Increase your income by attracting thousands of followers, fans, and friends to your Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace by using free content from www.SocialOpine.com. Follow SocialOpine on Twitter Follow SocialOpine on Facebook Follow SocialOpine on YouTube


browse

Neuroprotective effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rodent and primate models of ALS.

Profound neuronal dysfunction in the entorhinal cortex contributes to early loss of short-term memory in Alzheimer's disease. Here we show broad neuroprotective effects of entorhinal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) administration in several animal models of Alzheimer's disease, with extension of therapeutic benefits into the degenerating hippocampus. In amyloid-transgenic mice, BDNF gene delivery, when administered after disease onset, reverses synapse loss, partially normalizes aberrant gene expression, improves cell signaling and restores learning and memory. These outcomes occur independently of effects on amyloid plaque load. In aged rats, BDNF infusion reverses cognitive decline, improves age-related perturbations in gene expression and restores cell signaling. In adult rats and primates, BDNF prevents lesion-induced death of entorhinal cortical neurons. In aged primates, BDNF reverses neuronal atrophy and ameliorates age-related cognitive impairment. Collectively, these findings indicate that BDNF exerts substantial protective effects on crucial neuronal circuitry involved in Alzheimer's disease, acting through amyloid-independent mechanisms. BDNF therapeutic delivery merits exploration as a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease.

Nat Med. 2009 Mar;15(3):331-7. Nagahara AH, Merrill DA, Coppola G, Tsukada S, Schroeder BE, Shaked GM, Wang L, Blesch A, Kim A, Conner JM, Rockenstein E, Chao MV, Koo EH, Geschwind D, Masliah E, Chiba AA, Tuszynski MH. Department of Neurosciences-0626, 9500 Gilman Drive, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.






Posted: 04/06/2009

Bookmark and Share

This article provided by The International Hypnosis Research Institute.

Enter your email address to subscribe to the IHRI Newsletter.

Oceans of Relaxation

Wave Goodbye To Stress!Regular deep relaxation by hypnosis is the perfect way to avoid the mental and physical damage caused by stress.In just 20 minutes a day melt away pressure and tension over a backdrop of soothing ocean waves&wake up refreshed!

Smoking No More

Break Your Addiction To Cigarettes.Harnessing the power of your collective consciousness will help you easily and effortlessly become a non-smoker.You’ll be able to eliminate your cravings, your desires, and your overwhelming need to smoke.
Home Who we are Services Contact Us FAQ Links