Cell Phones and Alzheimer's Disease

Radiation from cell phones may prevent Alzheimer's.

The Los Angeles Times (1/6, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that "radiation from" cell "phones protected mice from" Alzheimer's "disease, and might even reverse the symptoms," according to a study published Jan. 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Investigators "at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center arranged about 70 mouse cages in a circle around a central antenna that emitted electromagnetic waves typical of what would emanate from a phone pressed to a human head."
The researchers "exposed mice that were genetically engineered to have Alzheimer's disease to two one-hour sessions of high-frequency electromagnetic waves per day, for seven to nine months," HealthDay (1/6, Gardner) reported. They discovered that "healthy, younger mice exposed to the waves avoided developing Alzheimer's altogether, while older mice with Alzheimer's saw memory and other cognitive deficits improve." Interestingly, "normal mice also developed better memory capacity after" electromagnetic field "exposure."
Alzheimer's may be better treated with cocktail of therapies. Bloomberg News (1/7, Tirrell) reports that, according to a study published in the Jan. 6 issue of Science Translational Medicine, "Alzheimer's disease may be better treated with a cocktail of therapies...rather than with one treatment alone." Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers targeted beta-secretase and gamma-secretase, the "two enzymes known to spur formation of amyloid beta." Because "completely blocking either of the enzymes can cause side effects, such as skin cancer, schizophrenia-like symptoms, and shortened lifespan," the team examined "would happen if both enzymes were simultaneously limited without being blocked entirely."
Wockhardt receives tentative FDA approval to sell generic Alzheimer's drug. Bloomberg News (1/7, Nagarajan) reports that Wockhardt Ltd. said "it received tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to sell a generic drug used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease and dementia."
The Wall Street Journal (1/6, Karve) reported that the company will sell the generic version of Forest Laboratories Inc.'s Namenda in 5 milligram and 10 mg doses. Wockhardt said it can launch the generic version before Forest's patent expires under a settlement on the drug's patent litigation.