Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease: The Battle for the Soul

Main Topics

• The nature and impact of Alzheimer’s disease
• Historical context and key discoveries
• Traditional research focus on amyloid plaques and tau tangles
• Challenges in developing effective treatments
• Recent breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s drug development
• Paradigm shift: The search for protective genes

Know-How and How-To

Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease

• Alzheimer’s affects cognitive abilities and memories
• Key diagnostic markers: brain atrophy and abnormal protein deposits
• Two main culprits in Alzheimer’s pathology:
  1. Amyloid plaques: Insoluble protein deposits outside neurons
  2. Neurofibrillary tangles: Twisted tau protein fibers inside neurons

Tracking Research Progress

• 1906: Alois Alzheimer first describes the disease
• 1993: First Alzheimer’s drug approved (nearly 90 years later)
• 2021: Aducanumab approved (targets amyloid plaques)
• 2023: Two promising new drugs emerge
  1. Lecanemab: Slows cognitive decline by about 25%
  2. Donanemab: Reduces cognitive decline by approximately 33%

New Research Directions

• Shift focus to searching for protective genes
• 30-year study of Colombian family with early-onset Alzheimer’s
• Discovery of protective mutation in RELN gene
• Previous finding of protective APOE gene mutation

Purpose

This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Alzheimer’s disease research, highlighting both the challenges faced and the recent breakthroughs that offer new hope. By understanding the history, current state, and future directions of Alzheimer’s research, readers can:

• Gain insight into the complexity of the disease
• Appreciate the progress made in treatment development
• Understand the potential of new research approaches, such as the study of protective genes
• Stay informed about the latest advancements in the field

Conclusion

The battle against Alzheimer’s disease has been long and challenging, but recent breakthroughs offer new hope:

• Traditional research focused on amyloid plaques and tau tangles has led to some progress in treatment development
• New drugs like Lecanemab and Donanemab show promise in slowing cognitive decline
• The discovery of protective genetic mutations opens up new avenues for drug development
• The paradigm shift towards studying protective factors challenges existing theories and may lead to more effective treatments

As research continues, our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease grows, bringing us closer to more effective treatments and, potentially, prevention strategies.