New Alzheimer Drug... Marijuana.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2006-10-05 05:59pm

The active ingredient of marijuana could be considerably better at suppressing the abnormal clumping of malformed proteins that is a hallmark of Alzheimer's than any currently approved drugs prescribed for the treatment of the disease.

Scientists report the finding in the Oct. 2 issue of the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

About 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, which gradually destroys memory. As more people survive into old age, cases of Alzheimer’s disease are expected to triple over the next 50 years. There is no known cure.

The researchers looked at THC, the compound inside marijuana responsible for its action on the brain. Computer models suggested THC might inhibit an enzyme with the tongue-twisting name of acetylcholinesterase (also called AChE) that is linked with Alzheimer's.

AChE is known to help accelerate the formation of abnormal protein clumps in the brain known as amyloid plaques during Alzheimer's. This enzyme also helps break down the brain chemical acetylcholine, which is linked to memory and learning. Acetylcholine levels are reduced during Alzheimer's.

In lab experiments, the scientists found THC was significantly better at disrupting the abnormal clumping of malformed proteins. THC could completely prevent AChE from forming amyloid plaques, while two drugs approved for use against Alzheimer's, donepezil and tacrine, reduced clumping by only 22 and 7 percent, respectively, at twice the concentration of THC used in the tests.

"We're not advocating smoking dope, but if we can make analogues of THC, it could play a role in treating Alzheimer's," researcher Kim Janda, a chemist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., told LiveScience. "It would be nice to do more animal studies along these lines."

Past research on human brain tissues and experiments with rats have suggested that synthetic analogues of THC can reduce the inflammation and prevent the mental decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.

However, marijuana is not necessarily good for the mind. Prior investigations have shown that years of heavy marijuana use, consisting of four or more joints a week, can impair memory, decision making, and the ability to pay attention to more than one thing at a time.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2006-10-05 06:05pm

And more Alzheimers' Prevention: Red Wine

Bob Marley is onto something here!!

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2006-10-05 06:05pm

It treats glaucoma, gives people munchies so they don't waste away and die, and now it shows promise of helping to treat Alzhiemer's. It is truly a miracle drug. Man, now I'm getting cravings for a hash brownie...

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2006-10-05 06:44pm

All I can say is: Fucking marijuana laws.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2006-10-05 07:03pm

And yet somehow it still gets villanized more than tobacco. . .so now we can start saying if people are anti-marijuana, then they're pro alzheimers! The perfect guilt-trip!

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2006-10-05 08:40pm

At this rate, I'm never getting Alzheimer's.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2006-10-05 08:41pm

General Zod wrote:And yet somehow it still gets villanized more than tobacco. . .so now we can start saying if people are anti-marijuana, then they're pro alzheimers! The perfect guilt-trip!

It would be even better if we discovered that it cures some kind of childhood cancer or disease, then we can go "THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!"

Tinkerbell · Post by **Tinkerbell** » 2006-10-05 10:18pm

I'll never get alzheimer's, but at this rate I'll never be able to pass a drug test for a job either

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2006-10-06 12:20am

Tinkerbell wrote:I'll never get alzheimer's, but at this rate I'll never be able to pass a drug test for a job either

You just have to find employers that don't give a shit so long as you don't come in stoned.

Middleclass · Post by **Middleclass** » 2006-10-06 01:50am

Uraniun235 wrote:
Tinkerbell wrote:I'll never get alzheimer's, but at this rate I'll never be able to pass a drug test for a job either
You just have to find employers that don't give a shit so long as you don't come in stoned.

So... pizza delivery driver or philosophy professor? Wait, those don't care even if you show up blazed.

Seriously, this was my good news for the day. And a fine answer to the "you're self medicating" charge.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2006-10-06 02:11am

aerius wrote:It treats glaucoma, gives people munchies so they don't waste away and die, and now it shows promise of helping to treat Alzhiemer's. It is truly a miracle drug. Man, now I'm getting cravings for a hash brownie...

And they STILL have the gall to still have it in Schedule 1!

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2006-10-06 03:18pm

go back in time and give reagan a hit so as to help with his early stages of Alzheimers, and to stop Nancy's "War on Drugs" in one fell swoop?

J · Post by J » 2006-10-09 10:36am

RedImperator wrote:At this rate, I'm never getting Alzheimer's.

Well since you also smoke cigarettes, you'll probably die from lung cancer before Alzheimer's sets in.