Breakthough Brain Study Points to Treatment for Alzheimer's

SYDNEY -- Australian scientists have identified a molecule which controls inflammation in the brain, offering hope of a treatment that could reverse conditions like Alzheimer's.

A groundbreaking study in mice has shown how the molecule, named Activin A, goes into damaged areas of the brain where it switches off inflammation which then triggers the "repair" process.

Dr.  Bryce Vissel says the discovery had added to medical science's emerging understanding of how the brain could heal itself following an acute injury, like a stroke.

It also points to a potential new treatment for long-term degenerative brain conditions -- like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and dementia -- where this healing process was known to fail.

"In the last 10 years, it has become very clear that the brain has the capacity to repair and regenerate itself," said Dr.  Vissel, of Sydney's The Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

"We know specifically that there are stem cells in the brain ... which are able to replace nerve cells that die.

"But if the brain has this capacity for repair and regeneration why isn't it occurring in neuro-degenerative disease, why isn't it fixing itself?"

Dr.  Vissel's research suggests these people have lost the ability to switch off the inflammation, meaning the brain's ability to regenerate is also stalled.

The inflammation is the result of the body's immune system trying unsuccessfully to fix the problem, he said.

In a further breakthrough, Dr.  Vissel found the vital role played by the Activin A molecule could be replaced by standard anti- inflammatory medicines.

It raises the prospect of using drugs now prescribed to treat arthritis to reduce brain inflammation in people with Alzheimer's, allowing the healing to begin.

"While it's still somewhat controversial, there are a number of studies showing people who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have a lower risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease," Dr.  Vissel said.

"It is an exciting possibility that anti-inflammatories could help promote (brain) regeneration, but before making that statement we need more research and that is something we are going to pursue right away."

The research, conducted along with Dr.  Andrea Abdipranoto, is to be published in the journal Stem Cells.