(Press-News.org) A new study led by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology shows how feeding mice a drug called GSM-15606 provided protection against air pollution-related increases in proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Senior author Caleb Finch, USC University Professor and holder of the ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging at the USC Leonard Davis School, has studied air pollution’s effects on the brain for several years, especially the consequences of exposure to fine particulates found in pollution from automobiles, factories and more. Many studies have shown that air quality has a sizeable impact on risk of Alzheimer and accelerates cognitive decline, he said.
Air pollution is correlated with systemic inflammation and promotes the formation of amyloid plaques, the clumps of aggregated peptide Aβ42 that form between the brain’s nerve cells in Alzheimer’s.
The latest work from Finch’s lab, published August 12 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, highlights the potential protection offered by a type of drug called a gamma-secretase modulator. The team tested a specific drug called GSM-15606, which was developed by study co-authors Rudolph E. Tanzi of Harvard and Kevin D. Rynearson of the University of California, San Diego.
GSM-15606 was fed to mice over 8 weeks; during that time, the animals were regularly exposed to air pollution in the form of either ambient nanoparticulate matter (nPM) or diesel exhaust particles (DEP). Following air pollution exposure, mice fed GSM-15606 had much lower levels of Aβ42 in the brain than mice exposed to pollution but not the drug.
The results indicate that GSM-15606 may one day have a role as a preventive measure against Alzheimer’s in people living with air pollution, Finch said.
“Because gamma secretase is needed for normal functions body-wide, this drug was designed to modulate, but not inhibit, production of Aβ42,” he said. “This is the first example of a new drug developed to slow Alzheimer’s that may also protect aging individuals from the environmental risk factor of air pollution.”
Along with Finch, study authors included first author Jose A. Godoy-Lugo as well as Max A. Thorwald, Mafalda Cacciottolo, Carla D’Agostino, Ararat Chakhoyan, and Constantinos Sioutas of USC; Rudolph E. Tanzi of Harvard; and Kevin D. Rynearson of the University of California, San Diego. Lab studies were supported by grants to Finch from the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and NIH (R01-AG051521, P01-AG055367).
END
USC study: Drug protects against air pollution-related Alzheimer’s signs in mice
Mice that had been fed the drug GSM-15606 had lower levels of Aβ42, the largest form of the amyloid beta protein that makes up the telltale plaques seen in brains with Alzheimer’s.
2024-08-12
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Mild Cognitive Impairment could be going unreported in rural areas of west Michigan, study suggests
2024-08-12
Grand Rapids, Mich., Aug. 12, 2024 – Corewell Health™ and Michigan State University researchers are the first in the state to use de-identified electronic health records of more than 1.5 million patients to analyze incidence rates and risk factors of mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, in rural and urban areas in West Michigan.
Results showed that many cases could be going undetected among those living in rural communities in the area, and researchers now will use the findings to develop AI tools that can detect MCI earlier among patients across the country.
The retrospective study, which included 10 years of historical patient ...
Brain electrical stimulation suppresses appetite. A new frontier in obesity treatment?
2024-08-12
The R&D on neuromodulation technology for the treatment and management of metabolic syndrome conducted by a team led by Dr. Ki-young Shin of Human Care Electro-Medical Device Research Center, Electro-Medical Equipment Research Division of KERI is underway smoothly.
Metabolic syndrome is a complex of multiple metabolic abnormalities, including obesity, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides, often caused by poor diet and lack of exercise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in eight people worldwide is overweight, making obesity treatment ...
Eco-conscious fashionistas hampered by geographical barriers to return clothing
2024-08-12
Eco-conscious consumers are not well-served by clothing companies claiming green credentials, as shoppers’ location has a major impact on the effectiveness of clothing return schemes, a new study reveals.
Environmental circular economy initiatives for activewear companies are limited by where firms and consumers are located, preventing them from being fully effective.
The clothing industry is one of the biggest global polluters, with fast fashion companies creating cheap clothing that gets thrown away after one or two uses and ends up in landfill. According to the European ...
Redefining the computer whiz: research shows diverse skills valued by youth
2024-08-12
FOR A COPY OF THE STUDY AHEAD OF PUBLICATION, PLEASE ENSURE YOU ARE SIGNED UP TO TAYLOR & FRANCIS’ EMBARGO AREA AND THEN VISIT: https://newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/redefining-the-computer-whiz-research-shows-diverse-skills-valued-by-youth/
New study reveals diverse perceptions of the 'ideal' computer science student among young people.
Researchers at the University of Reading, with colleagues at King's College London, have uncovered a more nuanced view of what makes an 'ideal' computer science student, challenging long-held stereotypes of geeky, clever, ...
Fern becomes first in suborder to be classed as “independent gametophyte”
2024-08-10
Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered that the fern Hymenasplenium murakami-hatanakae can become independent gametophytes i.e. live for long periods without a spore-producing sporophyte. They collected specimens from Izu-Oshima Island, Japan, and used DNA analysis to show that this Aspleniineae fern, a suborder encompassing thirty percent of ferns on the planet, was part of this rare class. Studying the species further promises to reveal more about how ferns diversify and adapt.
The “alternation of generations” in plants and algae is the intricate cycle by which they reproduce. Each ...
Study reveals Canadian wildfires are affecting US air quality and raising health concerns
2024-08-09
Climate-driven wildfire events are rapidly transferring harmful particulate matter containing toxic chemicals over long distances, compromising air quality in the New Jersey and New York City areas, according to Rutgers Health research.
Published in Environmental Science & Technology and to be featured on the cover of the journal’s next issue, the study assessed the physical and chemical characteristics of wildfire-related particulate matter and was the first to report this characterization from a climate-driven wildfire event in the densely populated Northeast region.
“Particulate ...
As temperatures break records, many are unaware of symptoms of heat-related illnesses
2024-08-09
PHILADELPHIA – With NASA data showing that July 22, 2024, was the hottest day on record and indications that July may have been the hottest month, an Annenberg Public Policy Center survey conducted in mid-July found that most people know three of the symptoms of a heat-related illness but do not know the location of their nearest cooling center. At the same time, increasing numbers of people think that heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense and affecting their daily activities.
Knowledge of cooling centers in the case of extreme heat
Although the locations of cooling centers, or indoor air-conditioned facilities such as libraries, ...
Researchers discover new mechanism to cool buildings while saving energy
2024-08-09
With temperatures rising globally, the need for more sustainable cooling options is also growing. Researchers at UCLA and their colleagues have now found an affordable and scalable process to cool buildings in the summer and heat them in the winter.
Led by Aaswath Raman, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, the research team recently published a study in Cell Reports Physical Science detailing a new method to manipulate the movement ...
New study will provide HIV prevention and treatment for incarcerated people with opioid use disorder
2024-08-09
The University of Massachusetts Amherst and Tufts Medical Center are conducting a study to provide HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment for people with opioid use disorders who are incarcerated in the Boston area.
The study is funded with a $4.74 million CONNECT grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Elizabeth Evans, professor of community health education in the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, and Dr. Alysse Wurcel, a ...
Russian invasion of Ukraine could have lasting impacts on global economy, environment
2024-08-09
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine stretches into its third year, international trade has felt the effects as sanctions on Russian exports have expanded. Now researchers have found that the invasion may not only have significant short-term impacts on the global timber markets but may leave lasting effects on the global economy and the environment.
These findings are detailed in a new study which projects the impact of sanctions on Russia and military disruption in Ukraine on the global wood product markets. Researchers compared two projected scenario outcomes based on the Global Forest Products Market model, one ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Azacitidine–venetoclax combination outperforms standard care in acute myeloid leukemia patients eligible for intensive chemotherapy
Adding epcoritamab to standard second-line therapy improves follicular lymphoma outcomes
New findings support a chemo-free approach for treating Ph+ ALL
Non-covalent btki pirtobrutinib shows promise as frontline therapy for CLL/SLL
University of Cincinnati experts present research at annual hematology event
ASH 2025: Antibody therapy eradicates traces of multiple myeloma in preliminary trial
ASH 2025: AI uncovers how DNA architecture failures trigger blood cancer
ASH 2025: New study shows that patients can safely receive stem cell transplants from mismatched, unrelated donors
Protective regimen allows successful stem cell transplant even without close genetic match between donor and recipient
Continuous and fixed-duration treatments result in similar outcomes for CLL
Measurable residual disease shows strong potential as an early indicator of survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Chemotherapy and radiation are comparable as pre-transplant conditioning for patients with b-acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have no measurable residual disease
Roughly one-third of families with children being treated for leukemia struggle to pay living expenses
Quality improvement project results in increased screening and treatment for iron deficiency in pregnancy
IV iron improves survival, increases hemoglobin in hospitalized patients with iron-deficiency anemia and an acute infection
Black patients with acute myeloid leukemia are younger at diagnosis and experience poorer survival outcomes than White patients
Emergency departments fall short on delivering timely treatment for sickle cell pain
Study shows no clear evidence of harm from hydroxyurea use during pregnancy
Long-term outlook is positive for most after hematopoietic cell transplant for sickle cell disease
Study offers real-world data on commercial implementation of gene therapies for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia
Early results suggest exa-cel gene therapy works well in children
NTIDE: Disability employment holds steady after data hiatus
Social lives of viruses affect antiviral resistance
Dose of psilocybin, dash of rabies point to treatment for depression
Helping health care providers navigate social, political, and legal barriers to patient care
Barrow Neurological Institute, University of Calgary study urges “major change” to migraine treatment in Emergency Departments
Using smartphones to improve disaster search and rescue
Robust new photocatalyst paves the way for cleaner hydrogen peroxide production and greener chemical manufacturing
Ultrafast material captures toxic PFAS at record speed and capacity
Plant phenolic acids supercharge old antibiotics against multidrug resistant E. coli
[Press-News.org] USC study: Drug protects against air pollution-related Alzheimer’s signs in miceMice that had been fed the drug GSM-15606 had lower levels of Aβ42, the largest form of the amyloid beta protein that makes up the telltale plaques seen in brains with Alzheimer’s.