Premium Essay

Cancer Drug for Alzheimers

In:

Submitted By abrcrmbgrl26
Words 664
Pages 3
Cancer drug may have Alzheimer’s benefits
By Laura Sanders, Science News
Publisher:
Science News
Date Published:
March 10, 2012

Alzheimer’s a disease that progressively attacks the brain’s nerve cells which results in many changes in behavior, memory and thinking skills. Scientists have been studying this disease for decades and have yet to come up with any drug that can cure or help cure this disease, until recently that is. Cramer of Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland took a drug called bexarotene and injected it into mice that have Alzheimer’s. Bexarotene has been around for over ten years and is used as a second treatment of T-cell lymphoma. Cramer and her colleagues studied mice whose brains were full of both types of A-beta plaques. A-beta called amylod-beta exists in small fragments that scramble the nerve cell communication and there are large sticky clumps called plaques. The team gave a dose of the bexarotene to the mice and watched over the next fourteen days to see what would happen. Within the first twenty-four hours the levels of A-beat plaque fell by 25 percent and within the 14 days after given the bexarotene the mice A-beta plaques fell by 75 percent. Bexarotene targets the protein that carries ApoE and tries to regulate it from causing Alzheimer’s. ApoE is a big cause of Alzheimer’s as it tries to carry A-beta from the brain. Cramer ran another test of the memory of the mice. Cramer noted that generally when you put mice in a cage with tissue paper they rip the tissue paper into smaller pieces, turning the paper into a softer bed to sleep in. When Cramer tested mice that had numerous amounts of A-beta in their brains their memory to perform the tissue paper test was not as sufficient as the mice with A-beta being transported out. After injecting bexarotene into the nonperforming mice within three days they

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Disease and Disorders

...Written Assignment: Disease and Disorders Alzheimer’s disease Introduction Alzheimer Disease is the sixth leading cause of death in United States, not far behind cancer and heart disease as a cause of death of older people. It can’t be prevented, cured or slowed. One in ten people over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. In 2015, 5.1 million American’s 65 and older will have Alzheimer disease and by 2025 that figure will grow by forty percent to 7.1 million people. Symptoms In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, symptoms are hard to really detect in a person. The tall tell signs are actually happening in the brain, as the plaques and tangles start to attack the neurons in the Hippocampus. As the disease progresses the symptoms become more apparent, the person will have more and more memory loss. As the plaques and tangles attack the neurons in the hippocampus the part of the brain that helps us form new memories. Over time the plaque and tangles destroy the hippocampus, making it hard for those with the disease to remember something that happen 5 minutes ago. As the disease worsen people with the disease will become more repetitive with questions they might have just asked and repeating statements over and over. Most don’t realize they have already asked the questions before. After the plaques and tangles attack in the hippocampus they move to the part the brain that process language process. Person will have symptoms of not being able to find the right words...

Words: 517 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Alzheimer's Disease

...SOURCES: http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/alzheimers-history#3 http://www.dnalc.org/view/794-Background-to-Alzheimer-s-Disease.html http://www.nndb.com/people/217/000165719/ http://www.alz.co.uk/alois-alzheimer http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159442.php http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE * Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.  Bottom of Form * Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older. But Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer's (also known as younger-onset), which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s. * Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years...

Words: 6877 - Pages: 28

Free Essay

Bcom/275 Debate Paper Marijuana Legalization

...Several pros and cons exist to support whether medical marijuana should be or not be legalized nationwide. The primary arguments in debating the pros and cons of legalizing medical marijuana nationwide focus primarily on medical benefits, disease prevention, medical risk, substance abuse, and legal issues. Many scientific professionals and patients claim medical marijuana provides some sort of medical benefits. Although it has been a contentious battle between the states and federal governments to legalize or not medical marijuana nationwide, there are three important points to take under consideration; first, marijuana is a potent analgesic in patients with chronic pain. Second, it is a strong anti-emetic for patients receiving cancer chemotherapy treatment. Third and most important, medical marijuana should be legal, so patients do not have to break the law to receive treatment. Across the nation state organizations strictly supervise medical marijuana to ensure it is grown, sold, and used properly. According to “Harborside Health Center” (n.d.), which is one of the United States largest dispensaries of medical marijuana, “Harborside Health Center sees this as the key for achieving safe and legal access to medical cannabis for all suffering and sick Americans” (para. 3). Physicians should be able...

Words: 2050 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Evidence-Based Practice and Alzheimer’s Disease

...to act “(“Healing Environment,”2011). Nursing turned to an immense expertise where maintaining health promotion is a master key. Health promotion favors the enhancement of health and the setting up of plan for a healthy lifestyle and well-being (Potter and Perry, 2011). Examples of health promotion consist of encouraging immunizations and regular checkups. Risk reduction Many complications can be avoided by promoting risk reduction. By promoting healthy choices and behaviors, the risks of contracting disease are considerably decreased. “In 1993, researchers documented that modifiable behavioral risk factors had contributed substantially to the number of deaths that occurred in this country in 1990” (“The Importance of behavior in cancer prevention and early Detection,” 2012). By teaching and encouraging healthy...

Words: 1321 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Marijuana

...2007, while she was the New York State Senator: "With respect to medical marijuana, you know I think that we have had a lot of rhetoric and the federal government has been very intent upon trying to prevent states from being able to offer that as an option for people who are in pain. I think we should be doing medical research on this. We ought to find out what the elements are that claim to be existing in marijuana that might help people who are suffering from cancer and nausea-related treatments." Point 1: So what do opponents of the legalization of medical marijuana have to say on the issue? They argue that with all the legal drugs available, there should be no use for marijuana. They say that it is addictive, a gate way to harder drugs, injures the lungs, brain, and immune system, and impairs driving ability. However, many of these points could be used to make alcohol and cigarettes illegal as well. Both have been proven to be addictive and harmful on the body.  * Show graph of comparing danger of other drugs * Marijuana is far less toxic and less addictive than alcohol * Alcohol is connected to more aggressive and reckless behavior, violent acts, sexual assaults, serious injuries, and more emergency room visits....

Words: 770 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Women’s Health Issues and What Is What Is Being Done to Ensure Improved Health of Women.

...And some of the health issues that affect both men and women can affect women differently. Women in the United States can now expect to live almost eight years longer than men, but they suffer greater morbidity and poorer health outcomes. Compared to men of comparable age, women develop more acute and chronic illnesses, resulting in a greater number of short- and long long-term disabilities. For instance: • Heart disease and stroke 42% of women who have heart attack die within a year compare to only 24% of men. • Not counting some kinds of different types of cancer for example: Lung cancer (52.4/100,000), Colorectal cancer (35.4/100,00), breast cancer in the United States is the most common cancer in women, no matter your race or ethnicity (118.7/100,000) In 2010 • 206,966 women and 2,039 men in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer. • 40,996 women and 439 men in the United States died from breast cancer • The differences between men and women are equally pronounced for mental illness. For example: anxiety disorders and major depression affect two to three times as many women as men. • Clinical depression is a major mental health problem for both men and women; however, an estimated 12% of women in the women in the U.S, compared with 7% of men, will suffer from major depression in their lifetime. Eating disorders are among the illnesses that mostly affects women but has relatively little rigorous study to date. Up to 3% of women are affected by eating disorders...

Words: 1065 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Should Cannabis Be Legalised?

...Both sides of the argument are strong as they can support their decision, with facts; therefore the government has a very hard choice to make. I think that cannabis should be legalised because it seems to have a lot of good causes, and even though it would appear to have an unpleasant side to it, my opinion would be it has more good causes than bad. Nowadays most young people experiment with some type of drug, despite the fact they are illegal. The most popular would come across as being Cannabis. Some people see this as being extremely unhealthy and that is why they don’t want it to be legal, but Cannabis doesn’t have any direct harm to the user and it would seem to be the least harmful illegal drug you could use. Cannabis is also now classified as B opposed to C. This wouldn’t have had any effect on the public as the same amounts of people buy it illegally. The reasons I think it should be legalised are; Smoking is legal and the mortality rate and the amount of illnesses smoking causes are a lot higher. Smoking can be a lot more harmful to the body as it can cause Cancer and many sorts of diseases such as, Bronchitis and Emphysema. Cannabis is yet to cause fatal illnesses such as smoking does. The government refuse to make smoking illegal as it brings them a lot of tax, so why not put tax on cannabis? Even though I wouldn’t classify cannabis as healthy but smoking anything can’t be good for your body. Cigarettes have a lot of chemicals in them such as Ammonia, which is...

Words: 1354 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Alzheimer's Disease Research Paper

...pre-symptomatic testing could determine if a person has or will have the Alzheimer’s disease . Pre-systematic testing is a type of genetic testing that studies an asymptomatic individual’s genes to look for mutations that may indicate certain developments of diseases—Alzheimer’s . In this instance, Nagele developed a clinical test to detect mutations on the PS1 gene . He draws blood samples from a person—who has a family member with AD or someone who possesses early symptoms of AD—and then places the blood on a glass slide . Through this process, a computer screens out all molecules and looks for ten obscure antibodies . If there are none, the person is healthy—Alzheimer’s free—but if the computer glows, the person has a mutation on the PS1 gene—Alzheimer . Though some argue since there is no form of prevention for AD genetic testing is a waste of time and money. However, an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease may allow an individual to improve their understanding and their families’ of AD, allow relatives to know they themselves are at risk, and develop financial or family planning for the...

Words: 1823 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

353 Epigenetic Analysis

...Studies of 353 epigenetic markers (DNA methylation of CpG dinucleotide) in DNA have made it possible to predict the ageing of tissues. Epigenetics and environment Epigenome generally comprises all epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, as well as non-coding RNAs at any given point in time. The cell epigenome is dynamic and can be affected by genetic and environmental factors. Furthermore, epigenetic modifications can be reversible, which makes the genome flexible to respond to environment changes such as nutrition, stress, toxicity, exercise, and drugs One of the nutritional components in food, which plays a major role in methylation, is folate. Folate can influence methionine production by homocysteine remethylation in the form of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. It has been reported that folate defect or shortage can enhance colorectal carcinogenesis through hypomethylation of genomic DNA. Epigenetics and human...

Words: 376 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Medsurg I Study Guide

...Final exam study guide: Cancer: Know the difference between Benign and Malignant tumors. Classification of tumors Benign neoplasm Well differentiated Usually encapsulated Kidneys have their own capsule so is easier to catch Expansive mode of growth Characteristics similar to parent cell Metastasis is absent. Rarely recur Classification of tumors Malignant neoplasm May range from well differentiated to undifferentiated Able to metastasize Infiltrative and expansive growth Frequent recurrence Moderate to marked vascularity Rarely encapsulated Becomes less like parent cell Check Moles and Freckles Shows differentiation Hair growing = blood supply = no differentiation = CANCER * Know the warning signs/clinical manifestations of cancer. * CAUTION: * Change in bowel or bladder habits * A sore that does not heal * Unusual bleeding or discharge from any body orifice * Thickening or a lump in the breast or elsewhere * Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing * Obvious change in a wart or mole * Nagging cough or hoarseness Know the different staging, grading and classifications of cancer. Clinical staging classifications * 0: Cancer in situ * 1: Tumor limited to tissue of origin; localized tumor growth * 2: Limited local spread * 3: Extensive local and regional spread * 4: Metastasis * 0 – enclosed extremely localzed * 1 – only in tissue...

Words: 2889 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Stem Cell

...that could greatly benefit the medical field. In today’s medical world there is so much that can be done with stem cells whether it is generating new organs or saving an individual with terminal disease? There are already demonstrations of Stem cells possibilities, because treatment with stem cells has already begun. They have been taken from umbilical cords and become healthy red cells used to cure sickle-cell anemia. Stem cell therapy is also being used against certain types of cancer. Stem Cells are valuable due to the fact that they are non-designated and they have the ability to divide and multiply indefinitely. Thus, theoretically stem cells could fix and even replace any damaged or lost specific cells within a body. They are easily found in early embryos, but their numbers variety for development seems to become less in the adult stem cells. The information above is only what we know right now, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. If we know stem cells can already contribute to helping cancer, sickle-cell anemia, and repairing/replacing cells, then obviously the more we know, the more beneficial the use of stem cells would become. These helpful stem cells come from three types of cells, based upon their potential developmental capability. Though each of the types is obtained differently, they can...

Words: 1458 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Alzheimer's Disease

...is the only cause of death in the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured, or slowed? Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. It is the most common form of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1 in 3 senior citizens end up getting Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia in their lifetime. And many of those who have Alzheimer’s disease have not been diagnosed. Today I’m going to inform you on how to be able to distinguish Alzheimer’s disease through the causes, symptoms, along with further prevention, medication, and research.   Alzheimer’s is a tricky disease to find and understand because there are no direct causes with it. Doctor Alois Alzheimer was the first doctor to identify the first case of Alzheimer’s disease. He realized something was different with a woman’s brain tissue after she had passed away from an unusual mental illness. This woman’s name was Auguste Deter. Her symptoms were memory loss, language problems, and unusual behavior. Scientists have discovered that brain damage beings to start around a decade before the patient shows signs of memory loss. The beginning damage appears to take place in the hippocampus, which is that part of the brain that forms and keeps the memories. As more neurons become damaged, more and more parts of the brain are being affected. At the final stage of Alzheimer’s, the damage is all throughout the brain, and the brain tissue shrinks...

Words: 968 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Alzheimer's Disease and Its Link to the Normal Human Developmental Process of Aging

...Alzheimer's Disease and its Link to the Normal Human Developmental Process of Aging Angel M. Perez Liberty University Abstract The cause of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is currently unknown. However, extensive studies using new technology has led to new ways of accurately identifying AD, an understanding of the mechanisms involved regarding the development of AD, and the damage it causes in the human brain. The general population is under the impression that AD is a result of the normal human developmental process of aging. The focus of this research is to dismiss this misconception by providing indisputable empirical evidence to the contrary. This paper looks at the various studies explored by researchers in an attempt to show the factors attributed to AD, a population over the age of 65 that do not suffer from AD, and a population of as young as 18 clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The author also addresses life style, environmental, and genetic risk factors attributed to the development of AD. Alzheimer's Disease and its Link to the Normal Human Developmental Process of Aging Contrary to popular belief, studies show that Alzheimer’s disease is not part of the normal human developmental process of aging. It is imperative that researchers acknowledge that AD is not part of the normal aging process. Researchers must keep an open mind during the research and experimental process, exploring all plausible arguments, in order to discover the cause(s) and/or...

Words: 5079 - Pages: 21

Free Essay

Community Nursing

...well as narrowing down to one priority issue. Interventions, expected outcomes and supporting documentation will be presented. Three priority community health and safety concerns Three priority community health and safety concerns are: risk for increased substance abuse among young adults related to municipal legalization of marijuana, increased access to drugs and drug paraphernalia, and wide acceptance of drug usage; risk for severe injury/trauma of young adults related to age and young male demographic, participation in extreme sports (skiing, snowboarding), accepted culture of risky behaviors involving gravity and hard, fixed objects. And, after completing the assessment of the Summit Community Care Clinic, risk for ineffective management of therapeutic regimen among uninsured and under-insured residents related to the inability to afford healthcare and preventative care due to lack of insurance offered along with employment in many service/hospitality positions. Since the municipal legalization of marijuana possession in ??? by referendum vote, Breckenridge has become a destination for drug usage by adults of all ages. According to Paramedic Chambers of the Summit County Ambulance Service (personal communication 4/15/2011), “it’s [marijuana] use is much more out in the open...

Words: 1078 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Alzheimers Disease

...Discussion of Results 12 Epidemiological information linking type 2 diabetes to AD 16 Insulin-signaling abnormalities in Alzheimer disease affected brain 17 Diabetes drugs in treatment for AD 19 Treatments regimens for type 2 diabetes Mellitus and their potential in treating AD 23 Thiazolidinediones (TZDs). 23 Metformin. 23 Amylin and Leptin analogs. 24 Findings 26 Interpretation of Results 26 Limitations 28 Future Research 29 Conclusion 31 References 32   Abstract Type 2 diabetic drugs could serve as potential in the treating Alzheimer’s disease. AD is a dementia defined by partial or total loss of memory. The risk of development of AD increases with age. Different therapeutic approaches have been employed when it comes to treatment of AD. Results of indicate that diabetic drugs are effective in treating Alzheimer ’s disease. Despite efforts directed at treatment of the condition, the results have not been satisfactory. This could be attributed to the early or late onset of AD pathogenesis while at the same time being underpinned by various mechanisms. There is evidence suggesting the effectiveness of type 2 diabetic drugs in treatment of AD. Research has focused on understanding the possibility of using Type 2 diabetic drugs in the treatment of AD. In this paper, a research review is conducted to expand on the potential use of T2DM diabetic drugs in treating AD. A literature review is being carried out on different papers written by authors. A systematic literature...

Words: 9399 - Pages: 38