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According to Dr. Rivest, anti-inflammatory drugs should not be administered in cases of Alzheimer's disease, as they interfere with this natural defence mechanism. On the contrary, he adds, a way must be found to stimulate the recruitment of a greater number of bone marrow-derived microglia.

"Statistics show that 280,000 Canadians aged 65 and over have Alzheimer's," says Anne Martin-Matthews, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Aging (IA). "This project gives hope to seniors, families and caregivers who are concerned by this disease. It illustrates the role health research can play in improving the health of Canadians."

Dr. Serge Rivest's team also had recourse to genetic engineering, in order to manufacture microglia that can anchor themselves more solidly to plaques and that are equipped with enzymes with more efficient plaque-destroying capability.

"Stem cells should be harvested from the patients themselves, thus limiting the risks of both rejection and adverse effects," says Dr. Rivest. "While this cellular therapy will not prevent Alzheimer's, by curbing plaque development, we believe that it will help patients prolong their autonomy and cognitive capacity. We believe that this is new and powerful weapon in the fight to conquer Alzheimer's."

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Contact: Jasmine Sharma
613-941-4563
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
16-Feb-2006