{"id":47805,"date":"1999-01-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1999-01-08T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/1999\/01\/08\/unmc-researchers-to-study-thalidomide-as-treatmentfor-alzheimers-disease\/"},"modified":"2022-08-29T10:59:24","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T15:59:24","slug":"unmc-researchers-to-study-thalidomide-as-treatmentfor-alzheimers-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/1999\/01\/08\/unmc-researchers-to-study-thalidomide-as-treatmentfor-alzheimers-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"UNMC Researchers to Study Thalidomide as Treatment\n\nfor Alzheimer’s Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/FONT><\/B><\/p>\n

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has begun a six-month research<\/p>\n

project to test thalidomide as a possible treatment for people with Alzheimers<\/p>\n

disease. In the 1960s, the drug was known for causing severe birth defects.<\/p>\n

It was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a<\/p>\n

treatment for a skin condition associated with leprosy.<\/p>\n

This will be the first collaborative study for Alzheimers disease patients<\/p>\n

involving basic and clinical researchers associated with the UNMC Center<\/p>\n

for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders. The purpose of the center<\/p>\n

is to combine clinical and basic research efforts in diseases of the brain<\/p>\n

— such as AIDS and Alzheimer’s disease — that can lead to dementia.<\/p>\n

Co-principal investigators of the study are William Burke, M.D., professor<\/p>\n

of psychiatry and director of the division of geriatric psychiatry, and<\/p>\n

Howard Gendelman, M.D., director of the UNMC Center for Neurovirology and<\/p>\n

Neurodegenerative Disorders and professor of pathology\/microbiology. Dr.<\/p>\n

Burke also is co-director, chief of clinical affairs and director of Alzheimers<\/p>\n

disease research for the center.<\/p>\n

Thalidomide is a natural for this study, Dr. Burke said. It is a<\/p>\n

potent modifier of the immune system. It turns off the cells in the brain<\/p>\n

that produce harmful chemicals that can destroy nerve cells.<\/p>\n

Ten patients will be enrolled in the six-month study to test the efficacy,<\/p>\n

tolerability and safety of thalidomide. Patients will be randomly assigned<\/p>\n

to receive either a placebo or 100 or 200 mg. of thalidomide. Participants<\/p>\n

will be evaluated at an initial meeting, then again at six weeks, and three-<\/p>\n

and six-month follow-up visits. The study is sponsored by Celgene, the<\/p>\n

company that manufactures thalidomide.<\/p>\n

Inflammation appears to be a common pathway to brain degeneration in<\/p>\n

Alzheimers disease and AIDS-related dementia. More than 17 epidemiological<\/p>\n

studies have shown that patients who take anti-inflammatory drugs may be<\/p>\n

at lower risk for Alzheimers.<\/p>\n

While its not clear which anti-inflammatory agents appear to reduce<\/p>\n

risk, it appears the agents may have a role in disease modification and<\/p>\n

prevention, Dr. Burke said. This study will help us determine if thalidomide<\/p>\n

effects inflammation and degeneration of nerves in the brain associated<\/p>\n

with Alzheimers disease.<\/p>\n

These patients will have significant memory problems and will have<\/p>\n

begun to experience difficulty in functioning independently, Dr. Burke<\/p>\n

said. We want to be able to measure an improvement in the patients functional<\/p>\n

activity and non-cognitive behaviors over a six-month time period.<\/p>\n

One of the most interesting aspects of this study is the use of proton<\/p>\n

magnetic resonance spectrometry (MRS) to test the effectiveness of thalidomide<\/p>\n

in a non-invasive way.<\/p>\n

The novel use of MRS is most exciting, Dr. Burke said. James McConnell,<\/p>\n

M.D., associate professor, radiology, will conduct the MRS procedures.<\/p>\n

MRS measurement techniques, which were developed earlier for an AIDS<\/p>\n

study, will be adapted to the Alzheimers study and may change treatment<\/p>\n

protocols. In the AIDS study, MRS examined the pattern and extent of cerebral<\/p>\n

injury in HIV infection by monitoring metabolic response to therapies.<\/p>\n

MRS gives biochemical information about the brain that conventional<\/p>\n

methods of analysis cannot provide, and its clinical application has substantially<\/p>\n

extended the diagnostic capability of neuroimaging, Dr. McConnell said.<\/p>\n

In the next 20 years, billions of dollars may be spent on brain imaging<\/p>\n

for dementia in the United States, Dr. McConnell said. The added use<\/p>\n

of MRS may show us if newer treatments are working. Thats what this research<\/p>\n

is all about improved treatment of patients with dementing diseases.<\/p>\n

Ten participants are needed for the UNMC study. A small stipend is available.<\/p>\n

Basic requirements for the study include early to middle stages of Alzheimers<\/p>\n

disease, exhibiting mild to moderate impairment, which include problems<\/p>\n

with daily activities such as driving, shopping, keeping a checkbook and<\/p>\n

orientation to their surroundings. For more information, call (402) 559-5056.<\/p>\n

UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.<\/p>\n

Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has<\/p>\n

established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research<\/p>\n

and treatment and solid organ transplantation.  More than $34 million<\/p>\n

in research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists annually. <\/p>\n

In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more<\/p>\n

health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.<\/p>\n


 <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has begun a six-month research project to test thalidomide as a possible treatment for people with Alzheimers disease. In the 1960s, the drug was known for causing severe birth defects. 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