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Cure for Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related disease, one which is common and presents with loss of memory and dementia. Many Americans, usually 60 years and older, have AD and the number of those affected is skyrocketing. There is no single known cause or treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and there is no preventative medication; yet, researchers are working to identify the possible causes and treatments. Researchers have been examining those with and without Alzheimer's to discover why some are affected while some are not. Through this research, there are new discoveries being made about this disease every day, on whether it is a physical degeneration (Solinsky, 2016).  

At McGill University, researchers believe they have identified a cellular mechanism that may explain the disruption of communication between the neurons involved in Alzheimer’s disease, which they hope will lead them to new therapeutic approaches towards AD. RNA molecules play a significant role in synaptic transmission, the communication of neurons. RNA molecules tend to degrade quickly, but researchers have found specific RBFOX1 proteins that help stabilize the RNA. This protein assists in ensuring that the RNA molecules do not degrade; however, researchers have also recently discovered that there are fewer of these proteins in patients with AD than those without: they hypothesize that the shortage of these specific proteins may be the one of the causes of Alzheimer’s disease.

In order to confirm this theory, researchers analyzed brain tissue of a person who died without AD and a person who died with AD. In the person who had died while having AD, they found there had been a rapid degradation of RNA and a lower supply of RBFOX1 protein. While there are still many tests to run and questions to answer, they believe it can be stated that the protein, RBFOX1, does indeed play a crucial role in the interruption between the neurons that may be causing Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to searching for the causes of AD, researchers are also seeking a way to prevent and/or cure AD in its early stages. As it is a neurological disorder, Dr. Beth Stutzmann studies the impairment of the synapses involved in Alzheimer’s disease in mice. In her paper, “Nitric Oxide Signaling Is Recruited As a Compensatory Mechanism for Sustaining Synaptic Plasticity in Alzheimer’s Disease Mice,” Stutzmann analyzes the increased plastic synaptic deficits due to the disruption of ryanodine receptors (Ry-R) affecting calcium signaling. NO, nitric oxide, a calcium synaptic modulator, was found to increase the release of Ry-R calcium, which in turn improved synaptic plasticity. This research shows blocking NO reduces the synaptic augmentation and induces dendritic calcium release, enhancing RyR calcium release. Stutzmann states NO may be significant to advance synaptic transmission and plasticity, which may assist in preventing AD within earlier stages of the disease.

Although there is no definite cause or cure for Alzheimer's known at this time, there are many therapeutic interventions currently being used to treat the early onset of this disease. Researchers and physicians are stepping forward to identify high-risk individuals and to design a treatment, and possibly evan a cure, for the disease.  

References:

Chakroborty, S., et al. “Nitric Oxide Signaling Is Recruited As a Compensatory Mechanism for Sustaining Synaptic Plasticity in Alzheimer's Disease Mice.” Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 35, no. 17, 2015, pp. 6893–6902., doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4002-14.2015.

McGill University. "New mechanism detected in Alzheimer's disease: Rate of RNA decay could be a key to breakdown in communication between neurons." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 October 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171013091025.htm.

Solinsky, Christine, et al. “New Insights Into the Development and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.” Society of Neuroscience, Society of Neuroscience , 16 Nov. 2016, www.sfn.org/press-room/news-release-archives/2016/new-insights-into-the-development-and-treatment-of-alzheimers-disease.

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