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The immune system is involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease
Last reviewed: 28.11.2021
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Several decades scientists of all countries have tried unsuccessfully to find a way to combat Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized by a gradual loss of memory, a decline in thinking, understanding, speech, etc. This disease is popularly known as "senile dementia".
Recently, experts are increasingly reporting that the development of the disease involves the human immune system, although by what principle this is due, scientists find it difficult to answer.
In a new study conducted by specialists from the private research university of Duke (North Carolina), it was found that at the initial stage of neurodegenerative disorder, immunity cells that protect the brain begin to destroy arginine, an amino acid that the brain uses for normal functioning. Results of their work a group of scientists published in one of the journals on neuroscience.
To better understand the changes occurring in immunity during the development of the disease, scientists used laboratory rodents that had a similar immune system for humans and early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
As a result, experts have established that it is possible to reverse the process in which immune cells absorb the desired amino acid amino acid. To do this, scientists used a small molecule. During the experiment on rodents, specialists were able to stop the development of plaques in the brain and loss of memory.
According to the assumption of American specialists, the discovery made by them not only determines the possible cause of the development of neurodegenerative disease, but will help in creating new effective remedies for the disease.
The head of the scientific project, Professor Carol Coulton explained, if the amino acid arginine is a provoking factor in the development of neurodegenerative disorder, then, in all probability, the blockage of this amino acid can help stop the progression of the disease.
Among all forms of acquired dementia, Alzheimer's is considered the most common disorder. This disease affects the area of the brain, which is responsible for thinking, memory. The first signs of the disease is a weak loss of memory, over time, a person can not maintain communication, does not react to external irritating factors.
As the statistics show, in 2013, only in the United States, Alzheimer's disease affected more than five million people.
It should be noted that for their experiments specialists used special rodents, which were modified in such a way that their immune system became similar to human. Also rodents had all the symptoms of early development of the disease - loss of neurons, behavior change, plaques in the brain.
Also, experts noted that at the initial stages of the disease the immune cells begin to change, in addition, high expression of genes related to suppression of the immune response and weak expression of genes that stimulate the work of immunity were detected.