What ’s New in Alzheimer ’ s Research?

“I can’t say when we will have a cure, but we now know through our findings how to ask the question of what is going wrong at the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s. – John O’Keefe Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disease of the brain that affects more than 50 million people worldwide, and 5.8 million in America alone. Dementia is its most common form. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s every 65 seconds. While there’s currently no treatment or cure that can stop Alzheimer’s or slow progression of the disease, there are medications and various treatments to help manage symptoms. Still, loved ones and family members of those suffering with Alzheimer’s can have hope, as research into a possible cure and even more effective medications to combat symptoms continues at a brisk pace. Genotypes May Be Key to Determine if Alzheimer’s Drugs Work Researchers at the University of Buffalo found that a gene present in 75 percent of Alzheimer’s patients, but not in animals, is the reason why drugs found successful in animal testing failed to work in humans with the gene. The gene, CHRFAM7A, is a “fusion between a gene that codes for an Alpha 7 receptor for acetylcholine…and a kinase.” The gene is implicated in numerous psychiatric disorders. Researchers said that three of four Alzheimer’s drugs available today work by stimulating receptors responding to acetylcholine, while specific Alpha 7 drugs ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Aging Alzheimer's Memory and Perception Alzheimer's disease Dementia Source Type: blogs