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The latest discoveries by doctors who investigate the causes and look for ways to treat Alzheimer’s disease indicate that it may be related to overly aggressive activity of the brain’s immune cells. According to the researchers, this is a very important clue that can help in finding an effective treatment for the disease.
- Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. According to estimates, from 15 to 21 million people suffer from it worldwide
- British doctors discovered 42 new genes that increase the risk of the disease. The results of their research open up new possibilities for the search for an effective drug
- The genes discovered are related to the functioning of the brain’s immune system. In some people, too aggressive action of immune cells can accelerate brain degeneration
- More important information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page
Alzheimer’s disease is associated with brain degeneration and is sometimes the most common cause of dementia. It most often affects people over 65 years of age. It is not known what causes the disease, but doctors point out various risk factors that make you more likely to get the disease. In 60 to 80 percent. they have a genetic basis, the others are related to, inter alia, with the way of life. Smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity — can increase the risk. In addition, Alzheimer’s disease affects more women than men.
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Alzheimer’s disease has to do with the brain’s immune system
Scientists from the British Institute for Dementia Research at the University of Cardiff conducted a study that looks at the genetic basis of Alzheimer’s disease. This is the largest study of its type to date. It led to the discovery of an additional 42 genes that increase the risk of the disease. In addition, it has become clear to researchers that Alzheimer’s disease may be linked to disorders in the brain’s immune system.
The study used the genomes of 100. people with Alzheimer’s disease and 600 thousand. from healthy people. Doctors identified 75 genes related to the disease, 42 of which were unknown before. It is them that influence the effectiveness of the brain’s immune cells (the so-called microglia) that remove damaged tissue. In those at risk, these cells seemed to be too aggressive. Excessive microglia activity may have stimulated the degeneration of the brain in demented patients.
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“This is a great tip for doctors”
Prof. Julie Williams, director of the UK Institute for Dementia Research at Cardiff University and co-author of the study, said the findings could help restart efforts to find effective treatments.
“This is a huge hint of what’s going on” — she said. “Eight or nine years ago we didn’t work on the immune system. Genetics changed us ».
The study also allowed scientists to develop an assessment of the genetic risk of the disease. It will help determine which patients with cognitive impairment will develop Alzheimer’s disease within three years of first symptoms. The results of the study are not yet intended for clinical use, but could be used to recruit people to clinical trials with drugs that could be used to treat the disease at its earliest stages.
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Millions of people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, which hinders the daily functioning of both patients and their loved ones. It is estimated that between 15 and 21 million people are affected worldwide today. In Great Britain, there are over 850. people, and in Poland their number has already exceeded 350 thousand. Over the past two decades, no new drugs have emerged, except one, experimental, not available in Europe and the UK.
The latest medical discoveries, published in the journal Nature Genetics and cited by The Guardian, are in line with previous research showing a role for the immune system in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, people with diabetes that affect the immune system are much more at risk.
Dr Susan Kohlhaas, research director at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: «Building a comprehensive list of Alzheimer’s risk genes is like solving a puzzle, and while this work does not give us a complete picture, it provides a valuable framework for future development. But research also shows how complex Alzheimer’s disease is, with several different mechanisms involved in the development of the disease » — she added, quoted by The Guardian.
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