Can We Pave A Future for Alzheimer's Patients?

According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. It is known to cause issues in memory loss, behavioral abilities, and general cognitive abilities. Currently, there is no known cure for Alzheimer's, which is a progressive disease that worsens over time. When the average person thinks of Alzheimer's, they assume that the affected individual is older in age, but early onset Alzheimer's can be seen as early as ages between 40 and 50. Additionally, a form of Alzheimer's exists that is genetic, called Familial Alzheimer's (FAD).

In her research on Alzheimer's at Rosalind Franklin University, Dr. Grace E. Stutzman investigated the causes and potential therapeutic targets associated with Alzheimer's. Her research has found that along with plaque buildup in the brain of affected patients, there is a disruption in calcium synthesis and release. In an unaffected patient, the rates of calcium influx are at a normal level presynaptically, but in an Alzheimer's patient, the rates are increased, leading to some of the clinical symptoms seen. According to Stutzman, because many pathways and proteins involve regulating calcium influx, the influx rate is very high and feeds into a pathological loop, which then affects buildup of proteins like tau, that are fundamentally associated with Alzheimer's and its surrounding research.

As stated previously, there is no cure for Alzheimer's but few medications have been tried in order to reduce the decline of cognitive function loss and memory loss. Dr. Howard S Krishner at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, states that there are tau-targeted therapies that are being investigated as having clinical potential. Antitau Antibody is one such therapy that is showing clinical promise - in transgenic mice, it significantly reduced insoluble tau and prevented the loss of cortical regions in the brain, conserving brain tissue volume.

The promise for drugs that alleviate the suffering of Alzheimer's patients is an important undertaking. It reminds the world that science has a mission bigger than itself- to help solve the unsolvable in order to the lives of those involved. Alzheimer's research like Dr. Stutzman and Dr. Krishner is important to millions that are suffering from the disease and their loved ones. Perhaps one day, with the likes of these researchers and others, there will be a cure.

Bibliography: 

Alzheimer’s Association. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2017, from https://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_4521.asp

Picture from: https://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_4521.asp

 Neurology Reviews. 2015, et al. “What Is the Future of Alzheimer's Disease Treatment?” Neurology Reviews, 13 Dec. 2016, www.mdedge.com/neurologyreviews/article/104169/alzheimers-cognition/what-future-alzheimers-disease-treatment.

Chakroborty, Shreaya, and Grace E. Stutzmann. “Early Calcium Dysregulation in Alzheimer’s Disease: Setting the Stage for Synaptic Dysfunction.” Science China Life Sciences, vol. 54, no. 8, 2011, pp. 752–762., doi:10.1007/s11427-011-4205-7.