(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
New research suggests that a brain protein that has changed form may be the cause of brain disorders -- including Alzheimer's Disease. Researchers say they have developed a treatment that may cause the protein to return to its original form, preventing the disease from developing or reversing the effects of the damage in people who already suffer from Alzheimer's.
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, found that the shape of the protein -- which is called "tau" -- is changed by severe injuries to the brain. The scientists say when people are hit in the head many times, they develop a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
CTE develops in soldiers with head injuries. People who play American football also suffer from CTE after being hit in the head many times. The memory, judgment and ability to function are affected in people with CTE.
Alvaro Pascual-Leone is a neurologist -- a brain scientist. He was one of the researchers who discovered the effect of brain injuries on the "tau" protein.
"We know that the tau plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease. And so it is possible that also there, in the absence of traumatic brain injury, one might be able to protect the brain from the damage in the progression of the disease."
The researchers recently published an article about their findings in the journal Nature. Mr. Pascual-Leone and his colleagues reported that they had developed a treatment that returns the damaged tau to its original, undamaged form. He says it might be possible to use the treatment to stop the development of Alzheimer's Disease. And he suggests it could also slow the loss of brain function in people who already have the disease.
"If we were able to slow down the progression or to modify the course of the disease, it would have a big impact on the well-being of the patients and their families."
Scientists discovered the tau in mice that suffered brain injuries began changing form in as little as 12 hours after the mice were hit in the head.
Researchers hope to develop a blood test or use machines that can see into the brain to help them identify changed tau. Early identification of the problem in people with brain injury could help doctors treat them quickly and stop the tau from changing.
I'm Christopher Jones-Cruise.
词汇解析
1.encephalopathy n. [内科] 脑病
Fulminant encephalopathy usually develops within a week.
通常爆发性的脑病在一周内发展而成。
2.traumatic adj. 外伤的；创伤的 n. 外伤药
For a child the death of a pet can be traumatic.
对孩子来说，一只宠物的死亡可能会造成心理创伤。
3.modify vt. 修改，修饰；更改 vi. 修改
We had to slightly modify the original design.
我们不得不对原来的设计稍加修改。
4.disorder n. 混乱；骚乱 vt. 使失调；扰乱
Many suffered from a definable alcohol, drug, or mental disorder.
许多人都患有能够辨识的酗酒、吸毒或心理障碍。
内容解析
1.And so it is possible that also there, in the absence of traumatic brain injury, one might be able to protect the brain from the damage in the progression of the disease.
in the absence of 缺乏，不存在；无…时，缺少…时
Original mail returned in the absence of the addressee.
收信人不在，原件退回。
In the absence of such evidence, there is no a priori hypothesis to work with.
没有此类证据，就没有可以推理的前提。
2.If we were able to slow down the progression or to modify the course of the disease, it would have a big impact on the well-being of the patients and their families.
slow down 减速，放慢速度；使……慢下来；使放松下来; 放松下来
There is no cure for the disease, although drugs can slow down its rate of development.
这种病没法治，尽管药物可以延缓病情的发展。
You will need to slow down for a while.
你将会需要放松一会儿。
参考译文
新的研究表明，一种改变形态的脑蛋白可能是导致老年痴呆症等脑部疾病的原因，研究者称已开发出一种可能让这种蛋白质回到原来形态的疗法，从而预防疾病进一步发展，或逆转已经患有老年痴呆症者所受的影响。
马萨诸塞州波士顿市贝丝·以色列·迪肯尼斯医疗中心的研究者发现，这种名叫tau的蛋白质的形状会被大脑中的严重损伤所改变。科学家称当人头部多次受到撞击时，他们就患上所谓慢性创伤性脑病(CTE)。
头部受伤的士兵也会患上CTE，美式足球运动员也会在头部多次受到撞击后患上CTE，CTE患者的记忆力、判断力和功能性能力都会受到影响。
阿尔瓦罗·帕斯夸尔利昂是一位神经学家，也就是脑科学家，他是发现脑损伤对tau蛋白质影响的研究者之一。
“我们知道tau蛋白质在老年痴呆症中发挥关键作用，所以有这种可能，在不存在创伤性脑损伤的情况下，它可能保护大脑免受疾病发展的损害。”
研究者们最近在《自然》期刊上发表了有关该发现的论文，帕斯夸尔利昂和他的同事们报告称，他们已经开发出一种将受损tau蛋白质恢复到初始、未受损状态的疗法。他说这种疗法可用来阻止老年痴呆症的发展，可能还能让已经患有老年痴呆症者大脑功能损失过程放缓。
“如果我们能放缓这一过程，或者调整疾病发展的方向，那么这种疗法可能会对患者及其家属的福祉产生很大影响。”
科学家发现患有脑部损伤小白鼠的tau蛋白质在其脑部受撞击的12小时候开始发生形态改变。
研究者希望开发出一种血液测试，或使用能看到大脑内部的仪器来帮助他们找到已改变的tau蛋白质，及早发现脑损伤者的病症就可以帮助医生们快速治疗病阻止tau发生形态改变。
我是克里斯多夫·琼斯·克鲁斯。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
