Word: alkon
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...study published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Daniel Alkon and his group describe a simple test for the disease using easily detected proteins found in skin cells. They claim that their test can provide enough information to detect the disease at its earliest stages, when treatments might be most effective. Even more encouraging, they report that the test is sensitive enough to distinguish Alzheimer's from other dementias, including Parkinson's disease...
...system. This shows up as an inflammatory reaction that occurs not just in the brain cells, but throughout the body. The net effect of this imbalance is a build up of the toxic amyloid protein, which is poisonous to brain cells and triggers their progressive death. In fact, argues Alkon, the amyloid accumulates into sticky, fatty plaques because the inflammatory reaction shuts down production of the non-toxic, soluble form of amyloid that normally keeps the toxic form in check. Alkon's group picks up on enzymes that regulate the "good" amyloid; patients who develop the disease tend to have...
...Alkon has used his test on 60 samples from patients with both the hereditary form of Alzheimer's, which hits patients earlier in life, and the more common, sporadic version that strikes in older age. He was also able to compare his test against autopsy confirmations, which were available for 20 of the samples. Among those, he says, the enzyme screen was 100% predictive...
...Already the Rockefeller group has expanded its study to include over 100 more samples, and is close to testing a drug designed to boost the production of "good" amyloid. "We think we are getting at the core of the disease, at the very essence of it," says Alkon. Only time will tell if he is right...
Philbrick, bow; Alkon, 2; Whitney, 3; Belyea, 4; Casper, 5; Martin, 6; Olsen, 7; Fox, stroke; Horne, coxswain...