{"id":2382,"date":"2023-09-30T07:41:55","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T05:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/senza-categoria\/alzheimers-disease-the-search-for-a-cure\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T14:22:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:22:31","slug":"alzheimers-disease-the-search-for-a-cure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/news-2\/alzheimers-disease-the-search-for-a-cure\/","title":{"rendered":"ALZHEIMER&#8217;S DISEASE: THE SEARCH FOR A CURE"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>September 21 was <strong>World Alzheimer&#8217;s Day<\/strong>, a <strong>neurodegenerative disease<\/strong> with a chronic and progressive course and the most common cause of <strong>dementia<\/strong> in the elderly population in developed countries. To date, an estimated 20% of those over the age of 85 and about 5% of the population over the age of 65 are affected. However, several early cases are recognized, in which the disease is onset before age 50.<\/p>\n<p>Symptoms may vary among individuals but all fall within the spectrum of <strong>gradual loss of cognitive function<\/strong>, for example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Progressive <strong>memory loss<\/strong>, the most well-known symptom<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty with <strong>language<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Difficulty performing normal daily activities<\/li>\n<li>Loss of autonomy<\/li>\n<li>Spatial and temporal <strong>disorientation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Progressive exacerbation of symptoms may be accompanied by even substantial <strong>personality changes<\/strong> in the sufferer.<\/p>\n<h2>A disease difficult to understand<\/h2>\n<p>For decades, efforts in <strong>Alzheimer&#8217;s research<\/strong> have been aimed at understanding the underlying mechanisms of the disease.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most relevant discoveries has been the correlation between genetics and Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. In 1984, the discovery of apolipoprotein _ as a <strong>genetic risk factor<\/strong> led to a deeper understanding of the heritability of the disease. It was discovered that individuals with an alteration in the <strong>APOE_4 gene<\/strong> are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer&#8217;s. This discovery opened new avenues for research, including the study of genetic variants associated with the disease.<\/p>\n<p>The current predominant theory on the origins of Alzheimer&#8217;s focuses on the involvement of two crucial proteins: <strong>beta-amyloid and tau<\/strong>. Beta-amyloid takes on different molecular conformations, aggregating between neurons. This protein originates from the fragmentation of a larger protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP). A specific form of beta-amyloid, known as beta-amyloid 42, is particularly harmful.<\/p>\n<p>In the brains of people with Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, <strong>abnormal accumulations<\/strong> of this protein (also present in smaller amounts in healthy brains) occur, forming aggregates known as <strong>plaques<\/strong>. These plaques accumulate between neurons, <strong>impairing cell function<\/strong> and contributing to the cognitive impairment associated with the disease.<\/p>\n<p>Significant steps forward that now give us a clearer picture of the disease and its course but are still not enough to arrive at a cure.<\/p>\n<h2>Current and future therapies for Alzheimer&#8217;s disease<\/h2>\n<p>Today, Alzheimer&#8217;s therapies are mainly aimed at <strong>managing symptoms and slowing the progression of the disease<\/strong>. For some patients, at a mild or moderate stage, there are drugs that can help limit the worsening of symptoms for a few months. These active ingredients work as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that destroys acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter deficient in the brains of Alzheimer&#8217;s patients.<\/p>\n<p>The most fascinating aspect of Alzheimer&#8217;s research, however, is the new horizons that are opening up with biological therapies in development. Some researchers are exploring the use of <strong>monoclonal antibodies<\/strong> to <strong>remove beta-amyloid accumulations<\/strong> in the brain, considered a major cause of Alzheimer&#8217;s. These treatments are showing promising results in the early stages of clinical trials.<\/p>\n<p>Another growing field involves gene therapies. Scientists are trying to develop therapies that can <strong>correct or mitigate genetic mutations<\/strong> that predispose to Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. This approach could represent a major breakthrough in preventing the disease.<\/p>\n<p>In parallel, research is exploring nonpharmacological approaches. <strong>Deep brain stimulation<\/strong>, for example, has been tested to <strong>improve memory and cognitive function<\/strong> in some patients. The integration of digital technologies is also revolutionizing Alzheimer&#8217;s diagnosis and monitoring: <strong>artificial intelligence-based applications<\/strong> and devices can analyze patients&#8217; <strong>behavioral patterns<\/strong> to detect cognitive changes early. New discoveries in this field are steadily increasing, in fact becoming one of the most promising approaches to fighting Alzheimer&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p>Neurodegenerative diseases remain one of medicine&#8217;s <strong>great open challenges<\/strong>, but the progress of research and the work of brilliant minds around the world give us hope for a future in which these disorders <strong>become fully treatable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>September 21 was World Alzheimer&#8217;s Day, a neurodegenerative disease with a chronic and progressive course and the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population in developed countries. To date, an estimated 20% of those over the age of 85 and about 5% of the population over the age of 65 are affected. However, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1565,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,118,62,68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-2","category-general","category-news-2","category-news-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2382"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6489,"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382\/revisions\/6489"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lasttechnology.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}