Research on Alzheimer’s Disease Brings New Hope
Wonderful news for future Alzheimer sufferers and maybe for those of today. New research may have found a way to stop Alzheimer’s disease cold. Former research was done by autopsy and brain scans. Now with new technology, genetically engineered mice have brought unexpected information to the table. Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City’s Dr.Sam Gandy, associate director said the news is exciting and unexpected.
Alzheimer’s disease has no cure. There are medications to slow it’s progress but it up to the present day, it wins in the end. At least that’s the way it has always been, but new research may actually bring a cure to this dreaded disease. Scientists have discovered that it’s a distorted protein known as tau that spreads like an infection throughout the brain. Researchers have long known that dying, tau-filled cells emerge in a small area of the brain where memories are stored, the disease then continues to move outward. For many years they have not been able to decide between two possibilities. If the disease transmits from neuron to neuron along the paths nerves use to communicate with each other, or if some brain areas are more resilient and resist the disease longer.
Scientists believe it may be possible to stop Alzheimer’s in it’s tracks by preventing the cell to cell transmission with an antibody that blocks tau. The studies were done with genetically engineered mice that could make abnormal human tau proteins in the entorhinal cortex, which is in the middle of the brain. In the genetically engineered mice, cells started dying, filled with tangled, spaghetti like strands of tau. Death spread to other cells in the same nerve network. Since the other cells couldn’t make tau, the only way they could get the protein was by transmission from nerve cell to nerve cell.
Although the study was done on mice researchers say they believe it occurs the same way in humans because the mice had a human tau gene and the progressive wave of cell death matched that in Alzheimer’s disease. The studies were done independently by researchers at Columbia and Harvard Universities. One study was published in the journal PLoS One, and the other in the journal Neuron.
Former studies in humans were autopsy studies and brain imaging which were indirect and inconclusive but when science advanced enough to develop genetically engineered mice, they gave a way to get some clear answers. the new study clearly shows it is contagion from one neuron to another. Scientists suspect other degeneration brain diseases, such as Parkinson’s may spread in the same fashion.
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LCM Linda | Feb 5, 2012 | Reply
Good news. Great breakthrough. Hope the study continues gaining success and people don’t need to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease in the future.
girishpuri | Feb 5, 2012 | Reply
Great news indeed and hope this will continue as the no. of cases are on a rise and it is very serious.
Nightsleeper | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
I’m very glad some progress is being made in this area. I will share your article.
mdrkarim7 | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
Good to know that.
Inna Tysoe | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
It’s definitely a big step. Thanks for sharing that.
LoveDoctor | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
These studies seem promising.
shopamarwah | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
nice info..thanx
avissado | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
wait and watch and hope for the best!
Judy Kaelin | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
Interesting information!
megamatt09 | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
Hopefully the hope will lead to great results.
SharifaMcFarlane | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
Hopefully they can move quickly to use this.
Shirley Shuler | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
That’s great news, Ruby, and I do agree with Sharifa.
Tulan | Feb 6, 2012 | Reply
I hope something good comes from this research. What a miracle it would be.
Safa | Feb 7, 2012 | Reply
This is great news
Moses Ingram | Feb 7, 2012 | Reply
Such good news Ruby. My brother suffered from this disease for my years before passing away in 2011. Please keep us posted on further developments. It is a heartbreaking disease.
papaleng | Feb 8, 2012 | Reply
A welcome development in the field of medicine.
julianhw | Feb 8, 2012 | Reply
Glad you highlighted this – any progress is good news…Julian
PR Mace | Feb 9, 2012 | Reply
We need some good news on this front. Alzheimer’s is one of the scary and saddest diseases I know.
chaussures nike shox | Feb 10, 2012 | Reply
De bonnes nouvelles . Grande percée . J’espère que l’étude se poursuit obtenir le succès et les gens n’ont pas besoin de souffrir de la maladie d’Alzheimer dans le futur .
ur guide | Feb 11, 2012 | Reply
interesting update on science
Daisy Peasblossom | Feb 11, 2012 | Reply
Some pretty important findings, there. Congrats on making today’s hot content list.
Dragoonk | Feb 12, 2012 | Reply
indeed good news. Seems we’re making progress in learning more about our bodies and how desease is spread. Good work Ruby!
Lisa Marie Mottert | Feb 12, 2012 | Reply
Good article and hopefully promising news for people in the future.
Unfortunetely, too late for my mother, who has suffered from this devasting disease since her mid 60’s.
sloanie | Feb 12, 2012 | Reply
This is a terrible illness that takes away a person even before they’ve died. To find a cure would really be a miracle.
Uma Shankari | Feb 12, 2012 | Reply
Great news and a useful update for all of us.
daphne93 | Feb 13, 2012 | Reply
That is fantastis news that there seems to be some progress
CHIPMUNK | Feb 13, 2012 | Reply
good news