What is Alzheimer’s disease?
In 1906, the German doctor Alois Alzheimer was the first to report on a patient with dementia, and the disease was since named after him. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, and it involves a range of symptoms of decreased cognitive abilities, such as memory loss and impaired speech in the early stages of the disease. Over time, it becomes increasingly difficult to for instance find one’s way around or to add together even small numbers. Alzheimer’s disease includes changes in the patient’s emotional life, temper and personality. For instance, a patient with Alzheimer’s might go from being patient and socially active to being passive and annoyed. Changes happen both physically and mentally, but what causes the disease? The answer is that two different types of protein accumulate in the brain.
The two types of protein called beta-amyloid and tau clump together to form plaques and tangles. Beta-amyloid affects brain cells whereas tau affects nerve cells. The first areas to be affected, i.e. the areas near the temporal lobe, are responsible for memories.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, but medications which alleviate the symptoms are available. It is, however, not possible to slow the progression of the disease. Because of this, scientists have been trying to find new treatments, and it turns out that immunotherapy could be the solution for future Alzheimer’s patients. Immunotherapy us a type of therapy where the body’s own immune system is used to fight diseases.
The treatment has two main purposes:
- To strengthen the immune system’s ability to recognise and attack sick cells
- To prevent cells from strengthening themselves
Several studies are currently trying to develop this type of treatment, and it turns out that the trial period will last until 2020. At best, immunotherapy is a very distant prospect, and therefore, we should not forget the patients who live with dementia today.
Sources:
- https://www.dementiastatistics.org/statistics-about-dementia/
- http://www.alzheimer.dk/viden/alzheimers-sygdom
