Latest news with #Alzheimer's-like
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Alzheimer's disease: Common herbs used in the kitchen could help slow down the progression of the disease, study finds
Imagine a common sprig of rosemary or sage gracing your roast chicken! Now, imagine that this modest herb may harbor a powerful ally in the fight against Alzheimer's. Yes, that's right. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Recent breakthroughs spotlight a compound called carnosic acid, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powerhouse present in these kitchen staples. In its natural form, carnosic acid is unstable, yet innovative science has transformed it into a stabilized prodrug, diAcCA, capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and selectively activating in damaged, inflamed brain cells. While still in the pre-clinical stages, this discovery lights a spark of hope, hinting that everyday herbs might play a role in slowing, or even preventing, cognitive decline. What does the study say? In a recent study published in the journal Antioxidants, researchers from the Scripps Research Institute discovered a compound called carnosic acid – found in rosemary and sage – with impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They suggest that this compound could be beneficial for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's. Researchers Piu Banerjee and Dr. Stuart Lipton shared their findings with Fox News Digital. They said, 'In this study, we observed that administering this drug to mice that had advanced Alzheimer's-like disease significantly improved the number of neurons, as well as the number of synapses or connections between the brain cells.' They also noted, 'It reduced inflammation caused by current anti-amyloid antibody therapies and improved learning and memory behavior in the mice that received the drug.' Banerjee explained that carnosic acid is a 'prodrug,' meaning it's inactive until it enters the body, where it gets activated by oxidative and inflammatory stress. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'It specifically targets cells undergoing oxidative and inflammatory stress, without affecting healthy, normal brain cells,' she added. This makes it a safer option for treatment. The researchers believe carnosic acid might help reduce inflammation in aging brains. However, they urge caution. Courtney Kloske, director of scientific engagement for the Alzheimer's Association, stressed that while studying mice helps us understand the disease, we really need to conduct human studies for a complete picture. 'These findings are intriguing, but more research is needed to see how these compounds affect people living with or at risk for Alzheimer's,' she advised. Banerjee and Lipton also noted that just cooking with sage and rosemary won't deliver the same anti-inflammatory benefits. "Critically, one cannot take sufficient herbs safely to produce the same effect as our new drug,' Banerjee explained. Kloske added, 'At this point, no one should consume these herbs or carnosic acid to prevent or treat Alzheimer's or other cognitive impairments.' Origins and key compound: Carnosic acid in rosemary and sage Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and sage have both storied reputations—ancient scholars hung rosemary in their robes to boost memory. Modern research confirms that carnosic acid, alongside carnosol and rosmarinic acid, provides potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that can reach the brain. These compounds activate the Nrf2 pathway, which spurs the production of endogenous enzymes that combat oxidative stress – one of Alzheimer's disease's key drivers. From kitchen to Lab: Creating diAcCA Carnosic acid's instability limited its therapeutic potential – until researchers at Scripps created diAcCA, an acetylated prodrug version. When consumed, diAcCA converts into its active form in the gut, crossing into the bloodstream and, crucially, the brain. In mouse models mimicking Alzheimer's (5xFAD strain), three months of diAcCA treatment led to restoration of memory and learning to near-normal levels, increased synaptic density in hippocampal circuits, and reduced neuroinflammation and diminished amyloid-β and phosphorylated tau accumulation. These results were consistent across behavioral tasks, histology, and biochemistry, with no observed toxicity. Mechanisms at work: A multi-front attack diAcCA (and its metabolite carnosic acid) appear to combat Alzheimer's via several reinforcing mechanisms: Antioxidant defense: Activates Nrf2, turning on protective genes that tackle oxidative stress and stabilize cell redox balance. Anti‑inflammatory action: Blocks cytokine release (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF‑α) and inhibits inflammasome activation, reducing harmful microglial activity. Neurotrophic support: Boosts nerve growth factor, BDNF, and synaptic resilience. Cholinergic enhancement: Rosemary's 1,8‑cineole component inhibits acetylcholinesterase, helping sustain acetylcholine levels vital for memory. Reduced neurotoxic proteins: Helps clear amyloid‑β and tau aggregates via synaptic and inflammatory pathways. The future ahead: While diAcCA hasn't yet been tested in people, several encouraging signals emerge: FDA classifies carnosic acid as 'Generally Recognized as Safe', which may speed early‑stage trials. diAcCA appears well tolerated in mice, with even digestive system benefits, while smaller human trials using rosemary/sage extracts showed improved cognitive speed and memory performance in older adults. Meta‑analyses of animal studies reflect moderate‑to‑strong cognitive gains from rosemary extract. Banerjee expressed hope for the future, stating, 'I hope our drug will start human clinical trials soon. If it proves to be effective, it will be a great new drug for those suffering from Alzheimer's. We are cautiously optimistic for its success in human clinical trials!' Reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease linked to target protein for diabetes, as per a study
New York Post
28-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
This common kitchen herb ingredient could help target or slow Alzheimer's
Experts believe they've identified a chemical compound in certain herbs that could help mitigate or prevent Alzheimer's disease — but before anyone makes a run for the spice rack, there are a few catches. In a study published in the journal Antioxidants earlier this year, researchers from the Scripps Research Institute identified a compound called carnosic acid, which is prevalent in rosemary and sage. Advertisement The compound could prove therapeutic for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, the experts concluded. Carnosic acid contains 'striking antioxidant [and] anti-inflammatory properties,' the researchers wrote in the findings. Scripps Research postdoctoral associate Piu Banerjee and board-certified neurologist Dr. Stuart Lipton, based in California, spoke with Fox News Digital about the results. 'In this study, we observed that administering this drug to mice that had advanced Alzheimer's-like disease significantly improved the number of neurons, as well as the number of synapses or connections between the brain cells,' the team said. Advertisement 4 Experts believe they've identified a chemical compound, carnosic acid, in certain herbs like rosemary and sage that could help mitigate or prevent Alzheimer's disease. Brent Hofacker – The experts added, 'It also reduced inflammation that is caused by the current anti-amyloid antibody therapies. We also observed an improvement in the learning and memory behavior of the mice that received the drug.' Banerjee and Lipton also noted that carnosic acid is a 'prodrug,' meaning it's inactive at first — but once it enters the body, it's activated by oxidative and inflammatory stress. 'It specifically targets cells undergoing oxidative and inflammatory stress, without affecting the healthy, normal brain cells,' Banerjee said. Advertisement 'This further makes it a safe option for therapeutics.' The experts agreed that carnosic acid could potentially improve the inflammation that generally occurs in most aging brains. There are cautions, however. Advertisement Courtney Kloske, director of scientific engagement for the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association, told Fox News Digital that studies based on a mouse model of Alzheimer's can be helpful but are not conclusive. 4 Experts say carnosic acid could improve inflammation occurring in most aging brains. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – 'Models are important in helping us understand the basic biology of the disease, but we need human studies in representative populations for ideas to be fully validated,' Kloske said. 'Therefore, while these are intriguing findings, more research is needed to understand the impacts and outcomes of these compounds on people living with, or at risk for, Alzheimer's.' Cooking sage and rosemary won't provide the full anti-inflammatory effects, Banerjee and Lipton stressed. 4 'We need human studies in representative populations for ideas to be fully validated,' Courtney Kloske, director of scientific engagement for the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association, says about the limitations of the information. – 'Critically, one cannot take sufficient herbs safely to produce the same effect as our new drug,' Banerjee said. The study, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged. Advertisement Kloske advised that, at this point, 'no one should consume these herbs (or carnosic acid) to prevent or treat Alzheimer's or other cognitive impairment.' 4 According to Scripps Research postdoctoral associate Piu Banerjee and board-certified neurologist Dr. Stuart Lipton, cooking sage and rosemary won't provide the full anti-inflammatory effects. Ganna – Dr. Lee Murray, a neurologist in Jackson, Tennessee, echoed Kloske's concerns. 'Before patients start incorporating rosemary and sage in every dish they eat, we need to remember these studies are pre-clinical,' Murray told Fox News Digital. Advertisement 'Currently, there is insufficient clinical evidence to recommend rosemary and sage as a standard therapy for Alzheimer's dementia.' Murray, however, said the data 'is encouraging' and opens the door to additional pathways for potential therapeutics. Banerjee said she hopes that 'our drug will start human clinical trials soon.' She added, 'If it proves to be effective, it will be a great new drug for those suffering from Alzheimer's … From the results of our animal studies, we are cautiously optimistic for its success in human clinical trials.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Scientists Discover Molecule That Blocks Aging And Dementia in Mice
Scientists are looking at ways to tackle Alzheimer's and dementia from all kinds of angles, and a new study has identified the molecule hevin (or SPARCL-1) as a potential way of preventing cognitive decline. Hevin is a protein naturally produced in the brain by cells called astrocytes. These support-worker cells look after the connections or synapses between neurons, and it's thought that hevin plays a role in this essential work. In this new study, researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the University of São Paulo in Brazil boosted hevin production in the brains of both healthy mice and those with an Alzheimer's-like disease. That hevin overload worked wonders: over six months of testing, the treated mice demonstrated better memory and learning capability than untreated animals, while brain scans showed improved neuron communication across synapses. "Hevin is a well-known molecule involved in neural plasticity," says neurobiologist Flávia Alcantara Gomes from UFRJ. "We found that the overproduction of hevin is capable of reversing cognitive deficits in aged animals by improving the quality of synapses in these rodents." Further analysis showed that the additional hevin in the mouse brains was triggering the production of other proteins related to synapse health. It seems hevin isn't working alone when it comes to maintaining neuron connectivity. The research team also looked at the wider context, digging into publicly available health data to find that hevin levels in the brains of Alzheimer's patients were lower than normal. That suggests hevin and astrocytes do have a role to play in the disease. "The originality lies in understanding the role of the astrocyte in this process," says Gomes. "We've taken the focus away from neurons, shedding light on the role of astrocytes, which we've shown could also be a target for new treatment strategies for Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment." It will take a significant amount of time to go from lab tests in mice to actual treatments that people with dementia are able to take, of course, but it's a promising start – and eventually, treatments based on these findings could complement other drugs. Many of the treatments currently being explored for Alzheimer's look to tackle the toxic protein clumps that build up in the brain, but those protein bundles aren't targeted by hevin. In fact, the new research showed hevin had no impact on plaque build-up, which could support the emerging idea that they aren't a 'cause'. "Although there's still no consensus among researchers, I work with the hypothesis that the formation of beta-amyloid plaques isn't the cause of Alzheimer's," says Felipe Cabral-Miranda, biomedical scientist at UFRJ. "And the results of the study, by providing proof of concept for a molecule that can reverse cognitive decline without affecting beta-amyloid plaques, support the hypothesis that these, although involved in the mechanisms of the pathology, aren't enough to cause Alzheimer's." It's a complex picture, and while we're still not sure how Alzheimer's disease gets started in the brain, it's probable that numerous factors are involved. That means any potential treatment or prevention is going to need to be complex as well. "Of course, in the future it'll be possible to develop drugs that have the same effect as hevin," says Gomes. "For now, however, the fundamental benefit of this work is a deeper understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and the aging process." The research has been published in Aging Cell. Your Coffee May Not Even Need Caffeine to Wake You Up Your Stress Could Be a Hidden Trigger For Future Dementia Over 2 Million Americans Went 'Missing' During 2020 And 2021
Daily Maverick
13-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Maverick
Alzheimer's: certain combinations of prescription drugs may slow progression of the disease, says mice study
However, our study also revealed that in female mice, certain prescription drug combos actually sped up the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Millions of older adults take five or more prescription drugs every day to manage chronic illnesses. While polypharmacy is often necessary, this practice has also been linked to many negative health outcomes in older adults – including memory problems, increased risk of falls and greater frailty. The most common prescription drugs involved in polypharmacy are those used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression. Importantly, these same conditions are also known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. This raises an important question: could polypharmacy have any influence on the progression of Alzheimer's disease? Our recent research in mice suggests that certain prescription drugs combinations might actually have a positive effect on memory and signs of Alzheimer's disease. However, these effects appeared to differ depending on whether the mouse was male or female. To better understand how polypharmacy may affect Alzheimer's disease, we designed an experiment using mice that were genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's-like brain changes. These mice had amyloid plaques – clumps of protein in the brain that, with time, are linked with memory loss and considered a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease . We tested two different combinations of five commonly prescribed drugs, including: analgesics (painkillers), antithrombotics (to prevent blood clots), lipid-modifying agents (such as statins, which lower cholestrol), beta-blockers (which help controlling arrythmias and hypertension) and Ace inhibitors (used to treat cardiovascular conditions), as well as antidepressants. Both groups of mice were given paracetamol, aspirin, an antidepressant, a statin and a blood pressure drug. The only differences between the two groups were the specific types of statin and cardiovascular drugs used. The first group were given simvastatin and metoprolol, while the second group was given atorvastatin and enalapril. We gave these prescription drug combinations to both male and female mice. We then tested their memory, examined their brains for signs of disease and analysed blood samples for disease-related markers. Our findings showed that polypharmacy has both positive and negative effects on Alzheimer's disease progression. The effects largely depended on which specific drug combinations were used as well as the sex of the mice. The first drug combination had beneficial effects in male mice. These mice showed better memory, reduced signs of Alzheimer's pathology in the brain (such as the number and size of amyloid plaques) and fewer signs of the disease in their blood. This suggested that polypharmacy delayed the progression of Alzheimer's disease. In females, however, the same combination had very little to no effect on signs and symptoms of the disease. But for the mice in the second combination group, the results were different. The benefits previously seen in males disappeared. In female mice, their memory worsened. We also looked at what happened when some of the drugs were taken on their own. In some cases, they had beneficial effects for the female mice – improving memory and signs of Alzheimer's disease in the brain. For instance, the statin simvastatin improved memory and reduced signs of brain inflammation in female mice when the drug was taken on its own. Polypharmacy and brain health These results show how complex the effects of polypharmacy can be, especially in the context of a brain disease such as Alzheimer's. They also suggest that men and women may respond differently to certain drug combinations. This is not surprising. Biological sex is known to influence how drugs are absorbed and metabolised and their effect on the body. When it comes to polypharmacy, these differences can become more pronounced, having an even stronger effect on drug safety and efficacy. This could partly help explain why the same drug combinations had very different effects in the male and female mice in our study. Other possible explanations for why certain drug combinations only improved signs and symptoms of the disease in male mice include sex differences in hormone levels and differences in immune responses that may influence how drugs work in the brain. Understanding these mechanisms will be key to tailoring safer and more effective treatments for the disease. Our study confirms that current, universal prescribing approaches for older adults may not be ideal. It's also worth noting that older women are more likely to be polypharmacy users compared to men. This highlights the importance of understanding the effects of polypharmacy that are specific to men and women, and developing more personalised prescribing approaches. Future translational studies (from mice to humans) looking at how drug combinations affect Alzheimer's in males and females are also warranted to help reduce risks and improve healthcare in the ageing population. Residents play Scrabble on a house's terrace in Village Landais, a residential care village for people suffering from various stages of dementia that encourages a sense of autonomy and accomplishment, in Dax, France. Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty Images The global population is continuing to age, which means that an even greater number of people are going to be at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. This is why it's so important we understand all of the causes of the disease and how it can be prevented. DM
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
3 cases of rare brain disease reported in Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Three cases of a rare, fatal brain disease have been reported by public health officials in Oregon's Hood River County. The cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have been confirmed over the last eight months, and it's unclear if these cases are linked at this time, according to the Hood River County Health Department on Friday. The Oregonian/OregonLive, which was the first to report on the cases, says two of the cases have resulted in deaths. Nexstar's KOIN reached out to the Hood River County Health Department for confirmation but did not immediately receive a response. California town reports third fatality related to rare virus linked to death of Gene Hackman's wife No other details about the local cases were immediately available. In a Facebook post announcing the investigation, health department officials for Hood River County described the risk to the public as 'extremely low.' Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is the result of a prion, a type of infectious protein, triggering a body's normal proteins to misfold, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no treatment or cure, and will typically lead to death within a year from when symptoms begin. A neurodegenerative disorder, CJD is characterized by Alzheimer's-like symptoms, though they get worse 'much faster,' the Mayo Clinic writes. Specifically, symptoms can include memory loss, coordination issues, trouble speaking, and personality changes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hood River County health officials say most cases of CJD can happen without a known reason, but sometimes it can be inherited by running in families and in very rare cases, it can be spread through certain medical exposures or by eating infected beef. The latter is often referred to as 'variant CJD,' the CDC says. Search continues for Las Vegas veterinarian who apologized for kicking horse A report published last year suggested two hunters contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease after eating venison from deer infected with chronic wasting disease, also a prion disease. The researchers behind the study noted the causation was 'unproven' and that further investigation is needed. Authorities in Oregon have not yet said what may have caused the recent cases. The rate of CJD diagnoses in the U.S. is about one person per million, the CDC estimates. Nexstar's Michael Bartiromo and Addy Bink contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
