文字稿

神經退化性疾病是指大腦和脊髓的細胞失去了這些細胞應有的功能，包括做決策和控制肢體活動的能力。這些細胞不容易再生，所以此類疾病的對人們的影響是毀滅性的。科學家們希望他們已經找到了一種藥物來阻止所有神經退行性腦疾病，包括阿爾茨海默病。請聽  James Gallagher  的報道。

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’.

詞匯表

cure 治愈
neurodegenerative diseases 神經退化性疾病
ambitious aim 雄心勃勃的目標
Alzheimer’s 阿爾茨海默病
Huntington’s 亨廷頓氏舞蹈癥、慢性進行性舞蹈病
Parkinson’s 帕金森氏病
compound 化合物
toxic 有毒的
antidepressant 抗抑郁藥
clinical trials 臨床試驗

測驗

請聽報道并回答下列問題。

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.