New research is Alzheimer’s comes across almost weekly. Yet, there’s no cure. One day, while researching something else, a scientist may find a cure. For now, the following four articles give us an indication of where research is heading.
First, what really causes Alzheimer’s — tau or beta amyloid?
Is Alzheimer’s caused by the accumulation of tau proteins or the amyloid plaques as this New York Times article [TCV Update 6/26/2022 NYT URL no longer available] addresses when explaining the role of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene in Alzheimer’s?
This is what I wrote (edited) to Ann Vanino who sent me the article:
Once more, you share information that expands my boundaries requiring me to better articulate what I’ve learned so far…
Amyloid plaques and tau proteins were studied in the 1990s … then the amyloid folks gained a funding foothold and that’s where Alzheimer’s research focused. The tau folks have been making a comeback. Today, researchers are divided after finding increasing numbers of elders’ brains riddled with amyloid plaques despite living without symptoms of Alzheimer’s, until death.
So this is the road to a cure—one step here, another step there … an accidental finding there. But when two-unrelated ideas come together, WHA-LAH, like magic, we come upon a CURE!
If you are interested, read some of the comments to the article…interesting and credible.
Again, thank YOU for sharing.
Stanford University’s finds a link — the C1q protein.
Aging brains accumulate the C1q protein — the effect, which is most damaging following head trauma or stroke. Read more about how the C1q keeps the brain functioning efficiently while we’re younger but can damage an aging brain. [TCV Update 9/25/2020 URL no longer available.]
There’s more!
In Rethinking Alzheimer’s, Bruce Goldman (Stanford Medicine), writes (partially paraphrased):
Young blood late in life rejuvenates old brain’s function … in mice. Biotechnology company Alkahest plans to study if this theory produces the same success in humans as it does in mice by giving people with Alzheimer’s infusions of young donors’ blood.
For more information, read Stanford’s brightest lights reveal new insights into early underpinnings of Alzheimer’s. [TCV Update 9/25/2020 URL no longer available.]
