Neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain, during critical periods of development, to easily change its structure in response to environmental stimuli, declines by adulthood. In humans this happens by age 6. From then on it gets progressively harder to restructure the brain to handle the creation of new synapses.
The Scientist reports on a new study that suggests that this decline is actively caused through out later life by the creation of of a certain protein in the brain. And suppressing that protein allows the brain to regain its neural plasticity.
The brain doesn't actually lose its ability to adapt or make new neural connections, rather that ability is suppressed, activity turned off. The switch has been found to be a paired-immunoglobulin–like receptor B (PirB) protein produced by the brain itself.
The study describes curing Lazy Eye in mice, by covering the "Good Eye". Which is exactly what is done in children. Caught early enough, the brain and visual cortex will adapt to this change in stimuli by building up the fine neuron structures so that the lazy eye will be resume development, and often achieve normal vision.
With the mice, they induced lazy eye intentionally, by covering one eye long enough to cause the brain to "abandon" it.
Later in the mouse's life they introduced an inhibitor to the PirB Protein, removing the suppression of the brain's Neuroplasticity, and then covering the good eye. They saw new functional synapses form, demonstrating that even when PirB is inhibited in a short, one-week time frame, new neuron connections—and recovery from lazy eye—is possible in an adult mouse.
Now Lazy Eye isn't that big of a problem in children if caught early, and lazy eye in mice is even less of a concern, except to the mice.
Rather, the focus of the research is restoring Neuroplasticity to the brain, to handle brain injury or illness later in life. By "turning back the clock" of the brain's developmental cycle, the ability of the brain to adapt itself may be restored long enough to "route around the damage".
Their study has shown that that mice without PirB are partly resistant to memory loss in an Alzheimer’s model. This suggests that maybe the same drug for vision loss could also work for Alzheimer’s disease.
[Title change to correct typo - Ed.]
Related Stories
Pfizer has announced that it will halt efforts to find new treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Meanwhile, Axovant Sciences will halt its studies of intepirdine after it failed to show any improvement for dementia and Alzheimer's patients. The company's stock price has declined around 90% in 3 months:
Pfizer has announced plans to end its research efforts to discover new drugs for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The pharmaceutical giant explained its decision, which will entail roughly 300 layoffs, as a move to better position itself "to bring new therapies to patients who need them."
"As a result of a recent comprehensive review, we have made the decision to end our neuroscience discovery and early development efforts and re-allocate [spending] to those areas where we have strong scientific leadership and that will allow us to provide the greatest impact for patients," Pfizer said in a statement emailed to NPR.
[...] Despite heavily funding research efforts into potential treatments in the past, Pfizer has faced high-profile disappointment in recent years, as Reuters notes: "In 2012, Pfizer and partner Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) called off additional work on the drug bapineuzumab after it failed to help patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's in its second round of clinical trials."
Another potential treatment for neurodegenerative disorders — this one developed by Axovant, another pharmaceutical company — also found itself recently abandoned. The company dropped its experimental drug intepirdine after it failed to improve motor function in patients with a certain form of dementia — just three months after it also failed to show positive effects in Alzheimer's patients.
Looks like GlaxoSmithKline got a good deal when they sold the rights to intepirdine to Axovant Sciences in 2014.
Also at Bloomberg.
Related: Can we Turn Back the Clock on Alzheimer's?
Possible Cure for Alzheimer's to be Tested Within the Next Three Years
Mefenamic Acid Might Cure Alzheimers - Generic Cost in US is Crazy
New Alzheimer's Treatment Fully Restores Memory Function in Mice
Power Outage in the Brain may be Source of Alzheimer's
Another Failed Alzheimer's Disease Therapy
The FDA Saved Taxpayers from Paying Billions for Ineffective Alzheimer's Therapy
Alzheimer's Disease: A "Whole Body" Problem?
Bill Gates Commits $100 Million to Alzheimer's Research
Evidence That Alzheimer's Protein Spreads Like an Infection
(Score: 4, Funny) by willie3204 on Monday October 20 2014, @02:26AM
Yes please someone hurry and turn back the Cock already..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:29AM
The first revision of this story was titled "Can we Turn Back the Cock on Alzheimer's"
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday October 20 2014, @05:45AM
Isn't it bad enough they lose their memory and emotional control, now they have to wear a chastity belt too?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Monday October 20 2014, @05:54AM
It's still spelled "Cock". Fix it p-p-p-p-please?
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:32AM
Oh I'm sorry, that was a typo, it should say:
FUCKING SOYLENT NEWS FOR TROLLS
(Score: 4, Funny) by Fnord666 on Monday October 20 2014, @02:34AM
(Score: 1, Funny) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday October 20 2014, @03:33AM
They won't remember that you raped them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:35AM
Fucking moron editors.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:38AM
up like a hard cock!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:40AM
Now turn back your clock and update your spelling checker so you can never say cock again.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Monday October 20 2014, @03:23AM
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @04:00AM
I love it when stupid people are so quick to misunderstand things. "Update your spelling checker so you can never say cock" means "remove the word cock from the dictionary of your spelling checker." Now, please proceed to point out that words cannot be removed from the master dictionaries of spelling checkers, because you, an idiot, cannot find the master dictionary or figure out how to edit it.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Monday October 20 2014, @04:05AM
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Monday October 20 2014, @09:26AM
No. I'll stand up for ya against this anonymous tool who is afraid of cock.
Hey anonymous fuckhead, there are a lot of uses for the word cock. To me it could be the bird that wakes me up on my 400 acre farm. To a dicklicker like you it means a Penis. I'm not removing a goddamn iota from my lexicon to appease your dumbass.
Good day!
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @08:59PM
When I read the title, I wondered if they were referring to a spigot where they were adjusting the valve toward Off.
Since the summary used the phrase again, spelled correctly that time, it is obvious that it was just a cock-up by the submitter and again by the editor.
Being in the title made it really stand out.
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @03:34AM
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:43AM
Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, peck pecker.
(Score: 2) by redneckmother on Monday October 20 2014, @03:13AM
I once had a parrot. He could whistle through his pecker. Can you do that?
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:44AM
>yfw when the editor has alzheimer's
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:56AM
You know, certain disabilities actually disqualify people from certain jobs. Being stupider than a sack of shit should disqualify Soylent editors from copy editing, but Soylent is owned and operated by shit, so what do you expect.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Sir Finkus on Monday October 20 2014, @02:45AM
...Cocked up
Join our Folding@Home team! [stanford.edu]
(Score: 2) by Magic Oddball on Monday October 20 2014, @03:41AM
Bwahahaha... I know the anonatrolls are leaving nasty comments galore, but I really hope more members will have fun with the cockamamie spelling.
On the topic of cocks, I think any Soylentils within driving distance of Bristol should go get their photograph taken with the new giant genitalia exhibit [bbc.com]. A shame I don't live anywhere near there, a pic of me goofing off with a seven-foot-tall cock would probably be the one thing that could override my reluctance to share any identifying photos of myself online...
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Monday October 20 2014, @04:28AM
Well that does it! Bristol-fashion will never mean the same thing ever again! And god forbid we do anything with coals to Newcastle. But about this debilitating illness that we are prone to as we age, the whole "patch on a good eye" seems promising. If you have a good eye.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @06:22AM
where are the frosty piss trolls when you need them? surely this would be an acceptable exception for appropriate posting of an obfuscated goatse.cx link
lets see if we can get to 1000 comments in a trolls paradise :p
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:51AM
holy fuck. His subconscious is taking over.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @02:59AM
Wizard needs to get laid, badly?
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday October 20 2014, @03:32AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Funny) by silverly on Monday October 20 2014, @03:13AM
Hard.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @03:16AM
Fix it already!
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday October 20 2014, @03:22AM
I think we may be saving this one for posterity. Best typo yet.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday October 20 2014, @09:30AM
FTFY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Tork on Monday October 20 2014, @03:20AM
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @01:06PM
Slashdolt may have 17-year old jokes that are treated as funny; here we have 17-year old logic that is treated as funny!
(Score: 1) by Gravis on Monday October 20 2014, @03:33AM
Betteridge's law of headlines is an adage that states: "Any headline which ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no." It is named after Ian Betteridge, a British technology journalist,[1] although the general concept is much older.[2] The observation has also been called "Davis' law"[3][4] or just the "journalistic principle".[5] In the field of particle physics, the concept, referring to the titles of research papers, has been referred to as Hinchliffe's Rule[6] since before 1988.[7]
(Score: 1) by drgibbon on Monday October 20 2014, @03:53AM
Well, I'm a firm believer that we CAN turn the cock back, regardless of the question mark.
Certified Soylent Fresh!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @04:08AM
Seek medical attention if your cock can't turn back to flaccid.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Monday October 20 2014, @04:09AM
What if the question mark us a . . . . Forget it. Too twisted. But now we can all thank our local grammar nazis, who try to save us from facepalm moments like this.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @09:32AM
Not twisted, curled only.
(Score: 3, Funny) by pmontra on Monday October 20 2014, @07:49AM
Somebody should run the experiment of publishing an headline such as "Does The Betteridge's Law Of Hadlines Work?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @09:05AM
So you're suggesting that medical research is a waste of time, just phrasethe headline as a question and we have our answer?
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Monday October 20 2014, @04:09AM
Hopefully, people will get bored with penis jokes because there's more penis-related content in the submission queue [soylentnews.org].
1702845791×2
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @04:33AM
Bored with penis jokes, boned with penis jokes, it's all the same dong.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Snotnose on Monday October 20 2014, @04:34AM
My grandmother (mom's side) died at 92 with full brain usage (BU). One of mom's older sisters died at 96 with full BU. Her other older sister died at 94, her BU went to hell about 2 years before she died. Her older brother is still doing fine. Mom's brain went to shit about 3 years ago, very suddenly, MRIs and docs said there was no stroke or anything else. But she went from sharp as a tack to just gone in about a 3 month span. She died 18 months ago at age 76.
Dad's mom died 3 years ago at 98, she was sharp as a tack until about 6 months before. He's the oldest, and doesn't smoke or drink, so the rest of his siblings that have died (he had 13 brothers and sisters, I think 3/4 are dead now) don't say much about his chances. Dad can't remember what I said 5 minutes ago, but he's fine on stuff that happened 20 years ago (he had a super secret clearance, I'm just now finding out what he did when I was a kid. hint: watched some atomic tests in the 50s, and helped locate a missing soviet sub in the 60's). He seems to be doing ok living on his own since mom died, he can still cook and not burn the house down. He won't allow a housekeeper, nurse, or one of us 3 kids to move in to look after him.
Dunno where I'm going with this, but I suspect if dad knew how he would be at 86 he'd want someone to pull a plug. Me, I'm hoping medical science figures out where the brain goes when you get old.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Monday October 20 2014, @05:11AM
Wow! An actual on-topic post! I commend thee!
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @06:29AM
systemd sucks Alzheimer's cock!
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Monday October 20 2014, @05:52AM
Someone needs to figure out how to add new neurons to repair the broken or dead ones. Actually I read that SSRI and anti-depressants in general promotes neuron growth.
All this makes one to wonder what really is "me". If it's all dependent on the functioning neural network. Perhaps it can be copied and there's nothing more than a high complexity interconnection.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @08:12AM
Welcome to transhumanism, friend.
(Score: 2) by pixeldyne on Monday October 20 2014, @10:22AM
Maybe it'll be possible. And then you'll just sit somewhere in a box. Maybe your grandchildren will use use you as a computer (if your box will be connected to Internet). Backups will be a matter of life or death.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @10:58AM
"You" are your functioning neural network. Not just your brain neurons, but the spinal cord, peripheral ganglia, and sensory receptors as well. (and their inputs, which is why people get a little 'crazy' when sensory or stimulus-deprived) Not just the quasi-binary electrical signals within those neurons, but their RNA and protein contents and modifications as well. The fancy stuff your nervous system does that lets you recognize yourself lies in its ability to alter the interconnections, not just in the mapping of the connections, and that plasticity depends on proteins. The indescribable complexity of that system is what gives you a soul that is completely unique but eerily similar to other people.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bzipitidoo on Monday October 20 2014, @06:27AM
My mother has Alzheimer's. Physically she's doing great, but mentally, she's moderately to severely impaired. We took the car keys away from her 4 years ago, after she had collected a few suspicious paint marks on the bumpers, with no idea how it happened. Now she is no longer potty trained. She can still read, but very slowly and with lips moving. I don't think she comprehends what she reads. Her brain has shrunk considerably.
News like this sounds good. Would be wonderful if it could help my mother, but even if a therapy based on this idea was ready to go today, I think it's too late for her. Still, regrowth of brain tissue is really the only way she could improve.
I even considered shoving a cell phone under her pillow after reading that the radiation does have effects on the brain, and for Alz victims, that effect is actually helpful. I speculate that it could be similar to vibration therapy. Maybe the radiation makes the brain cells vibrate?
(Score: 2) by fadrian on Monday October 20 2014, @07:55AM
Wait! Where's the penis joke?
That is all.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by SlimmPickens on Monday October 20 2014, @08:38AM
Where'd you get that rubbish? I don't have time to go book diving right now but even wikipedia has in it's summary for Neuroplasticity has: [wikipedia.org]
Neuroplasticity occurs on a variety of levels, ranging from cellular changes due to learning, to large-scale changes involved in cortical remapping in response to injury. The role of neuroplasticity is widely recognized in healthy development, learning, memory, and recovery from brain damage. During most of the 20th century, the consensus among neuroscientists was that brain structure is relatively immutable after a critical period during early childhood. This belief has been challenged by findings revealing that many aspects of the brain remain plastic even into adulthood
.
The evidence for it happening throughout life is piling up quickly, and some people have it more than others.
Also, I don't understand exactly why, but all male rhesus monkeys lack the gene for L-opsin, in other words they are red-green colour blind. Some scientists used a retrovirus to implant the gene into the retinas of adult monkeys, and five months later they were able to distinguish red and green. The big news here is not repairing the eyes though, it's that an adult brain could use the signal. http://www.wired.com/2009/09/colortherapy/ [wired.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 20 2014, @09:06AM
Maybe it's my Alzheimer's kicking in, but didn't the title use to say something else?
What was it?
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Monday October 20 2014, @09:15AM
Seriously, it was funny. It made me and even my 80 year old mother laugh. For posterities sake, and for the sake of continuity of threads I humbly request you change it back.
It ruled.
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday October 20 2014, @09:39AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Monday October 20 2014, @10:04AM
So we can look forward to substitutions such as cockwork, cockwise and cockspeed.
1702845791×2
(Score: 2) by Blackmoore on Monday October 20 2014, @02:26PM
and more about penetrating markets, thrusting upgrades on users, and ramming unwanted software down the... on second thought. that's too silly.