Still in relation to the progressive aging of the population, the forecasts of many experts hypothesize that the number of cases already important could triple in the next 40 years
If this were to happen, this would entail, in addition to medical problems, very high social and economic costs.
.The presence of innate defense mechanisms against neuro degeneration was discovered in a group of people who, despite having the typical characteristics of this dementia in their brains, never developed the disease or any type of cognitive decline.
Specifically, "by randomly analyzing the brain tissues of those people, who had undergone medical screening and examinations in Oregon, it was discovered that they had the amyloid and tau protein plaques typical of Alzheimer's in their brains, but had never shown symptoms. of dementia », explains Sandra Moreno, professor of Developmental Neurobiology at the Department of Sciences of the Roman University and Director of a Master in Applied Human Embryology.
The antioxidant brain response that hinders the birth of Alzehimer
«In the study 34 samples of cerebral cortex, taken after death, of healthy people, Ndan (Non-Demented with Alzheimer Neuropathology) and affected by Alzheimer's, both men and women », explains Giulio Taglialatela, Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurology and Director of the Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases of the UTMB.
«For several years now, our research group in Roma Tre - continues Professor Sandra Moreno - has been dealing with the role of free radicals in the initiation and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Today, following the results of this new study, we can say that we have "further confirmation of the validity and enormous importance of our work carried out up to now. The study, in fact, reveals that in the tissues of Ndan subjects there is a different concentration of the microRna molecules involved in the antioxidant response. This means that these people are able to activate an antioxidant brain response that is effective in coping with oxidative stress, which is one of the primary mechanisms of Alzheimer's damage. This innate ability thus seems to justify their cognitive abilities intact, so much so that they show a level of lower oxidative damage to neurons than in those with "Alzheimer's and much more similar, however, to completely healthy subjects".
The perspectives in terms of research and care
The work carried out by the team of scientists and researchers of the various universities allows the knowledge on Alzheimer's disease to progress and reaffirms the role of the prevention of oxidative stress, as a form of resistance to the neuro degeneration caused by the disease.All this can lay the foundations for new and more specific therapeutic approaches towards a pathology that is increasingly present in today's society. According to the researchers, these will presumably be based on the activation of antioxidant defenses through an intervention aimed at modulating specific microRNA molecules.
Another novelty regarding treatments for Alzheimer's is that the American FDA has approved a new drug.
