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Non-invasive Alzheimer's treatment restores memory using ultrasound
Researchers at the University of Queensland have claimed an effective new, non-invasive method to treat Alzheimer's disease by using a form of ultrasound therapy (Photo: Shutterstock)
Alzheimer's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that most often begins in people over 65 years of age. Usually it starts slowly and continues to worsen over time until the sufferer succumbs to an increasing loss of memory, bodily functions and, eventually, death. Research has shown that there is an association with Alzheimer's and the accumulation of plaques that affect the neuronal connections in the brain. Now researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered a new way to remove these toxic plaques using a non-invasive form of ultrasound therapy.
Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide – composed of some 36 to 43 amino acids – has been the plaque associated with the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease for some time now. As such, some research into removing this toxic substance from human brains has been conducted, but almost invariably requires invasive pharmaceutical intervention which is far from completely effective.
The University of Queensland research, on the other hand, purports to offer a potential nonpharmacological approach for removing Aβ plaque. In support of this, the researchers claim to have restored memory function in the brain of a mouse that had Aβ deposited in its brain and displayed Alzheimer's symptoms.
To achieve this, the researchers used the application of multiple iterations of scanning ultrasound to the mouse brain to remove Aβ, and without requiring the use of any additional chemical agents, such as an anti-Aβ antibody. The researchers say that microloglial cells (cells that act as the main form of immune defense in the central nervous system) were activated by the high-frequncy sound waves generated by the ultrasonic equipment and consumed the Aβ plaques.
"This treatment restored memory function to the same level of normal healthy mice," says Professor Jürgen Götz, founding director and researcher at the University of Queensland's Brain Institute. "We’re also working on seeing whether this method clears toxic protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases other than Alzheimer’s and whether this also restores executive functions, including decision-making and motor control."
To confirm the efficacy of this treatment, the scientists used spinning disk confocal microscopy and high-resolution three-dimensional reconstruction to confirm that the ultrasound treatment had significantly reduced the extent of the Aβ toxic plaques.
"We’re extremely excited by this innovation of treating Alzheimer’s without using drug therapeutics," says Professor Götz. "The ultrasound waves oscillate tremendously quickly, activating microglial cells that digest and remove the amyloid plaques that destroy brain synapses. The word 'breakthrough' is often mis-used, but in this case I think this really does fundamentally change our understanding of how to treat this disease, and I foresee a great future for this approach."
Alzheimer’s affects more than two-thirds of dementia patients, and according to Alzheimer's Disease International, Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, currently affects more than 35 million people worldwide, with this number expected to double by 2030 and then more than triple to 115 million by 2050.
"With an aging population placing an increasing burden on the health system, an important factor is cost, and other potential drug treatments using antibodies will be expensive," says Professor Götz. "In contrast, this method uses relatively inexpensive ultrasound and microbubble technology which is non-invasive and appears highly effective."
"The approach is able to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier, activating mechanisms that clear toxic protein clumps and restoring memory functions," adds Professor Götz. "With our approach the blood-brain barrier’s opening is only temporary for a few hours, so it quickly restores its protective role."
The results of this research were published recently in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Source: University of Queensland
Source: http://www.gizmag.com/alzheimers-dementia-treatment-ultrasound/36510/
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Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.
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