Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic degenerative disease. There’s no cure for it and the symptoms of the disease continue to grow over time, causing cognitive decline and loss of motor functioning. Eventually, the person with Alzheimer’s disease will pass away because of the disease. It is a sad, frustrating diagnosis to receive and it’s one that happens with far too much frequency.
Still, researchers are learning more about Alzheimer’s disease on a daily basis. For example, a new study from the University of Alberta has found that a protein in the brain called CD33 is in charge of regulating white blood cells within the brain. This has the potential to play a big role in the fight against this form of dementia.
White blood cells are in charge of fighting infections and help with the immune system. These cells are not always good, though. For example, with some autoimmune diseases, like psoriasis, white blood cells can be bad, attacking otherwise healthy cells and causing more problematic health issues. Something similar to this can occur in the brain. The cells in charge of fighting infection, called microglia when they are in the brain, can be used for good or bad. And the protein CD33 is an influential component of influencing these microglia. If the cells can be influenced to fight off infection or other negatives within the brain, they will be far more effective at staving off the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
Adding to the excitement that researchers are experiencing with this discovery is the fact that CD33 proteins tend to have microglia attached to them. These proteins seem like they are carriers of this ability to fight off infections, and that could be a very important discovery. Microglia help with cleaning plaque from the brain, and having this protein present may help to clean the plaque that is responsible for the spread of Alzheimer’s.
About ten percent of individuals have this protein present, but this small population is much less likely to have Alzheimer’s disease in their lives than those without the protein. The generation of this protein for those that don’t naturally have it is a new goal.
There isn’t a cure for Alzheimer’s, and this method of treating the disease is still in the experimental stage. Doctors are not yet sure if this will work, let alone be something that can realistically be used in a clinical setting. However, it does help researchers to better understand the disease and how it moves throughout the brain. It also helps researchers to understand some of the other things that are happening within the brain when Alzheimer’s is present.
Having a loved one with Alzheimer’s is difficult, both for them and the whole family. Although there is not a cure, there are things that can be done to help your loved one be more comfortable and receive better care.
We can help. Our memory care team would love to speak with you and answer your questions about caring for a loved one with dementia. Get in touch today to learn more.
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