Researchers at NTNU are working on a large and unique Alzheimer’s project that will last several years. Now the very first results from the study have been published. The results show that substances in blood plasma from men who have just exercised have a good effect on brain cells from experimental animals with Alzheimer’s disease. – These are startling and wonderful discoveries. That’s what Professor Ulrik Wisløff says. He is one of the project leaders in what is called the Explas study. Facts about Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. The disease leads to damage and loss of brain cells, and usually develops over many years. The first symptoms of Alzheimer’s are usually problems with memory, language and orientation. Both younger and older people can get Alzheimer’s disease, but it is most common in the elderly. About 60 percent of all people with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease. Changes in blood vessels and blood circulation to the brain can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The causes are the same as those that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease: high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol levels in the blood and obesity. But it is also possible to get Alzheimer’s despite healthy lifestyle habits. Alzheimer’s disease is a consequence of harmful changes in the brain. There may be biochemical changes, protein deposits, or cell changes that lead to nerve cell death. Research has given us some answers as to why this happens. Among other things, we know that there are several factors that work together, and which lead to the development of the disease. (Source: The National Association for Public Health) Forms new brain cells In the experiment, brain cells from mice were given a substance to simulate Alzheimer’s. The cell cultures were then added to blood plasma from men with good stamina. The men had given blood samples both before and after a hard running session. It turned out that trained blood prevented the brain cells from shrinking in size. In addition, the researchers saw that the proportion of healthy brain cells was higher. – The most important finding we see is the new formation of brain cells. This is the reason why we started this study, says Wisløff to news. The effect was greatest from the blood that was collected immediately after the training session. Professor Ulrik Wisløff believes the findings in the Explas study are sensational. Photo: Per Ingvar Rognes Rats trained intervals In another experiment, different rats were tested. Here, blood from rats that had trained at high-intensity intervals for six weeks was injected into rats that had been genetically modified to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The rats received a total of 14 rounds of trained blood over the course of six weeks. To test the difference, a control group was only given saline. The rats that received trained blood plasma had more than three times the new formation of brain cells in the hippocampus, compared to the control group. – It has been shown in many studies that exercise increases the formation of new brain cells, but here we have achieved this effect in rats with Alzheimer’s who have not exercised themselves. They have been given trained blood via injections in the tail, says Atefe Tari. She is a research group leader at NTNU. – This suggests that exercise affects the “environment” in the blood, and that we get to transfer this positive effect of exercise to the brain, without affecting the brain directly. TRAINED RATS: Blood transfusions from trained rats stimulate the formation of new brain cells in rats that have not exercised. Inflammation can be a key The researchers believe that reduced inflammation can be an explanation for why trained blood results in better brain health. The intervals caused the blood to have lower levels of seven different substances known to cause inflammation. In parallel with the animal studies, the Explas study is also carried out on humans. The findings in the animal studies can be important for understanding how to treat a disease in more and more sheep in the future, says Ulrik Wisløff. – The results we see make us optimistic. Now we can work on analyzing exactly what it is in the trained blood that provokes the formation of new brain cells. That is what we are hunting for now. – Exciting Evandro Fei Fang is a researcher at the University of Oslo. This year he won, among other things, the Dementia Research Award. He believes that what the researchers in Trondheim are doing is exciting. Fei Fang says the benefits of young blood for older animals have been extensively studied and confirmed in laboratory animal models, particularly by researchers at Stanford University. – The novelty of the NTNU study is to not only use young, but also trained blood to treat rats with Alzheimer’s disease. And the findings are exciting. Furthermore, the renowned researcher says that he is cautiously optimistic about the clinical perspective. – But there is a practical challenge for how to maintain this. Should blood be injected every day or every other day? Because blood components are eliminated quickly in humans, just within a few days, says Fei Feng. Associate Professor Evandro Fei Fang came to Norway and Akershus University Hospital in 2017. He has conducted research into Alzheimer’s disease and what can slow down the development of the disease. Photo: Jan-Erik Wilthil / news Those challenges do not worry Ulrik Wisløff. – The idea is not that people will receive trained blood in the future, but that we will be able to find the substances in the trained blood that work.
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Rats with Alzheimer’s disease received new brain cells after receiving blood from trained men – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
