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Decades of scientific research on Alzheimer's disease have failed to find a cure. Little is known about degenerative brain disease – but that could change.
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With the aging of the population, dementia has become the fifth leading cause of death in the world. Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia, is responsible for most of these cases. Tens of billions of dollars have been spent on Alzheimer's research in recent decades, but there is still no cure.
All attempts to stop the progression of the disease have failed. At present, many large pharmaceutical companies have completely withdrawn from research. So, why is Alzheimer's disease still such a medical mystery?
One of the signs of Alzheimer's disease in the brain is the deterioration of connections and the loss of a large number of neurons over time. It affects the hippocampus and its connected structures, making it more difficult to form new memories or learn new information. As damage spreads in the brain, the cortex thins and more and more memories are lost. Although emotional responses can often remain.
As the brain contracts, it slowly changes personality and behavior and eventually becomes able to live and function independently. For 35 years, there has been scientific disagreement about the origins of the disease.
The debate focused on the abnormal accumulation of protein clusters called amyloid plaques, often found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. But all attempts to target this protein with drugs have failed.
A new study questions how science looks at the disease. The study suggests that the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis, implicated in gum disease, could contribute to Alzheimer's disease. In studies in mice, the bacteria can cause brain inflammation, neuronal damage and amyloid plaques. The researchers then showed to mice that this damage could be stopped by using drugs that target toxic enzymes
There is more to this story though. The risk of Alzheimer's disease is higher in people with severe head trauma, as well as in those with arterial disease known as atherosclerosis. This suggests that there are many causes having an end point.
And scientists hope that looking for an underlying cause that would tie them together will improve treatments in the future.
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