Khaberni - One of the most painful moments for families of Alzheimer's patients is when one of their loved ones loses the ability to recognize them. New research at the University of Virginia School of Medicine has uncovered the reason for this and offered hope for prevention.
Researchers have found an explanation for a specific memory loss related to loved ones that opens the door to treating this aspect
According to "Medical Express", Dr. Harald Sontheimer of the University of Virginia, researcher Lata Chounsali, and their colleagues found that when protective structures around brain cells collapse, people lose the ability to recognize their loved ones. Laboratory studies on animals have shown that maintaining the integrity of these structures helped mice remember each other. Sontheimer, head of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Virginia, said, "Finding a structural change that explains specific memory loss in Alzheimer's disease is very exciting." He added, "It's an entirely new target, and we already have suitable candidate drugs under investigation."
Increasing threat
Alzheimer's affects 55 million people worldwide, with this number expected to increase by 35% in the next 5 years alone.
Sontheimer's research offers a profound insight into how the disease progresses., and he has previously discovered with his team the importance of what is known as "perineuronal nets" in the brain, which act like protective barriers, ensuring proper communication of nerve cells. This communication is essential for nerve cells to form and store new memories.
Based on their previous results, Sontheimer and his colleagues suspected that any malfunction in these protective networks could be a critical turning point in Alzheimer's disease. Their latest research supports this theory.
Promising results
Sontheimer and his team tested a class of drugs already under study for cancer and arthritis treatment, capable of preventing the loss of perineuronal nets. The treatment was successful, preventing further damage and helping the mice retain their memories of each other.
Turning these discoveries into treatment will take time and further study, but Sontheimer and Chounsali are optimistic.
