Our memory is the very essence of what makes each one of us unique whether it be remembering where
our favorite things are, our name, conversations with our loved ones or even certain documents.
It allows us to retain a sense of identity amongst the constantly changing world surrounding us
Over 50 million people worldwide are currently living with Alzheimer's or
other related dementias and this number is only looking to increase over the next two decades
so what is Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common forms of dementia
which are a set of symptoms caused by damage to our brain cells a set of symptoms which include
memory loss, changes in mood and behavior, and difficulty in thinking or reasoning
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which means
symptoms worsen over time as more and more damage the brain suffers
starting from mild memory loss progressing into an inability to carry conversations, responding to
the environment, and even forgetting how to perform basic and familiar tasks. For 25 years, the leading
theory behind the cause of Alzheimer's has been the amyloid hypothesis. Amyloid hypothesis has been
controversial in the science community because of its failure to lead to a successful drug cure.
Amyloid hypothesis assumes that the accumulation of a toxic protein called amyloid beta is a root
caused behind Alzheimer's. Researchers believe that amyloid beta clumps form deposits in the brain
that trigger neurodegenerative processes that lead to memory loss and declines in cognitive ability.
Amyloid beta has been the main therapeutic target for clinical trials for Alzheimer's
and this effort has remained unsuccessful as there is still no cure for the disease and so there is
a clear need for a new way of thinking about this disease. Fortunately Dr Donald Weaver and his team
in Toronto, Canada have devised a new theory for Alzheimer's, Dr Weaver re-evaluates Alzheimer's
not as a disease of the brain but rather a disease of the immune system within the brain
compared to the previous notion of beta amyloid being a toxic molecule Dr Weaver's research
shows that it is released by the immune system to serve as a protective function within the brain
for example beta amyloid is released by the immune system to help with the repairing of
brain damage from head injuries it even helps the body fight bacteria within the brain due to its
antimicrobial properties however a problem arises because of the similarities between the surfaces
of a bacteria and a neuron data amyloid cannot differentiate between the two as a consequence
beta amyloid accidentally attacks the brain cells which it is supposed to be protecting
after the self-attack the resulting products from the breakdown of a neuron spread to other
nearby neurons recruiting further release of beta amyloid and ultimately turning it into a chronic
progressive cycle of loss of brain cell function. To summarize, Dr Weber's research has characterized
Alzheimer's as an autoimmune disease in which our own immune system attacks the body's own
cells, in this case the brain cells. Fortunately this new theory opens up possibilities for
potential disease curing drugs as of today current treatments for Alzheimer's only aim to alleviate
symptoms by increasing the performance of existing chemicals in the brain however this is not enough
for patients with Alzheimer's and for families experiencing their loved ones in extreme pain
Through his research Dr Donald is aiming to develop future therapeutics which can hopefully
inhibit the progression of the disease in patients and so with the use of complex experimental
models, he screened furosemide as a potential candidate for an Alzheimer's cure. Furosemide
was shown to reduce the production of toxic inflammation-causing molecules which we previously
talked about that spread to nearby neurons when neurons are damaged additionally furosemide was
also shown to improve the ability of the microglia which are immune cells in the brain to clear out
toxic debris such as amyloid plaques ferrosamide has been proven to be safe as it is already An
approved medication for other disorders in the body however according to Dr Donald the next
focus is to develop a version of furosemide which will be able to cross the blood-brain barrier and
ultimately develop it into a suitable drug to enter clinical trials. All in all, this new theory
of Alzheimer's serves as a great opportunity for researchers to improve their understanding
of the disease and to identify new targets for potential therapeutics, which will allow
them to treat this devastating condition which has affected so much of the world and our loved ones.