News Brief by Caroline
Russell-Troutman:
A drug recently
discovered by UK scientists has been shown to prevent the breakdown
of brain cells in mice with brain degenerative disease, which could
provide insight into effective treatment for similar diseases in
humans. Brain cell degeneration is characteristic of diseases like
Alzheimer’s and causes those afflicted to grow increasingly
incapable of performing daily tasks. The mice used in this study had
a similar disease. While mice given no drugs continued to show
evidence of brain cell degeneration, mice treated with the drug
appeared normal and experienced no apparent brain cell damage.
Despite this success, the drug caused some negative side effects in
the mice such as severe weight loss and increased blood sugar, and is
thus still in development. Though scientists note that the drug is
not yet suitable for human use, the research team leader was
optimistic that the results of these trials could eventually be
replicated in other mammals. Experts further praised the study as an
important step in developing effective treatment for Alzheimer’s.
Reference: Jaslow, Ryan. "Drug Stops Brain Degeneration like That Seen in Alzheimer's, but Only in Mice." CBS News. CBS Interactive, 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
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