Marker Therapeutics Inc (MRKR)

[Ignutz]

This article is about Wilfred Jefferies - his other research in addition to Genemax.

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=ebe61948-ced7-488a-88d3-1b82f9261f57

Scientists at the University of B.C. have discovered what may be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease that could allow doctors to treat patients decades sooner than was possible before.

Researchers have discovered that mice genetically modified to develop an Alzheimer's-like disease exhibit noticeable gaps in their blood-brain barrier long before they develop the plaques on the brain that are hallmarks of the disease.

Wilfred Jefferies, the principal researcher behind the study, cautioned that the tests have not yet been replicated in humans.

"[But] if it is applicable in humans, it could be used as an early-warning sign," he said. And he said it could lead the way to new methods of treating Alzheimer's disease in its early stages.

One of the things that makes the research so interesting is that the breakdown in the blood-brain barrier took place in the mice very early in the development of the disease.

The equivalent in humans, Jefferies said, would be the early 20s.

"We were surprised in the animal model that this feature exhibited so early in the disease," Jefferies said.

The delay between the breakdown of that barrier and the development of brain plaques took about six months in the mice, Jefferies said -- the equivalent of several decades in humans.

Amyloid plaques are one of the two brain abnormalities that define Alzheimer's disease. The other is neurofibrillary tangles.

Amyloid plaques are sticky buildups which accumulate outside nerve cells, or neurons. Amyloid is a protein that is normally found throughout the body. For reasons as yet unknown, in Alzheimer's disease, the protein divides improperly, creating a form called beta amyloid which is toxic to neurons in the brain.

Technically, an individual may display all the behavioral and cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's, but if the brain does not contain the hallmark plaques and tangles, there is no diagnosis of Alzheimer's. The appearance of amyloid plaques in the brain can proceed the behavioral symptoms by years.

Jefferies, a professor at UBC's Biomedical Research Centre, said he is now working on a study of humans to see if similar blood-brain-barrier breakdowns exist.

He said he will also begin research to see if treatments can be found that would repair the barrier.

"We're looking at how we can correct this breach in the blood-brain barrier," Jefferies said.

The blood-brain barrier is a largely impermeable layer of cells that surrounds the brain, protecting it from the diseases and bacteria that afflict the rest of the body.

Protecting the brain from disease is important because brain cells do not regenerate themselves as quickly as other human tissue.

Jefferies stressed that while the research suggests a link between the barrier and Alzheimer's, he said that does not mean that everyone who has gaps in the barrier will get Alzheimer's.

He also said there is no widely available test yet that could identify if a patient's blood-brain barrier had deteriorated.

Jefferies, an expert in the blood-brain barrier, conducted the Alzheimer's study along with colleagues Maki Ujiie, Douglas Carlow and Dara Dickstein.

The research was published in the scientific journal Microcirculation.

Alzheimer's gradually robs its victims of their memory and mental faculties.

Already, more than 238,000 Canadians have the disease.

And as the population ages, that number is expected to grow to 750,000 by 2031.

About $5.5 billion is spent each year in Canada caring for people with Alzheimer's and related dementias.

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