Potential Treatment for Alzheimer's

edited December 2015 in Everything else
So recently (March 2015) researchers used scanning ultrasound to remove amyloid plaques in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model that overproduces them, leading to a restoration of memory function. They found cleared plaques in 75% of the mice treated, and human trials are slated to begin sometime 2017. Now before you get excited, the researchers didn't just use ultrasound, it was ultrasound coupled with injected microbubbles. Due to the fact that mice have difficult-to-access vasculature, the microbubbles were injected retro-orbitally (through the mouse's eye). The paper is actually extremely detailed, with information on the specifications of both the microbubbles and the ultrasound device. Microbubbles have been used previously on humans 

I'm not saying that it's a good idea to try to manufacture these microbubbles or an ultrasound device to the specifications of the paper, or even to test this system on yourself for safety under the supervision of a medical professional, and to then use the system on someone you know suffering from the disease who consents to it. That actually sounds like a recipe for things to go terribly wrong. Besides, it'll only be 5+ years before this is available as a treatment after it gets through clinical trials. People with Alzheimer's have plenty of time.

Here is the link for a summary of the article on ScienceAlert: LINK
Here is the link to the article itself published in Science Translational Medicine: LINK
Here is the link to a paper on microbubbles for drug delivery: LINK

Comments

  • So a few things. The microbubbles should be easy. Haven't read the paper yet but I'm just getting into microcapsule formation now and my proff just got me the machine needed to make them. I can use it for whatever I want basically. That said, the ultrsound bit is the hard part. Probably a very particular kit. But I dunno since i haven't read it. 

    I'll read it later and let you know how feasible it is. at the least we could easily make the microbubbles to show we could. 

    That said, gimme 2 months. I've got something that'll knock this outta the water. Patent was filed today. More info soon. 
  • @chironex 2 month are  a lot for waiting 
  • I'm presenting it at biohacking con. Don't wanna spoil it before I have good pictures and videos. I'll say we just filed for a provisional patent. It allows for the easy treatment and visualization of a wide variety of diseases amongst so much more. Like I said it's better with the pictures of it actually working. Because until then I'm running my mouth. I'm working with 4-5 professors in multiple departments to do this.  We're currently putting the finishing touches on our first prototype. I'll probably drop more between now and then but only once I have more to show. And I wanna save all the best stuff for the conference anyway. 

    On that note. I read the paper. They're microbubbles are made in a pretty standard way. Basically you get a vial of whatever material you want the bubble made of and place an ultrasonic probe at the interface between the air and the liquid and turn onto high power. By adjusting the power and concentration you can tune the size of the bubble and by either chemically modifying them after or first dissolving other things in your shell material you can get things embedded in the bubble. If instead of air you want liquid you put it at the separation between an oil and your liquid. Or just in a liquid.

    Was gonna use the technique to make the color changing tattoo ink. And I'm using it for later stages of my idea. 
  • edited December 2015
    If you're going to mention a vague-sounding technology with even more vague and broad applications please provide specifics or don't make the claim. If you have to wait to talk about it, then wait.

    As I'm sure you know, disease treatment is not and cannot be based around a single technology. You found a way to perfectly edit the entirety a human's somatic cells? Great, you'll only fix all the diseases for which we fully understand the genetic basis. Which is... relatively few. Even if we know the genes involved, we don't necessarily know what happens when they are tweaked. You figured out a way to deliver drugs to difficult-to-access parts of the human body? Great, it works for diseases that we have drug treatments for. You created nano-scale robots that can interact with and repair human cells and tissue and can act as artificial programmable immune system? K, you may have actually fixed everything. Vague claims are absolutely no fun for people they aren't being made by, as they can't be dissected or criticized or evaluated and create excitement where excitement is unwarranted.
  • Ya, fair point. I shouldn't have mentioned it yet. As much as I'd like to build the hype train I'll keep quiet until I have more to show.
  • @chironex when is goinng to be the biohacking con, and there is going to be video? or anything online? 
  • biohacking con is in february (19-21), austin texas. I'll have a full spread on my site, I'll likely do a video on it and i'm doing an hour long presentation at the convention which I presume will be recorded and if not i'll make sure it is. 
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