{"id":3001,"date":"2016-08-05T09:00:29","date_gmt":"2016-08-05T09:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.medicalmarijuanainc.com\/?p=16941"},"modified":"2016-08-05T09:00:29","modified_gmt":"2016-08-05T09:00:29","slug":"dr-titus-insights-alzheimers-research-work-dr-schubert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medicalmarijuanainc.com\/2016\/08\/05\/dr-titus-insights-alzheimers-research-work-dr-schubert\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Titus\u2019 Insights: Alzheimer\u2019s Research and the Work of Dr. Schubert"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week:<\/span><\/span> MJNA President & CEO, Stuart W. Titus, PhD follows Up on Alzheimer\u2019s research, talking more pharma failures and the profound work of Dr. David Schubert<\/span><\/p>\n

Next week:<\/span><\/span> Hemp Seed Nutrition<\/span><\/p>\n

This week, we saw two additional Alzheimer\u2019s studies show more failures in the quest to arrest the decline of mental and cognitive function in our aging population. \u00a0Last week<\/a>, I mentioned in my weekly column Alzheimer\u2019s and its link to the industrial disease of the NFL, CTE<\/a>. \u00a0Further that there is new hope, thanks to the progressive efforts of a Dr. David Schubert of San Diego\u2019s Salk Institute.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Schubert, pictured below, has spent a good deal of his career as a researcher at the Salk Institute looking into potential approaches to the Alzheimer\u2019s problem in America. Currently, we believe there are 5.4 million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s, and this figure is expected to triple within the next 35 years (Link: <\/span>http:\/\/www.alz.org\/facts\/<\/span><\/a>). \u00a0We spend over $200 billion annually on healthcare for these patients \u2013 and if trends continue, it is estimated that by the year 2050, we will be spending over $1 trillion annually.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. David Schubert, Professor and Laboratory Head, Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego California<\/p>\n

Dr. Schubert has described his research career herein:<\/p>\n

\u201cI have run a small lab at The Salk Institute for many years. \u00a0My undergraduate degree is in chemistry, Ph.D. is in immunology, and my early career was in cell biology and electrophysiology. \u00a0I went on to study growth factors, which led to work based upon protein chemistry and proteomics. \u00a0For the past decade the laboratory has been working on cell death pathways associated with glutamate toxicity and AD. \u00a0Much of the early work on the basic biology of the amyloid precursor protein and A\u03b2 (amyloid-beta) toxicity was from my laboratory. \u00a0This work led to the desire to develop drugs for AD (Alzheimer\u2019s disease \/ Alzheimer\u2019s Dementia) and related conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. \u00a0Therefore, we have developed the expertise to do the necessary medicinal chemistry, assays and pre-clinical laboratory work required for this work and have an excellent publication record in this area.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Link: <\/span>https:\/\/www.michaeljfox.org\/foundation\/researchers.php?id=1349<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Staying with the positive and the potential for future research, Dr. Schubert\u2019s recent research, as reported by the Salk Institute, can be read here:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/news-release\/cannabinoids-remove-plaque-forming-alzheimers-proteins-from-brain-cells\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Herein, Dr. Schubert makes the case for cannabinoids to not only assist in the decrease of brain-related inflammation \u2013 but to also, simultaneously assist in the removal of beta-amyloid Protein aggregation (plaques), which are a likely cause of Alzheimer\u2019s. \u00a0This research is especially astounding, particularly when one looks at a report published by Bloomberg reporters Robert Langreth and Cynthia Koons titled: <\/span>After 190 Tries, Are We Any Closer to a Cure for Alzheimer\u2019s?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In the Bloomberg report, published June 26, 2016, the reporters summarized the findings of our research community to date: \u201cAll told, at least 190 Alzheimer\u2019s drugs have failed in human trials, according to Bernard Munos, a senior fellow at FasterCures, a health non-profit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Link:<\/span>http:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2016-06-27\/after-190-tries-are-we-any-closer-to-a-cure-for-alzheimer-s<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Further, Bloomberg goes on to say:<\/p>\n

\u201cBig Pharma may have thrown in the towel if Alzheimer\u2019s weren\u2019t one of the industry\u2019s last big untapped markets. \u00a0More than 5 million Americans have the disease, and that number may rise to 13.8 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer\u2019s Association. \u00a0Existing medicines, which mostly treat symptoms, have combined sales of $3 billion today. \u00a0\u2018If any of these drugs actually manage to slow the progress of the disease, their sales potential would be orders of magnitude higher,\u2019 says San Fazeli, senior pharmaceuticals analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the world of Alzheimer\u2019s research, there are two distinct schools of thought. \u00a0One seeks to focus on these beta-amyloid plaques as the primary cause of brain dysfunction, and the other school focuses in efforts toward tau protein tangles, which have a similar effect to diminish brain communication activities. \u00a0The amyloid camp shows certain genetic evidence \u201chas been so compelling,\u201d according to Roger Perlmutter, head of research at Merck. \u00a0In 2012, overseas researchers discovered a rare gene mutation that appears to protect against Alzheimer\u2019s by lowering amyloid production. However, as numerous amyloid drugs have failed in clinical efforts, the industry has refocused toward Tau. \u00a0Tau is similar to a beta amyloid type of brain protein aggregation, which is more commonly associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy<\/a> (CTE, aka the \u201cindustrial disease\u201d of the National Football League, NFL).<\/p>\n

Interest in Tau protein research gained momentum in 2012 and 2013 as studies showed the toxic protein can spread between brain cells, which makes it an easier pharmaceutical target. \u00a0Several pharma companies are working toward this Tau tangle aspect, including TauRx Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbieVie.<\/p>\n

In an effort to describe the two worlds of clinical thought regarding Alzheimer\u2019s causation, an excellent quote comes from Samantha Budd Haeberlein, VP of Clinical Development at Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB), a pharmaceutical development company focusing on two drugs that are nearing human trials. \u00a0Ms. Haeberlein mentions that \u201cwhile tau is \u2018possibly the executioner\u2019 of brain cells, amyloid is \u2018the gun.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the June 2016 Bloomberg report, there have been an additional two failures in the world of Alzheimer\u2019s, bringing the Bloomberg total now up to 192. \u00a0As reported by Damian Garde in STAT Biotech on July 27, 2016: \u201cA closely watched treatment for Alzheimer\u2019s came up short in a late-stage trial, marking the latest setback in a field wracked by years of failure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Link: <\/span>https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2016\/07\/27\/alzheimers-drug-taurx\/<\/span><\/a> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The latest failure, TauRx Pharmaceuticals drug LMTX, was meant to block activity of bodily proteins that many neuroscientists believe contribute to the brain destroying effects of Alzheimer\u2019s. \u00a0Although the LMTX treatment is still being researched via a second study involving about 700 people, with additional data expected to be released later in 2016.<\/p>\n

Further, the STAT News article about TauRx Pharma mentions that the \u201cresults are another blow to Alzheimer\u2019s research. \u00a0Academics, startups and pharmaceutical giants have poured decades of work and billions of dollars into finding treatments. \u00a0One therapy after another has looked promising in the lab \u2013 only to crumble when tested in large patient populations.\u201d \u00a0An analysis by the Cleveland Clinic shows that 99.6% of Alzheimer\u2019s patients tested between 2002 and 2012 have failed to show progress in clinical trials.<\/p>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s is considered irreversibly fatal according to STAT News.<\/p>\n

MedPage Today, during the final week of July 2016, also showed the failure of another recent study involving \u201cintense vascular risk management\u201d to prevent dementia in a large trial conducted in The Netherlands. \u00a0There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients who developed dementia over about 6 years \u2013 whether they received intensive management or just standard care.<\/p>\n

Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with an increased risk of dementia. \u00a03,500 patients aged 70 to 78 were followed for a median of 6.7 years with the primary outcome of the study being the development of dementia. \u00a0Unfortunately, the effort, though showing benefit for blood pressure and other health benefits, did nothing for the risk of dementia.<\/p>\n

Which is why the work of Dr. Schubert becomes so profound with far-reaching implications. \u00a0We look forward to further research and study of cannabinoids as an answer to the Alzheimer\u2019s problem our senior citizens face.<\/p>\n

As a review, here is a synopsis of Alzheimer\u2019s:<\/p>\n