Now Prof. Daniel Offen and Dr. Adi Shruster of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine have discovered that by reestablishing a population of new cells in the part of the brain associated with behavior, some symptoms of Alzheimer's disease significantly decreased or were reversed altogether.

The research, published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research, was conducted on mouse models; it provides a promising target for Alzheimer's symptoms in human beings as well.

"Until 15 years ago, the common belief was that you were born with a finite number of neurons. You would lose them as you aged or as the result of injury or disease," said Prof. Offen, who also serves as Chief Scientific Officer at BrainStorm, a biotech company at the forefront of innovative stem cell research. "We now know that stem cells can be used to regenerate areas of the brain."

Speeding up recovery

After introducing stem cells in brain tissue in the laboratory and seeing promising results, Prof. Offen leveraged the study to mice with Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms. The gene (Wnt3a) was introduced in the part of the mouse brain that controls behavior, specifically fear and anxiety, in the hope that it would contribute to the formation of genes that produce new brain cells.

According to Prof. Offen, untreated Alzheimer's mice would run heedlessly into an unfamiliar and dangerous area of their habitats instead of assessing potential threats, as healthy mice do. Once treated with the gene that increased new neuron population, however, the mice reverted to assessing their new surroundings first, as usual.

"Normal mice will recognize the danger and avoid it. Mice with the disease, just like human patients, lose their sense of space and reality," said Prof. Offen. "We first succeeded in showing that new neuronal cells were produced in the areas injected with the gene. Then we succeeded in showing diminished symptoms as a result of this neuron repopulation."

"The loss of inhibition is a cause of great embarrassment for most patients and relatives of patients with Alzheimer's," said Prof. Offen. "Often, patients take off their pants in public, having no sense of their surroundings. We saw parallel behavior in animal models with Alzheimer's."

Next: Memory

After concluding that increased stem cell production in a certain area of the brain had a positive effect on behavioral deficits of Alzheimer's, Prof. Offen has moved to research into the area of the brain that controls memory. He and his team are currently exploring it in the laboratory and are confident that the results of the new study will be similar.

"Although there are many questions to answer before this research produces practical therapies, we are very optimistic about the results and feel this is a promising direction for Alzheimer's research," said Prof. Offen.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Outrage Erupts in Spain as Socialists Move to Wipe Out Centuries-Old Christian Holiday

President Trump Honors Teen Lifeguard Who Saved Boy's Life

Meta Faces 29-State Trial That Could Reshape Instagram and Facebook

Sen. Candidate El-Sayed Oversaw Animal 'Slaughterhouse' and This Is Not Just a Story About Killing Dogs

Rep. Fine to Newsmax: Republican Voter Turnout is Crucial This Fall

Sunshine State Primary: Donalds, Jolly Secure Florida Governor Nods

Denver Communists Target Christian Coffee House

Idaho Coffee House Boots Pro-Life Teenagers, Compares Them to KKK (Video)

Fauci's Former Advisor David Morens Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the US by Hiding COVID Origin Records and Evading FOIA

'Battle for Britain': Christian Leaders Call the Church to Prayer as Thousands Prepare to Gather

Even Democrat Massachusetts Lawmakers Call State's New Abortion-Until-Birth Law 'Barbaric'

Trump Bump: Tax Refunds Jumped 17% After President's Signature Law, GAO Reports, $43 Billion More in Refunds

(Watch) Scott Presler Unearths Video of Minnesota Elections Official Telling Workers 'Do NOT Ask for an ID'

'Commonsense': Department of Education to No Longer Require School Discipline Policies That Discriminate on the Basis of Race

Texas Dem James Talarico Calls Bible Education 'Propaganda' as Texas Schools Restore Biblical Literacy

Parents Sue School Over Mosque Field Trip 'Indoctrination'

Gov. Abbott Stops Airport's Plan to Put Islamic Foot-Washing Stations in Restrooms

Pakistani Christians Rally for Equal Rights

New York Town Bans Christians from Erecting Displays in Public, While Allowing Islamic and Other Symbols

Artificial Ignorance: The Political Falsehoods of Leading AIs