A multidisciplinary workforce on the College of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus studied the protection and tolerability of GM-CSF remedy and its results on conduct and mind pathology in a mouse mannequin of Down syndrome and in mice present process typical growing old. The outcomes reported within the journal
counsel that GM-CSF has potential applicability to people.
“Individuals with Down syndrome are at increased threat for Alzheimer’s illness and former work confirmed that GM-CSF improves cognition and mind pathology in Alzheimer’s illness sufferers.
This new examine exhibits that GM-CSF additionally, unexpectedly, improves cognition in mice that shouldn’t have Alzheimer’s illness,” mentioned senior writer Huntington Potter, PhD, professor of neurology on the College of Colorado Faculty of Drugs, director of the College of Colorado Alzheimer’s and Cognition Heart and director of Alzheimer’s illness analysis on the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome. All three teams are positioned on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
He provides, “Discovering a remedy which will assist youngsters and younger adults with Down syndrome to develop their bodily and psychological capabilities is crucial to enhancing their well being and actions of every day dwelling.”
The analysis workforce, led by Md. Mahiuddin Ahmed, PhD, found that remedy with GM-CSF, which has pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and immune regulatory properties, reverses studying and reminiscence deficits, the lack of sure nerve cells, and different abnormalities within the mind in a mouse mannequin of Down syndrome and in addition improves cognition in regular growing old mice.
The human model of GM-CSF/sargramostim has already been proven to be efficient in enhancing cognition in individuals with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s illness and in most cancers sufferers. The findings assist the speculation that GM-CSF/sargramostim could promote neuronal restoration from harm or from neurological illness via a number of mechanisms, a few of which evidently improve cognitive perform.
The following step is to find out whether or not this remedy is secure, tolerable, and efficacious in individuals with Down syndrome.
The CU Anschutz Medical Campus workforce was just lately awarded a grant from the Nationwide Institutes of Well being/Nationwide Institute on Ageing to review sargramostim remedy in younger adults with Down syndrome who don’t present proof of Alzheimer’s illness.
They may examine its security and potential efficacy concerning cognitive perform, high quality of life measures, and biomarkers related to neuronal injury.
“We’re breaking new floor in finding out sargramostim for a number of, totally different problems – Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s illness,” Potter mentioned. “We hope that this remedy, already confirmed to be secure for different ailments, will drastically enhance cognitive perform in individuals with Down syndrome.”
The brand new NIH-funded challenge will leverage collaborations between analysis groups on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus and at Colorado State College.
They may work carefully with the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, which is an affiliate of the International Down Syndrome Basis (GLOBAL). GLOBAL is the main Down syndrome group efficiently advocating for Down syndrome analysis funding on the NIH.
Supply: Medindia
