New research shows that Alzheimer’s disease can begin in multiple areas of the brain rather than a single region. In addition, the scientists assume that the neurodegenerative disease spreads differently than previously assumed. According to the authors, the new findings from their study could contribute to a more precise diagnosis as well as better treatment options.
Redefinition of the development of Alzheimer’s enables new therapeutic approaches
The study authors claim they may have discovered that Alzheimer’s disease progresses differently in the brain than previous research suggests. The previous assumption has been that the disease develops in a way that is similar for many types of cancer: the aggregates form in one region and then spread through the brain. However, the research team found that by the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, aggregates are already present in several regions of the brain. Trying to stop this spread between the regions would therefore do little to slow down the process, say the researchers. They examined PET scans of patients with Alzheimer’s disease along with post-mortem samples of the brain from people who died from it. The team tracked the spread of tau, a type of protein that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.
The study results suggest that the development of Alzheimer’s is based on the replication of tau proteins in individual regions of the brain. The authors hope that this finding can improve future treatment by specifically stopping the replication of aggregates in the brain. This research is particularly instructive for the development of dew-directed drugs. For example, a drug that blocks the formation of tau proteins in multiple regions of the brain may be more effective than a drug that prevents them from spreading from cell to cell. The bottom line is that the features that define neurodegenerative disease are complex and diffuse. Hence, medical professionals need drugs that adequately target biology. For the first time, researchers used human samples to track the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Well they hope that this study can redefine the treatment methods that stabilize or even completely cure such a condition.