Are infections crossing the brain barrier and then causing the brain to make too much amyloid beta (Abeta)?
The current leading hypothesis for Alzheimer's is that plaques form in the brain and then these excess plaques set off the formation of tau proteins that form as tangles. Tau tangles kill brain cells in the hippocampus. This can cause Alzheimer's disease.
Too much Abeta, too much Tau. What to do?
Quick note. My mother went to Heaven 4 years ago today. So I have been sitting around feeling sad and lethargic all day. Then I started reading about this new and exciting research headed by Drs. Rober Moir and Rudy Tanzi at the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. Instead of sad and lethargic, I now feel energized, excited and hopeful. This could be it.
Here's the rub.
“Abeta was previously thought to be intrinsically pathological, but our findings suggest it is actually designed to protect the brain.” “Because of Abeta’s role as part of the innate immune system, researchers may need to more carefully consider infection as a possible environmental factor leading to the development of Alzheimer’s.”
It appears that the incidence of dementia in the population is going down. How can this be explained? One idea is that blood pressure and cholesterol medications are helping to stave off the incidence of strokes. Mini stokes are a cause of dementia.
New research indicates that infections crossing over the brain barrier could be cause of Alzheimer's disease. Could an effective treatment to eliminate or stave off infections that are crossing over the brain barrier and into the brain be an effective way to treat or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
This new hypothesis and research about the role of infection in the brain is important to us that are already older.
A simple fact. If the onset of older age Alzheimer's could be pushed backed by 5 years the number of people living with Alzheimer's would be cut in half. Reduced by 50 percent. This is what we need.
I first wrote about Rudy Tanzi in 2008, and updated that story in 2011. Alzheimer's Disease -- A Sudden Flash of Genius Rudy Tanzi
Tanzi's hypothesis.
Amyloid-beta protein (A-beta) -- the primary constituent of the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients -- may be a normal part of the innate immune system.
"Tanzi said, what we need is the equivalent of a statin for the brain so you can dial it down but not turn it off.” The it being beta amyloid, A-beta.
“It means you don’t want to hit A-beta with a sledgehammer,” Dr. Tanzi said. “It says what we need is the equivalent of a statin for the brain so you can dial it down but not turn it off.”
An equivalent of a statin. Statins are the medications that are used to lower cholesterol. High cholesterol increase the chances of suffering from heart disease. In this case we are talking about excess build up of plaque in the heart.Are Drs. Robert Moir, Rudy Tanzi and their colleagues on the edge of a breakthrough in the discovery of an effective treatment for Alzheimer's?
The Cure Alzheimer's Fund has been investing in Robert Moir and Rudy Tanzi since 2006.
The Cure Alzheimer's Fund is my number one recommendation to readers interested in donating to Alzheimer's Research. I started my due diligence in 2008.
One hundred percent (100%) of every dollar you donate goes into Alzheimer's Research. This happens because the wonderful families that founded the CAF pay the overhead. This is not a small amount by the way. My research indicates that the families have donated over $8,000,000 of their own money to fund the operation. All of them have been touched by Alzheimer's.
Check out this list of the Research Consortium at the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. It reads like a Who's Who. No other entity comes close.
If you have 27 bucks (get it?) you might consider donating to the Cure Alzheimer's Fund from time to time.
How to Get Answers To Your Questions About Alzheimer's and Dementia
Related
New Study: Abeta Related to Innate Immunity, Raising New Questions about the Role of Infection in Alzheimer’s Disease
Could Alzheimer’s Stem From Infections? It Makes Sense, Experts Say
Amyloid-β peptide protects against microbial infection in mouse and worm models of Alzheimer’s disease
Science Translational Medicine 25 May 2016: Vol. 8, Issue 340, pp. 340ra72
DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaf1059
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