September is World Alzheimer’s Month!
In recognition of September 21st being World Alzheimer’s Day, why don’t we deepen our understanding of Alzheimer's disease?
In 1994, the “Alzheimer's Disease International” (ADI), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), established September 21st as “World Alzheimer's Day” to raise awareness for people who suffer from dementia. In addition to this, September was designated as “World Alzheimer's Month” with further steps being taken to increase awareness of the disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological disorder and the most common form of dementia. There are two types of Alzheimer's disease: familial, in which the disease is passed genetically, and solitary, in which genetics do not play a roll in the development of the disease. The latter comprises 90% of all Alzheimer’s patients and is the most common form of the disease. Although there are four approved drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, they are only able to slow the progression of the disease, not reverse it. Therefore it is vital that research for a cure is prioritized.
Here at SMC, we offer pre-clinical drug efficacy studies using the icv-STZ model. This model can be used to aid in the development of treatments for neurological diseases and specifically Alzheimer's. In Alzheimer's, nerve cells in the brain are damaged and, in order to heal the damage, inflammation in the brain occurs. However, as the disease progresses so does the inflammation, resulting in a chronic inflammatory state. This chronic inflammation in the brain has been found to exacerbate the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's. Therefore, it is important to reduce and control the inflammation in the brain in order to successfully treat the disease.
The icv-STZ model is a mouse model for solitary Alzheimer's disease, in which the administration of streptozotocin in the mouse brain elicits oxidative stress-induced neural damage and immune cell activation. Using this model, we can help you conduct a pharmacology study that focuses reducing and controlling brain inflammation.
If you would like to learn more about that model, or any other model in our lineup, please feel free to contact us. We would be happy to give you an in depth explanation of our services and how SMC can help you!
■Alzheimer's Disease International; ADI
■About the icv-STZ model.