If there is one aspect that is constant in the race to solve the mystery of Alzheimer’s, it is change. It seems as though any time researchers begin to get a grasp on one piece, new insight shifts their hypotheses in a different direction. That is certainly the situation with the latest remarkable and unexpected Alzheimer’s discovery regarding the progression of the disease.
For the first time ever, researchers from the University of Cambridge have been able to study human data as opposed to animal models. Their findings suggest an origin of the disease in several regions of the brain, rather than a single location that sets off a chain reaction, as formerly understood from studies of the brains of mice.
Dr. Georg Meisl of Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry explains, “The thinking had been that Alzheimer’s develops in a way that’s similar to many cancers: the aggregates form in one region and then spread through the brain. But instead, we found that when Alzheimer’s starts there are already aggregates in multiple regions of the brain, and so trying to stop the spread between regions will do little to slow the disease.”
For that reason, the disease’s advancement is dependent upon how rapidly cells are wiped out within these different regions. This new understanding is going to be extremely beneficial in the advancement of treatment options that focus on the processes that occur at the start of Alzheimer's. More good news: the replication of the tau and amyloid beta proteins responsible for Alzheimer's happens very slowly, and our neurons are already evolving to stop the aggregation of these proteins. The hope is that soon, science and biology can work together to help the millions of men and women impacted by Alzheimer's disease.
The next phase will likely be for researchers to further explore the processes involved in the very first stages associated with the disease, while extending research to other conditions, such as progressive supranuclear palsy and traumatic brain injury. The knowledge accumulated could even help shed light onto better treatments for a number of other common neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson’s disease.
If a loved one is battling Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, reach out to our dementia care team for beneficial resources and assistance with innovative, skilled, hands-on care support. Our caring and patient methods ease the strain of challenging behaviors for example:
Sundowning
Wandering
Aggression
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Disorientation
And many more
Give us a call 24/7 at (416) 422-2273 or contact us online and we can discuss solutions to help you with the specific issues a senior you love is facing. You are in expert hands with The Care Company’s professional Alzheimer’s care in Toronto and surrounding areas!