Alzheimer's Disease Case Study

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What if there was a way to slow down or even possibly stop the damage caused by Alzheimer’s? Washington University School of Medicine has been working on a solution to that exact notion and it turns out that they have made developments. Consequently, a protein in the brain known as tau may accumulate into deadly jumbles that damage brain cells and this can be directly attributed to diseases such as Alzheimer's. According to the researchers, they believe to have found a medicine that can lessen tau levels and even counteract portions of the neurological damage. Nevertheless, there was a study published in Science Translational Medicine, consisting mice as well as monkeys, where the researchers discovered a molecule known as an antisense oligonucleotide, which could possibly treat irregular tau levels and ultimately …show more content…

After this time period passed, they noticed that tau levels as well as tau tangles were considerably reduced in those treated with the molecule compared to those who were not. Furthermore, researchers noticed that the molecule even reversed the damage that could have initially been caused. In addition, the treated mice lived an average of 36 days longer than the mice who did not get treatment. Also, they behaved better socially and performed well cognitively, along with increased motor capabilities, which all can be compromised by diseases like Alzheimer’s. This is important as researchers have made strides and even began performing trials on humans for the likes of Huntington’s disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease. If they are able to progress and further develop medicine through these trials, life threatening diseases may be able to be treated, halted, and even reversed. Therefore, humans may one day be able to continue living with no complications or anomalies. These studies will affect all human beings in one form or another as disease and harm is all around us, whether it be you or someone you know or even someone you do not know that can be

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Zilka, N., Stozicka, Z., Kovac, A., Pilipcinec, E., Bugos, O., and Novak, M. (2009). Human misfolded truncated tau protein promotes activation of microglia and leukocyte infiltration in the transgenic rat model of tauopathy. Journal of neuroimmunology 209, 16-25.
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Alzheimer’s disease is a complex illness that affects the brain tissue directly and undergoes gradual memory and behavioral changes which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is known to be the most common form of dementia and is irreversible. Over four million older Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to triple in the next twenty years as more people live into their eighties and nineties. (Johnson, 1989). There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s but throughout the past few years a lot of progress has been made.
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Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE, is a neurodegenerative disease where an excess amount of tau, an abnormal protein, builds up inside of the brain. According to “A critical review of chronic traumatic encephalopathy”, the disease also creates “multiple blockages of the axonal transport to the brain cells, along with white spaces in the brain on a MRI scan.”, as
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Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease, the diagnosis of which marks a long and painful journey through neurofibrillary degeneration. Unfortunately, there are so many factors that lead to and expedite the disease that synthesizing a cure is no simple task by any means. Whether the cause of the disease is hyperphosphorylation of tau or beta-amyloid plaques, current medical technology can only delay the symptoms. Hopefully the future of medical research will yield a method for reversing the progression of the neurological degeneration because far too many victims and their friends and family are forced to embark on the long and painful journey of Alzheimer’s.
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Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer's results from a combination of genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time. Alzheimer's is caused by specific genetic changes that virtually guarantee a person will develop the disease. The causal effect for this disease is still unknown with fingers pointing to plaques and tangles in the brain. Although the causes of Alzheimer's are not yet fully understood, its effect on the brain is clear. Alzheimer's disease damages and kills brain cells. A brain affected by Alzheimer's disease has many fewer cells and many fewer connections among surviving cells than does a healthy brain. As more and more brain cells die, Alzheimer's leads to enormous brain shrinkage. When doctors examined an Alzheimer's brain tissue under the microscope, they saw two types of abnormalities that are considered the cause of the disease. One of these abnormalities is plaques that clump up, a protein called beta-amyloid which damages and destroys brain cells. In patients with Alzheimer’s the plaques created interfere with cell to cell communication. The other abnormality seen is tangles in the brain. Brain cells depend on an internal support and transport system to carry nutrients and other essential materials throughout their long extensions. This system requires the normal structure and functioning of a protein called tau. In an Alzheimer's patient, the threads of tau protein twist into abnormal tangles inside the brain cells, leading to failure of the transport system. (Alzheimer's Association) (National Institutes of Health, 2012)
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1896 Words | 4 Pages
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Alzheimer's Disease Case Study

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Microglial and Neurological Disorder

Concussions By Peter Landesm Film Analysis

Stem Cell Therapy

Dementia Case Study

The Role of Genetics In Alzheimer’s Disease