Evidence for Person-to-Person Transmission of Alzheimer's Pathology

[ElZorro]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... pathology/

Prions are the misshapen proteins that replicate by inducing normal proteins to misfold and aggregate in the brain, leading to rare diseases such as mad cow and kuru. In recent years, scientists have discovered that similar processes of protein misfolding are at work in many neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease. Now, a study in Nature reveals the first evidence for human-to-human transmission of the misfolded proteins that underlie the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.

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Wow.

[GaToR]

Definitely worth looking into. I hope we're on a path to unravelling these slow degenerative diseases because they suck.

[ElZorro]

Cancer doesn't scare me, forgetting a lifetime does.

[Sabre]

^^^^ Agreed!

I remember reading that they had traced a bung of stuff to plaques, Alzheimer's and Diabetes are the two that I recall. It would be AMAZING if we have cures, or even just preventative measures, for both of these!

Damn scary if it can be transmitted by any means.

[drwrx]

For a nice clear presentation on this, go here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c54blnCms14

[Mr Kleen]

Losing my mind is probably my greatest fear after watching a couple relatives go though it.

[drwrx]

I know this will sound a bit fatalistic, but I think if we live long enough this is the ultimate fate of everyone. I liken it to prostate cancer for men, if you live long enough your going to develop it. You may not die OF it, but you will likely die WITH it. I think it is just nature's way of culling the herd. I also suspect that there will be some more effective treatments down the road. Note, I said treatments not cures. I have watched 5 relatives go through some sort of mental degeneration (Alzheimer's, Dementia, etc.) and everyone I know who has parents in their 80s+ are all dealing with this to some degree. A good example; my grandmother on my father's side lived to 99. She had her complete faculties well into her 90s, but the onset of her symptoms and her decline were very rapid. Her physical health was still quite good until the later stages and that is what does it. The brain starts to shut down and the person stops eating, drinking, or taking meds which initiates a cascade of other conditions; rising or dropping blood pressure, kidney and/or liver failure, stroke, and the onset of other illnesses such as pneumonia. Eventually, the body's defenses are exhausted and even if one or two of the conditions are under some degree of control, the body can not recuperate from the damage done.

[Sabre]

Sadly, I agree with you