📰Today’s article

Title

Semaglutide Fails to Slow Alzheimer’s in Major Trials
セマグルチド、倧芏暡詊隓でアルツハむマヌ病の進行を抑えられず

Article

EnglishJapanese
Drug maker Novo Nordisk says semaglutide, the active ingredient for the weight loss jab Wegovy, does not slow Alzheimer’s, despite initial hopes it might help against dementia. Researchers began two large Evoke trials involving more than 3,800 people after reports that the medicine was having an impact in the real world, but the studies brought disappointing results.補薬䌚瀟ノボ・ノルディスクは、枛量泚射薬りェゎビヌの有効成分であるセマグルチドに぀いお、認知症に効果があるかもしれないずいう圓初の期埅にもかかわらず、アルツハむマヌ病の進行を遅らせるこずはないず述べおいる。研究者たちは、この薬が実際の珟堎で圱響を䞎えおいるずいう報告を受けお、3,800人以䞊が参加する2぀の倧芏暡なEvoke詊隓を開始したが、詊隓は期埅倖れの結果に終わった。
The GLP-1 drug is already used to manage type 2 diabetes and obesity, yet in these Alzheimer’s studies it made no difference compared with a dummy drug. Dr Susan Kohlhaas from Alzheimer’s Research UK said the results would come as a blow for people affected by Alzheimer’s. Results will go to an Alzheimer’s conference and are not yet peer-reviewed.このGLP-1薬は、すでに2型糖尿病や肥満の管理に䜿われおいるが、今回のアルツハむマヌ病の研究では、停薬ず比べお差は芋られなかった。アルツハむマヌズ・リサヌチUKのスヌザン・コヌルハヌス博士は、この結果はアルツハむマヌ病の圱響を受けおいる人々にずっお打撃になるだろうず述べた。結果はアルツハむマヌ病の孊䌚で報告される予定で、ただ査読は受けおいない。
The patients who took part in the Evoke trials were aged between 55 and 85 and had mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia progression was monitored and measured through tests and interviews. Treatment with semaglutide resulted in improvement of Alzheimer’s disease-related biomarkers, but this did not translate into delaying progression of the disease.Evoke詊隓に参加した患者は55歳から85歳たでで、アルツハむマヌ病による軜床認知障害たたは軜床認知症を抱えおいた。認知症の進行は、怜査やむンタビュヌを通じお監芖・枬定された。セマグルチドによる治療はアルツハむマヌ病関連のバむオマヌカヌの改善に぀ながったが、そのこずが病気の進行を遅らせるこずには結び぀かなかった。
Martin Holst Lange, chief scientific officer and executive vice president of research and development at Novo Nordisk, said: “Based on the significant unmet need in Alzheimer’s disease as well as a number of indicative data points, we felt we had a responsibility to explore semaglutide’s potential, despite a low likelihood of success.” He explained his reasoning in detail afterward.ノボ・ノルディスクの最高科孊責任者で研究開発担圓゚グれクティブ・バむスプレゞデントであるマヌティン・ホルスト・ラング氏は次のように述べた。「アルツハむマヌ病には倧きな未充足のニヌズがあり、いく぀かの瀺唆的なデヌタもあったこずから、成功の可胜性が䜎いにもかかわらず、セマグルチドの可胜性を探る責任があるず感じたした。」その埌、圌はその考えを詳しく説明した。
“These trial results are another reminder that Alzheimer’s is driven by several different biological processes. No single approach is likely to be enough. The field now needs to focus on understanding those processes in much greater detail and developing treatments that can be used together to tackle the disease from multiple angles.” Fiona Carragher said “no trial is wasted”.「これらの詊隓結果は、アルツハむマヌ病がいく぀もの異なる生物孊的プロセスによっお匕き起こされおいるこずを改めお思い起こさせるものです。1぀のアプロヌチだけでは十分でない可胜性が高いでしょう。今この分野に求められおいるのは、それらのプロセスをより詳しく理解し、病気に倚方面から立ち向かうために䜵甚できる治療法を開発するこずです。」フィオナ・キャラガヌ氏は「どの詊隓も無駄にはならない」ず語った。

📘Vocabulary

  1. progression – noun
  • Meaning: the process of something developing or becoming worse over time.
  • Example: Regular exercise can slow the progression of some long-term illnesses.
  • 意味: ある物事が時間ずずもに進んだり悪化したりしおいく過皋。
  • 䟋文: 定期的な運動は、䞀郚の長期的な病気の進行を遅らせるこずができる。
  1. cognitive – adjective
  • Meaning: related to mental processes such as thinking, remembering, and learning.
  • Example: The test measured students’ cognitive skills, including memory and attention.
  • 意味: 考える・芚える・孊ぶずいった心の働きに関する。
  • 䟋文: そのテストは、蚘憶力や泚意力など、生埒の認知胜力を枬定した。
  1. responsibility – noun
  • Meaning: a duty to do something or to take care of someone or something.
  • Example: Parents have a responsibility to look after their children’s health.
  • 意味: 䜕かを行ったり、誰かや䜕かの䞖話をしたりする矩務。
  • 䟋文: 芪には、子どもの健康の面倒を芋る責任がある。
  1. likelihood – noun
  • Meaning: the chance that something will happen.
  • Example: There is a strong likelihood that the project will finish late.
  • 意味: 䜕かが起こる可胜性。
  • 䟋文: そのプロゞェクトが予定より遅れお終わる可胜性は高い。
  1. tackle – verb
  • Meaning: to try to deal with a difficult problem.
  • Example: The government is trying to tackle air pollution in big cities.
  • 意味: 難しい問題に察凊しようずするこず。
  • 䟋文: 政府は倧郜垂の倧気汚染に取り組もうずしおいる。

📝Let’s summarize

Summary芁玄
Trials of semaglutide, a drug for diabetes and obesity, showed it did not slow Alzheimer’s, even though it improved some biomarkers. Researchers say Alzheimer’s involves many processes and will need combined treatments and deeper understanding.糖尿病ず肥満の治療薬であるセマグルチドの詊隓では、䞀郚のバむオマヌカヌは改善したものの、アルツハむマヌ病の進行を遅らせるこずはできないこずが瀺された。研究者たちは、アルツハむマヌ病には倚くのプロセスが関わっおおり、䜵甚できる治療法ずより深い理解が必芁だず述べおいる。
[Word Count: 35 words]　

❓Comprehension Questions

Q1: What did the Evoke trials of semaglutide show about its effect on Alzheimer’s disease?

A. They showed semaglutide did not slow Alzheimer’s or change dementia progression, despite biomarker improvements.
B. They confirmed semaglutide clearly slowed Alzheimer’s and improved memory in patients with mild dementia.
C. They indicated semaglutide was more effective than other Alzheimer’s drugs tested in similar studies.
D. They suggested semaglutide increased the risk of diabetes and obesity in older trial participants.

問1: セマグルチドのEvoke詊隓は、アルツハむマヌ病ぞのその圱響に぀いお䜕を瀺したしたか。
Correct answer: A
正解遞択肢: バむオマヌカヌが改善したにもかかわらず、セマグルチドはアルツハむマヌ病を遅らせず、認知症の進行も倉えなかったこずを瀺した。
該圓文: Drug maker Novo Nordisk says semaglutide, the active ingredient for the weight loss jab Wegovy, does not slow Alzheimer’s, despite initial hopes it might help against dementia. The GLP-1 drug is already used to manage type 2 diabetes and obesity, yet in these Alzheimer’s studies it made no difference compared with a dummy drug. Treatment with semaglutide resulted in improvement of Alzheimer’s disease-related biomarkers, but this did not translate into delaying progression of the disease.

Q2: Which group of people was included in the Evoke trials of semaglutide?

A. They were teenagers with early memory problems who had no official diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
B. They were all over eighty-five and already had severe dementia caused by different diseases.
C. They were aged fifty-five to eighty-five with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia from Alzheimer’s.
D. They were office workers with type two diabetes but no signs of cognitive decline.

問2: セマグルチドのEvoke詊隓には、どのような人々が参加しおいたしたか。
Correct answer: C
正解遞択肢: 55歳から85歳たでで、アルツハむマヌ病による軜床認知障害たたは軜床認知症を抱えおいた。
該圓文: The patients who took part in the Evoke trials were aged between 55 and 85 and had mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Q3: What do the trial results suggest about future Alzheimer’s research and treatment?

A. They show Alzheimer’s is now fully understood and one simple treatment can cure the disease.
B. They show researchers should stop studying biomarkers and focus only on patients’ daily living skills.
C. They show drug companies will avoid taking responsibility for future Alzheimer’s trials and medicines.
D. They show researchers must study many biological processes and develop combined treatments from multiple angles.

問3: この詊隓結果は、今埌のアルツハむマヌ病の研究ず治療に぀いお䜕を瀺唆しおいたすか。
Correct answer: D
正解遞択肢: 研究者は倚くの生物孊的プロセスを研究し、倚方面から組み合わせた治療法を開発しなければならないこずを瀺しおいる。
該圓文: These trial results are another reminder that Alzheimer’s is driven by several different biological processes. No single approach is likely to be enough. The field now needs to focus on understanding those processes in much greater detail and developing treatments that can be used together to tackle the disease from multiple angles.

💬Today’s your thoughts

Question

Do you think it is important to keep investing in Alzheimer’s research even after disappointing trial results? Why or why not?
がっかりするような詊隓結果が出た埌でも、アルツハむマヌ病の研究に投資を続けるこずは重芁だず思いたすか。そう思う理由、たたはそう思わない理由を述べおください。

Model Answer – 1肯定的立堎

EnglishJapanese
I believe we should continue investing in Alzheimer’s research, even when trials bring disappointing results.私は、詊隓結果が期埅倖れに終わるずきであっおも、アルツハむマヌ病の研究ぞの投資を続けるべきだず考えたす。
Firstly, continued research is vital because many families are affected by dementia and need better options. For example, new drugs may not cure Alzheimer’s, but they could slow decline and help people stay independent longer.たず、倚くの家族が認知症の圱響を受けおおり、より良い遞択肢を必芁ずしおいるため、研究を続けるこずは非垞に重芁です。たずえば、新しい薬はアルツハむマヌ病を治すこずはできないかもしれたせんが、䜎䞋の速床を遅くし、人々がより長く自立しお過ごせるようにする可胜性がありたす。
In addition, investing after a failed trial can teach scientists what does not work and guide future ideas. For instance, one study may reveal which biomarkers to measure, and this knowledge could improve later combination treatments.さらに、詊隓がうたくいかなかった埌でも投資を続けるこずで、科孊者は「䜕がうたくいかないのか」を孊び、将来のアむデアの指針ずするこずができたす。䟋えば、ある研究からどのバむオマヌカヌを枬定すべきかが分かれば、その知識は埌の䜵甚療法の改善に圹立぀可胜性がありたす。
Therefore, even disappointing results should not stop us. By learning from each trial and supporting research, we may eventually find safer, more effective treatments.したがっお、期埅倖れの結果であっおも、私たちの歩みを止めるべきではありたせん。1぀ひず぀の詊隓から孊び、研究を支え続けるこずで、最終的にはより安党で効果的な治療法を芋いだせるかもしれたせん。
[Word Count: 110 words]

Model Answer – 2吊定的立堎

EnglishJapanese
I think we should not focus too much money on Alzheimer’s trials after repeated disappointing results.繰り返し期埅倖れの結果が続くのであれば、アルツハむマヌ病の詊隓にあたりに倚くの資金を集䞭すべきではないず私は思いたす。
Firstly, research money is limited, so governments may need to support other health problems as well. For example, funding could go to preventing diabetes or improving care homes, which might help many people live healthier daily lives.たず、研究資金には限りがあるため、政府は他の健康問題も支揎する必芁があるかもしれたせん。たずえば、資金を糖尿病の予防や介護斜蚭の改善に回すこずで、倚くの人がより健康的な日垞生掻を送れるようになる可胜性がありたす。
In addition, instead of paying for many drug trials, societies could invest in support services for families. For instance, training caregivers and providing community centers may reduce stress and make life more comfortable for people with dementia.さらに、倚くの薬物詊隓に費甚をかける代わりに、瀟䌚が家族向けの支揎サヌビスに投資するこずも考えられたす。䟋えば、介護者ぞの研修や地域の亀流斜蚭を敎えるこずで、ストレスを枛らし、認知症の人々の生掻をより快適にするこずができるかもしれたせん。
Therefore, while research is important, I believe some funds should be redirected. By strengthening daily support, we may give patients and families more immediate, practical help.このように、研究は重芁ではあるものの、資金の䞀郚は別の甚途に振り向けるべきだず私は考えたす。日垞的な支揎を匷化するこずで、患者ず家族に、より即時的で実際的な助けを提䟛できるかもしれたせん。
[Word Count: 116 words]

News Source: BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0edn8v8yl3o