The article describes research to discover genetic precursors to manifestation of full-blown Alzheimer's disease but the title isn't so helpful toward that. (Science Daily: Power outage in the brain may be source of Alzheimer's)
Alzheimer's is not a personal concern since I broke everything else but not my mind and Gaia keeps it keen so I can be finely aware of the wisdom of breaking my other bits. The interest in Alzheimer's is toward what can be done to help with what may be the cruelest affliction of all.
You may want to check out "Flowers for Algernon" but read it rather than watching the movie since that's likely as close as we can get to an appreciation for what Alzheimer's does.
"Age-related neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's, progress over a long period of time before they become clinically apparent. The earliest physiological and molecular events are largely unknown," said Mastroeni. "Findings from our laboratory have uncovered early expression changes in nuclear-encoded, but not mitochondrial-encoded mRNAs occurring in one's early 30s, giving us a glimpse into what we suspect are some of the earliest cellular changes in the progression of Alzheimer's disease."
Precise mechanisms of mitochondrial decline in aging and Alzheimer's have yet to be teased out and will be the focus of continuing research. The study suggests that therapies aimed at restoring function in nuclear-encoded OXPHOS genes may provide an exciting new avenue for treatment of Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's is not a personal concern since I broke everything else but not my mind and Gaia keeps it keen so I can be finely aware of the wisdom of breaking my other bits. The interest in Alzheimer's is toward what can be done to help with what may be the cruelest affliction of all.
You may want to check out "Flowers for Algernon" but read it rather than watching the movie since that's likely as close as we can get to an appreciation for what Alzheimer's does.
"Age-related neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's, progress over a long period of time before they become clinically apparent. The earliest physiological and molecular events are largely unknown," said Mastroeni. "Findings from our laboratory have uncovered early expression changes in nuclear-encoded, but not mitochondrial-encoded mRNAs occurring in one's early 30s, giving us a glimpse into what we suspect are some of the earliest cellular changes in the progression of Alzheimer's disease."
- Science Daily
Perhaps the only thing more cruel than Alzheimer's in its symptoms is knowing well in advance it is coming. However, this is not the only research and some type of cure is being pursued in many ways. Early detection is vital toward that and this research seems to provide it.
Read the article for extensive discussion on the mitochondrial aspect of the research and this is the part related to 'power generation' in a cell.
"Our work on mitochondria offers the promise of a reliable marker appearing earlier in the course of the disease -- one which more closely correlates with the degree of dementia than the current diagnostic of plaques and tangles," Coleman said.
Precise mechanisms of mitochondrial decline in aging and Alzheimer's have yet to be teased out and will be the focus of continuing research. The study suggests that therapies aimed at restoring function in nuclear-encoded OXPHOS genes may provide an exciting new avenue for treatment of Alzheimer's.
- Science Daily
I was surprised a few days ago by what I thought was a low crack about differential research into disease based on the race affected by it (i.e. less research goes toward disease affecting non-white people). There's nothing I've seen of that nature and there was even an article on sickle cell anemia within about the last month. That's specifically a 'black' disease insofar as it predominantly affects black people but, like hemophilia, it's a genetic disease; unless you will kill everyone who carries the gene, there's little to be done. Nevertheless, research continues.
I do not see evidence of any differential support in research and I would be more than happy to blast it if I did. No doubt racism exists in other segments of the health care system but my focus is specifically on the area of research and I do not see evidence of it.
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