Dementia Alzheimer's patients given brain implants

Barchester

Healthcare News
Scientists reveal details of ongoing research into potential new treatment.
Six people with Alzheimer's disease have had small capsules implanted into their brains as part of a radical new attempt at treating the condition.The impants contain cells which produce a protein known as nerve growth factor, which can stimulate the survival and growth of cholinergic nerve cells, according to the team based at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.Cholinergic nerve cells, which break down in Alzheimer's and other dementia patients, are said to play a vital role in memory, problem-solving and other cognitive functions."Although implantation of encapsulated cells is a new method for treating Alzheimer's disease, our extensive experience in stereotactic surgery at Karolinska University Hospital enables us to perform the procedure in a safe and controlled manner," said Professor Bengt Linderoth at the department of neurosurgery.No complications were reported during the implantation of the capsules.A team of American scientists reported that they had identified four genes which may be linked to a significantly.......read the whole story