Anavex Life Sciences Corp (AVXL)

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Sleep clears brain wastes. Brain wastes cause Alzheimer's.

The brain uses sleep to wash away the waste toxins built up during a hard day's thinking, researchers have shown.
The US team believe the "waste removal system" is one of the fundamental reasons for sleep.
Their study, in the journal Science, showed brain cells shrink during sleep to open up the gaps between neurons and allow fluid to wash the brain clean.
They also suggest that failing to clear away some toxic proteins may play a role in brain disorders.

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-24567412

Until very recently, the exact purpose of sleep was only conjecture. Now, it is clear (as explained in the linked article above) that a crucial function of sleep is to allow the physical clearance of nerve wastes generated by normal nerve and brain function while awake.

As mentioned so often here, accumulations of beta-amyloid and tau protein wastes directly cause the many nerve and brain malfunctions of Alzheimer's disease. Lack of sleep is probably not the direct or only cause of Alzheimer's, but good, deep, lasting sleep can certainly play a role in normal protein waste clearing, even in Alzheimer's victims.

It is not unreasonable to regard Anavex 2-73 as having dual roles in Alzheimer's treatment, First and foremost is its ability to restore normalized neuron function, homeostasis. That, alone, as documented in the early Australian Phase 1/Phase 2 trial is critical.

But secondarily may be the enhancing role of facilitated sleep that Anavex 2-73 appears to promote, at least in a good portion of treated patients.

Ponder this considered conjecture. In addition to the projected and desired use of Anavex 2-73 as a new, highly effective Standard of Care for those suffering from Alzheimer's, there is the possibility that early, pre-symptomatic administration of Anavex 2-73 to potential Alzheimer's victims (which might be anyone over 50 years of age) might, in its dual functions (cellular homeostasis and sleep facilitation) prevent the onset of not just Alzheimer's, but any number of other geriatric-onset diseases that are precipitated, at least in part, by geriatric sleep-deprivation and consequent toxic waste accumulations.