科学家正在研制治愈老年痴呆症的药品

88 科学家正在研制治愈老年痴呆症的药品

SCIENCE REPORT - August 30, 2001: Testing Possible Treatments for CJDBy Nancy Steinbach

（Start at 1'01"） This is Bill White with the VOA Special English Science Report.
American scientists say that two drugs have shown to be effective against the (1)protein thought to cause the deadly (2)brain condition Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease¹, or CJD.
CJD causes holes to develop in the brain. It is rare, and cannot be cured. It usually affects people sixty-five years old or older. More than one-hundred people in Europe have died or are dying² from it. Most of the (3)victims live in Britain.
These victims (4)suffer a kind of CJD linked to the cattle sickness known as Mad Cow Disease. Its real name is (5)bovine (6)spongiform (7)encephalopathy, or BSE. Scientists believe that eating infected beef from a cow suffering BSE is one cause of CJD. The (8)infectious³ proteins are thought to damage healthy proteins and cause holes in the brain.
The American researchers reported the results of their recent work in "The Proceedings⁴ of the National Academy⁵ of Sciences". The researchers are from the University of California at San Francisco. They say their research shows that two drugs can clear the infectious proteins from mouse brain cells.
The drugs are (9)quinacrine and chlorpromazine. Quinacrine was used in the Nineteen-Forties to treat malaria⁶. (10)Chlorpromazine is used to treat the mental disorder⁷ (11)schizophrenia. Quinacrine appears to be more effective in stopping the deadly protein activity. However, chlorpromazine crosses more easily into the brain.
The researchers in San Francisco already have treated two CJD patients with the drugs. One patient is British. The other patient is American. The results are not clear, although a British newspaper has reported improvement⁸ in one of the patients.
The researchers are preparing to test the drugs in more people to see if they are effective against CJD. This process will begin next month. The patients will go to the university hospital for two weeks of treatment with one or both drugs. They will continue taking the drugs for another six months at home.
The study will try to find the correct amount of each drug to use. And it will measure how much of each drug gets into the patients' brains. The treatment will be considered successful if patients (12)survive longer and are able to take part in daily activities of normal living.
This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Nancy Steinbach.

 

(1) protein[ 5prEuti:n ]n.[生化]蛋白质adj.蛋白质的
(2) brain[ brein ]n.脑, 头脑
(3) victim[ 5viktim ]n.受害人, 牺牲者, 牺牲品
(4) suffer[ 5sQfE ]vt.遭受, 经历, 忍受vi.受痛苦, 受损害
(5) bovine[ 5bEuvain ]adj.迟钝的, 牛的, 似牛的, 耐心的
(6) spongiform[ 5spQNdVifC:m ]adj.海绵状(组织)的,与海绵同类的
(7) encephalopathy[en9sefE`lCpEWI]n.[医]脑病
(8) infectious[ in5fekFEs ]adj.有传染性的, 易传染的, 有感染力的
(9) quinacrine[ 5kwinE7kri:n ]n.[药]奎纳克林,阿的平(一种抗疟药)
(10) chlorpromazine[ klC:5prEumEzin ]n.[药]氯丙嗪, 冬眠硫磷
(11) schizophrenia[ 7skizEu5fri:niE ]n.[心]精神分裂症
(12) survive[ sE5vaiv ]v.幸免于, 幸存, 生还

1 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

2 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

3 infectious   

adj.传染的，有传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。
• What an infectious laugh she has!她的笑声多么具有感染力啊！

4 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

5 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

6 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

7 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

8 improvement   

n.改进，增进；改进之处，改善的地方

参考例句：

• The doctor noticed a gradual improvement in his patient.医生注意到病人在逐渐恢复健康。
• I can detect signs of improvement in your thinking.我可以察觉出你思考问题方面的进步。