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| |  Link of Immune System to Alzheimer's Disease Data Published CLEVELAND, Oct. 22, 1996 -- Gliatech Inc. (Nasdaq: GLIA) today announced the publication of a scientific paper in the current issue of Neurobiology of Aging (vol. 17, issue 5, pgs. 781-787). The report describes research that further defines how beta-amyloid, a peptide that is the major component of senile plaques within Alzheimer's disease brains, may trigger an immune response that significantly contributes to the disease process. The study, titled "Neuroglial-Mediated Immunoinflammatory Responses in Alzheimer's Disease: Complement Activation and Therapeutic Approaches," was conducted by scientists at Gliatech and reveals that beta-amyloid binds very specifically to a protein called C1q, initiating an immune reaction referred to as "complement activation." Complement activation is a defense mechanism typically used by the body to ward off infections, and it usually does not occur in the brain. There is clear evidence, however, of activated complement proteins near senile plaques and on damaged neurons in Alzheimer's disease, and it appears that beta-amyloid triggers this response by its binding to C1q. Complement proteins are usually released from liver cells but appear to originate in Alzheimer's disease brain from glial cells that surround senile plaques. Gliatech scientists have demonstrated that it is possible to inhibit the activation of complement by beta-amyloid without affecting the ability of complement to respond in the rest of the body. "There is increasing evidence that much of the neuropathology seen in the Alzheimer's disease brain results from a chronic immunoinflammatory reaction to senile plaques," said Thomas 0. Oesterling, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Gliatech. "The results suggest that it may be possible to develop drugs which specifically inhibit complement activation in the Alzheimer's disease brain without causing general immune suppression." Gliatech is presently pursuing this research plan in collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. In October 1994, Gliatech and Janssen entered into an agreement to collaborate on the discovery and development of compounds suitable for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. The companies also entered into an addendum to that agreement in September 1995 to expand the scope of the collaboration on Alzheimer's disease. More than 8 million people are estimated to suffer from Alzheimer's disease in the United States, Europe, and Japan. In the United States, Alzheimer's disease is the fourth leading cause of death, claiming an estimated 100,000 lives annually. Gliatech was formed in 1988 to discover, develop, and commercialize therapeutic products based on understanding the properties of glial cells, a major component of the nervous system. The Company applies its core glial research to developing innovative products for unmet human healthcare needs.
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