Pathway to An Alzheimer's Solution

"This is a very important and interesting finding."

"For the first time we get a clue to how and why neurons die in Alzheimer's disease. There's been a lot of speculation for 30 to 40 years, but nobody has been able to pinpoint the mechanisms."

"It really provides strong evidence [that] it's this specific suicide pathway."

Professor Bart De Strooper, U.K. Dementia Research Institute

 

"That is a cool paper." 

"[It] addresses one of the fundamental gaps in Alzheimer's research… these are fascinating results and will be important for the field moving forward."  

"[However], many steps are needed [before knowing whether it could be harnessed as an effective treatment for Alzheimer's]."  

Professor Tara Spires-Jones, University of Edinburgh, president, British Neuroscience Association

 

"[The findings are] exciting [but still at an early stage]." 

"This discovery is important because it points to new mechanisms of cell death in Alzheimer's disease that we didn't previously understand and could pave the way for new treatments to slow, or even stop disease progression in the future."

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, Alzheimer's Research UK 

Groundbreaking new research into the cause of brain cell death in Alzheimer's patients has revealed that they're undergoing necroptosis, a form of cell suicide   Getty Images

Research published in the journal Science concludes that Alzheimer's might cause brain cells to eliminate themselves. Scientists studying mice were led to that conclusion when their research brought them to realize that when tangles of the tau protein begin to appear in the brain, a molecule that triggers necroptosis is produced; the elimination of unwanted cells, a method used by the body. A buildup of abnormal proteins, tau and amyloid are seen in Alzheimer's patients.

Amyloid accumulates in spaces between neurons, leading to brain inflammation, causing neurons to alter their internal chemistry, the researchers believe. Gradually brain cells begin to die as tau tangles start to appear. Brain cells survived, the scientists discovered, when the protein MEG3 blocked the protein that triggered the cell suicide. Researchers believe that drugs produced to mimic that effect could prevent necroptosis from occurring.

An estimate of 944,000 people in Britain suffer from dementia, the majority with Alzheimer's -- a number expected to increase to over a million by the year 2030, affecting one in three people born in the United Kingdom this year, expected to develop dementia during their lifetime. The cost of treating the condition and in lost functionality costs Britain $58.1 billion annually. 

Alzheimer's is now identified as the leading cause of death in the country. Drugs currently prescribed for the condition help with the symptoms but are unable to halt its progression.

Researchers believe new findings about a form of cellular suicide gives new ideas for treating Alzheimer's   Getty Images

"The brain typically shrinks to some degree in healthy aging but, surprisingly, does not lose neurons in large numbers. In Alzheimer’s disease, however, damage is widespread, as many neurons stop functioning, lose connections with other neurons, and die. Alzheimer’s disrupts processes vital to neurons and their networks, including communication, metabolism, and repair."

"At first, Alzheimer’s disease typically destroys neurons and their connections in parts of the brain involved in memory, including the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. It later affects areas in the cerebral cortex responsible for language, reasoning, and social behavior. Eventually, many other areas of the brain are damaged. Over time, a person with Alzheimer’s gradually loses his or her ability to live and function independently. Ultimately, the disease is fatal."

National Institute on Aging (U.S. government official website)