earliest form," said Dravid, the Abraham Harris Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.
"This MRI method could be used to determine how well a new drug is working. If a drug is effective, you would expect the amyloid beta signal to go down," Dravid said.
Source: Medindia
Brain Food
It is a myth that the brain quits generating new cells once you reach adulthood. They are regenerating all the time.
Advertisement
"Using MRI, we can see the toxins attached to neurons in the brain. We expect to use this tool to detect this disease early and to help identify drugs that can effectively eliminate the toxin and improve health," Klein said.
The conventional imaging method is by positron emission tomography using probes that target amyloid fibrils but these fibrils are not closely linked to the development of the disease, said the study.
The new technology is detecting something different from conventional technology: toxic amyloid beta oligomers instead of plaques, which occur at a stage of Alzheimer's when it is useless to give therapeutic intervention. It is believed that Amyloid beta oligomers is the the culprit in the onset of Alzheimer's disease and subsequent memory loss.
In a person suffering from Alzheimer's, the mobile amyloid beta oligomers attack the synapses of neurons, destroying memory and ultimately resulting in neuron death.
"Non-invasive imaging by MRI of amyloid beta oligomers is a giant step forward towards diagnosis of this debilitating disease in its earliest form," said Dravid, the Abraham Harris Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.
"This MRI method could be used to determine how well a new drug is working. If a drug is effective, you would expect the amyloid beta signal to go down," Dravid said.
Source: Medindia
Foods to Improve Memory Power
Eating healthy nutritious foods can help improve memory power and prevent brain-related illness. Eat foods that have numerous health benefits for keeping your brain healthy.
Advertisement
 Magnetic Resonance ImagingEncyclopedia section of medindia gives general info about Magnetic Resonance Imaging | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Research News
Does omega-3 help Alzheimer's patients? A new form of omega-3 helped restore specific markers of eye health in mice bred with aspects of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Drugs used to inhibit the physiological responses for allergic reactions lessen osteoarthritis risk, revealed research.
The International Space Station will be used to carry out experiments seeking to improve understanding of incurable child brain tumors and the muscle aging process.
How many people in the UK have misophonia? In a representative sample study, most people had at least some irritation upon hearing trigger sounds.
Routine eye-checkups and mass screenings enable early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Late-stage glaucoma diagnosis leads to blindness.