Radiation, Nanoparticles May Slow Alzheimer's

Researchers have discovered a new approach that uses gold nanoparticles to destroy beta-amyloid fibrils and plaque, believed to contribute to the mental deterioration of Alzheimer's patients.

The researchers state that the new technique, which they call a type of "molecular surgery,” could stop or slow the disease's progression without injuring healthy brain cells. The study was published in the January 11, 2006, issue of the American Chemical Society's journal Nano Letters.

Utilizing laboratory model studies, the investigators attached gold nanoparticles to a group of beta amyloid fibrils, incubated the ensuing compound for several days, and then exposed it to weak microwave fields for several hours. The energy levels of the fields were six times smaller than those of traditional cell phones and not likely to harm healthy cells, according to the researchers. The fibrils then dissolved and remained dissolved for at least one week after being irradiated, indicating that the treatment was not only successful at breaking up the fibrils but also resulted in a lower propensity of the proteins to re-aggregate, according to the researchers.

The same application also has potential for treating other neurodegenerative disorders that involve protein aggregation, including Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, according to study leader Dr. Marcelo J. Kogan, from the University of Chile (Santiago). He reported that the application is similar to that of another investigational method that utilizes metallic nanoparticles to label and destroy cancer cells. Animal studies are planned, according to Dr. Kogan.