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Guest lecture by Milan Fiala

CMBN is happy to announce the following guest lecture:

Milan FialaNutrition and immunological testing for prevention of neurodegenerative disorders

Research Professor Milan Fiala M.D., Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Monday 21 September 2009 at 1400
Small auditorium, Domus Medica, University of Oslo

Neuronal loss is irreplaceable but might be preventable. The immune system is critical for clearing amyloid-beta from neurons and plaques but is defective in patients with Alzheimer disease, and in other disorders, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington disease, the immune system is also abnormal.  The innate immunity of Alzheimer disease patients may be tested by flow cytometry and PCR of immune genes, as well as CSF studies of amyloid-beta and tau. 1alpha,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 (1,25D3) and curcuminoids are transcription factors that improve transcription of immune genes and the immune function against amyloid-beta. Many Alzheimer disease patients are deficient in 25OH-D3 serum levels. Supplementation with vitamin D3 is beneficial for cardiovascular and bone health, and our results suggest that it might be beneficial for prevention of Alzheimer disease. Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in animal models of Alzheimer disease. Curcuminoids decrese inflammation in macrophages of ALS patients. Therefore, nutrititional supplementation has scientific rationale for prevention of AD and ALS, and the biological and molecular effects can be monitored using peripheral blood and CSF in conjunction with brain imaging and neurological examination.    

 

Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience (CMBN)
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