Neuroscientists Make Breakthrough for Studying Alzheimer's

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have made a breakthrough in studying Alzheimer's. What they call "Alzheimer's in a Dish," neuroscientists Doo Yeo Kim and Rudolph E. Tanzi have replicated human brain cells in a petri dish that mimics the network of neurons in a person with Alzheimer's.

Neuroscientist Doo Yeo Kim(Left) and Rudolph E. Tanzi(Right)

The findings started off as a mere suggestion by Doo Yeo Kim to his colleague Rudolph E. Tanzi. The suggestion was to grow human brain cells in a gel. From there, the scientists added genes for Alzheimer's to the neurons. After a few weeks of incubation, the researchers noticed the development of plaque and tangles, which are key features of the neuron network in a person with Alzheimer's. The growth of the neurons began with human embryonic stem cells. Growing them in the presence of certain chemicals allowed the stem cells to turn into neurons. The only requirement then after was to introduce the Alzheimer gene beta amyloid.

Plaque - pictured an orange,  disrupting a network of neurons - pictured in green, in a petri dish. 

Scientists from all over the country are recognizing the breakthrough Dr. Kim and Dr. Tanzi have made. This is a big step forward for the study of Alzheimer's. This allows an accelerate process of drug testing for the disease. Before scientists had to rely on mice to test newly synthesized drug treatment which took a minimum of a year to study. However, with the petri dish method, researchers can study the effects of drugs within a matter of months. The only downfall of this discovery is that the replica does not take into consideration immune system cells, which are known to contribute to Alzheimer's once it begins. Although, hopefully the study will help scientists target Alzheimer's before it even begins.

Dr. Tanzi is now in the beginning stages of testing nearly 6,000 on the market and experimental drugs and their effects on the neurons present in the petri dish. The neuroscientists has already used his method to inhibit a certain enzyme that stopped the formation of tangles. As further research continues and scientists duplicate their methods, a potential drug treatment for Alzheimer's can be found in the coming years. This is very promising news, as Alzheimer's continues to become more and more prominent in our society.

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/13/science/researchers-replicate-alzheimers-brain-cells-in-a-petri-dish.html?rref=science&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Space%20%26%20Cosmos&action=keypress&region=FixedLeft&pgtype=article

Article Related: Beta-Amyloid - http://www.alz.org/braintour/plaques.asp