神经退化性疾病是指大脑和脊髓的细胞失去了这些细胞应有的功能，包括做决策和控制肢体活动的能力。这些细胞不容易再生，所以此类疾病的对人们的影响是毁灭性的。科学家们希望他们已经找到了一种药物来阻止所有神经退行性脑疾病，包括阿尔茨海默病。请听 James Gallagher 的报道。
A single drug to cure all neurodegenerative diseases is the ambitious aim. Diseases such as Alzheimerm’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s all lead to defective proteins building up in the brain. This makes brain cells shut down their own protein production and eventually starve.
Four years ago, Medical Research Council scientists showed for the first tie, that a drug could force the brain to keep making proteins and stay alive. But their findings were in mice and the compound they used would have been toxic in people.
Now after testing more than a thousand chemicals, they found two that are safe for human use and still protect the brain in animal trials. One of the drugs, Trazadone, is already used as an antidepressant.
Clinical trials are planned, but the findings so far have been described as ‘exciting, important and potentially a major step forward’.
词汇表
cure 治愈
neurodegenerative diseases 神经退化性疾病
ambitious aim 雄心勃勃的目标
Alzheimer’s 阿尔茨海默病
Huntington’s 亨廷顿氏舞蹈症、慢性进行性舞蹈病
Parkinson’s 帕金森氏病
compound 化合物
toxic 有毒的
antidepressant 抗抑郁药
clinical trials 临床试验
测验
请听报道并回答下列问题。
1. Do brain cells make their own proteins?
2. What can neurodegenerative diseases do to our brain?
3. True or false? Drugs used in tests carried out four years ago (2013) were unsuitable for humans.
4. Which phrase in the text means ‘changes to weather over a long period of time’?
答案
1.Do brain cells make their own proteins?
Yes, the brain cells are able to make their own proteins.
2. What can neurodegenerative diseases do to our brain?
These diseases can cause brain cells to stop making proteins and then starve. If the brain cells die, we lose brain functions.
3. True or false? Drugs used in tests carried out four years ago (2013) were unsuitable for humans.
True. Drug tests previously were done on mice and the compound used would have been toxic to humans.
4. Which word in the text means ‘it might be possible’?
Potentially.
