Ultra-Sound Waves Used to Clean the Brain of Amyloid Plaques

With a rapidly growing older population and 50 million people worldwide affected by Alzheimer’s Disease, the race is on to find a cure or treatment for the memory loss and cognitive decline associated with this devastating condition.

A recent study in Australia has found success with trials on mice using sound waves to clear the brain of sticky amyloid proteins and neurofibrillary tangles that cause many of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, reports that by using a focused therapeutic ultra-sound, sound waves are able to travel through the blood-brain barrier without damaging surrounding brain tissue.  The waves appear to stimulate the brain’s own waste-removal cells, microglia, to clear out amyloid clumps in the brain.

In 75 per cent of mice tested, memory was restored and the treated mice were able to recognize new objects, remember places they should avoid and run through a maze successfully.  More trials are planned with higher animal models including sheep and eventually on humans as soon as this year.

To read more about this new way of treating Alzheimer’s disease without the use of drugs visit http://www.futuretimeline.net/blog/2015/03/14-2.htm#.WJ8ZVRBN1R_ .