JACKSON HOLE, Wyo., Jan. 20, 2016 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c A new study published today in the science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B<\/i> indicates that chronic exposure to an environmental toxin may increase risk of neurodegenerative illness. Conducted by scientists at the Institute for EthnoMedicine, a non-profit medical research organization, and the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank, the study provides a foundation for future research in Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disease, ALS and Parkinson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disease. <\/p>\n
Brain tangles and amyloid deposits are the hallmarks of both Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disease and an unusual illness suffered by Chamorro villagers on the Pacific Island of Guam, whose diet is contaminated by the environmental toxin BMAA. Pacific Islanders with this unusual condition also suffer from dementia and symptoms similar to Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disease, ALS and Parkinson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disease. <\/p>\n
The cause of neurodegenerative disease remains largely unknown, and the role of environmental factors in these illnesses is poorly understood. However, scientists have suspected a link between BMAA, a neurotoxin found in some harmful algal blooms, and neurodegenerative illness.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our findings show that chronic exposure to BMAA can trigger Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s-like brain tangles and amyloid deposits,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Paul Alan Cox, Ph.D., an ethnobotanist at the Institute for EthnoMedicine and lead author of the study. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153As far as we are aware, this is the first time researchers have been able to successfully produce brain tangles and amyloid deposits in an animal model through exposure to an environmental toxin.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Researchers conducted two experiments on vervets that lasted for 140 days. In the first experiment, vervets fed fruit dosed with BMAA developed neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid deposits similar to Pacific Islanders who died from the disease. Vervets fed equal amounts of L-BMAA and the dietary amino acid L-serine had a reduced density of tangles. Vervets fed a placebo dose did not develop neuropathology. <\/p>\n
A replication experiment was conducted which added a BMAA dose closer to the amount Chamorro villagers would be exposed to over a lifetime. The first group received fruit containing L-BMAA, the second group received fruit containing one-tenth of the regular dose of L-BMAA, the third group received fruit containing equal amounts of L-BMAA and L-serine, and the fourth group received fruit containing a placebo.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This study takes a leap forward in showing causality \u00e2\u20ac\u201d that BMAA causes disease,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Deborah Mash, Ph.D., director of the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank and co-author of the study. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The tangles and amyloid deposits produced were nearly identical to those found in the brain tissue of the Pacific Islanders who died from the Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s-like disease.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
After 140 days, tangles and amyloid deposits were found in the brain tissues of all of the vervets who consumed BMAA. However, there was a significant reduction in the density of tangles in those that consumed equal amounts of L-serine. <\/p>\n
Cox does not advocate patients taking L-serine at this time. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The FDA has not approved its use for the treatment of neurodegenerative illness, and much more research is needed,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153However, this new animal model may prove useful in evaluating other potential new Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s drugs.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n
###<\/p>\n
The Institute has sponsored FDA-approved human clinical trials to study the effects of the naturally-occurring amino acid L-serine in people with ALS, and is working with Dartmouth Medical School to begin a Phase I human clinical trial of L-serine for patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early stage Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disease. <\/p>\n
Co-authors of the study include David Davis, Ph.D. of the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank, James Metcalf, Ph.D., and Sandra Banack, Ph.D., at the Institute for EthnoMedicine.<\/p>\n
About the Institute for EthnoMedicine<\/b>\n<\/p>\n
Founded in 2004, the Institute for EthnoMedicine is a non-profit research organization dedicated to discovering new cures for neurodegenerative diseases from studies of indigenous peoples. Based in Jackson Hole, Wyo., the Institute has established a consortium of 50 scientists operating in 28 institutions across 10 countries, allowing for global collaboration through access to the latest technology and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. For more information about the Institute for EthnoMedicine, visit http:\/\/www.ethnomedicine.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo., Jan. 20, 2016 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c A new study published today in the science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B indicates that chronic exposure to an environmental toxin may increase risk of neurodegenerative illness. Conducted by scientists at the Institute for EthnoMedicine, a non-profit medical research organization, and the University of Miami Brain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33727\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}