A targeted ultrasound may be the solution we've been looking for to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Although Alzheimer's disease still remains non-curable, a group of scientists from Australia has found out that a certain type of ultrasound can gently lift the plaques that are causing memory loss, one of the significant symptoms of the disease.
Scientists from the University of Queensland's Queensland Brain Institute have designed an ultrasound technology known as focused therapeutic ultrasound. It produces sound waves that oscillate very fat that it can lift the barriers in the brain that protect the organ from bacteria. Once this barrier is already lifted, a certain group of cells called microglial can come in. These cells are responsible for removing any waste that has been clogging up the brain including amyloid clusters.
Amyloid clusters are actually plaques that develop in between the brain's neurons, which are essential in transporting and processing information in the brain. They often develop with neurofibrillary tangles, which are found inside these neurons and develop when tau proteins become defective. Because they can become twisted, they can cut off the much-needed nutrients for the neurons. More studies have pointed out how these two can lead to the progression of Alzheimer's, including the loss of memory and cognitive function, although it's still unclear how they develop.
To test the effectiveness of the targeted ultrasound, they used mice models with brains modified to mimic that of an Alzheimer's patient. After using the ultrasound, the mice have regained as much as 75% of their memory and started performing better in tasks such as a maze. This also means that their cognitive ability has significantly improved. Moreover, the ultrasound can be used without destroying the healthy surrounding tissues and nerves.
The team's next step is to test the therapy with sheep or other higher animal models. Perhaps two years from now, the technology can already be ready for its first human clinical trial.
More than 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's. It's also one of the leading causes of death in the country.