Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition that affects a person's memory, judgement, and ability to perform self-care. The disease was named after Alois Alzheimer, a physician who first noted brain changes in a woman who had died of a strange mental illness. His autopsy found the two characteristic changes still associated with Alzheimer's today - abnormal clumps of protein outside the brain's nerve cells (called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (neurofibrillary tangles, or twisted strands of proteins) inside the nerve cells.

Alzheimer's disease typically progresses very slowly. In the beginning stages, a patient may show signs of mild forgetfulness (like misplacing objects). As the condition progresses, the ability to learn new information is impaired. Eventually, cognitive problems become more apparent. The patient may have problems remembering otherwise familiar names or people, become lost in familiar places, and have difficulty performing some simple self-care activities (like combing their hair). In end stages, a person with Alzheimer's often doesn't recognize immediate family members, may wander and/or become aggressive. Often, people with later stages of Alzheimer's disease need total care. The course of decline varies from person to person and can take 8 to 10 years or more.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, about 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. The condition is most common in people 65 and older. After 65 the risk for development of Alzheimer's doubles every five years. People with a family history of Alzheimer's are at higher risk of developing the disease themselves.

Treating Alzheimer's Disease The cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown and there is currently no cure. Medications, like Cognex®, Aricept®, Exelon®, or Reminyl®, may reduce symptoms in people with early stage disease. For patients with moderate to more severe disease, the drug, Namenda®, may be helpful.

At Rush University Medical Center doctors are looking at using Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) as a possible treatment for preserving brain cells and slowing the rate of decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease. NGF is like fertilizer for the brain cells. It stimulates the growth of cells that produce acetylcholine, a chemical needed for transmission of signals between brain cells, especially those involved in memory and learning.

NGF is too large of a molecule to pass from the bloodstream to the brain. So it can't be given in a pill or injected into the circulation. Instead, the substance must be directly injected into the brain. Doctors first drill a tiny hole into the skull, then inject the treatment into the base of the brain. The drug is produced using a harmless copy of a virus. When the virus enters a brain cell, it carries with it the gene for production of NGF, inserting the gene into the cell. Investigators hope the gene will then program the brain cells to make their own NGF.

Currently, the NGF research is in Phase I study. This part of the investigation will focus on the safety and tolerability of the treatment. Six patients have received the NGF injections. So far, none of them have developed any serious side effects.

The researchers don't know yet if the drug will have any effect on the course of Alzheimer's disease. However, they are hopeful the treatment will at least slow its progression and provide more quality time for people with Alzheimer's and their families. A small previous study of NGF at the University of California, San Diego found rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients receiving gene therapy with NGF was reduced by 51 percent over 22 months.

For information on Alzheimer's Disease: Alzheimer's Association, http://www.alz.org Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center, http://www.alzheimers.org Alzheimer's Foundation of America, http://www.alzfdn.org Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, http://www.alzinfo.org National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke, http://www.ninds.nih.gov