A new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, found a potentially effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.  Using a mouse model of neurodegeneration due to prion disease, scientists administered an oral therapy to inhibit the pathway of prion replication.  Building on an understanding of the genetics of neurodegeneration and genetic manipulation in this area, the researchers believe their results indicate hope for creating drug therapies for various neurodegenerative diseases in humans.

Early last month, scientists found this promising technique for treating or mitigating Alzheimer’s disease, reports Time Health & Family.  Alzheimer’s is characterized by the presence of sticky deposits of a protein called amyloid, which the human body makes naturally, but tends to accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. As the plaques grow, they starve nerve cells, cutting off their ability to communicate with other cells via synapses, leading to their death and to the symptoms of memory loss, dementia and impaired thinking that are signs of advanced disease.

Researchers have not yet been able to remove the plaque buildup or prevent it entirely.  Rather, they turned their attention to how that plaque causes the death of nerve cells.  While the amyloid itself is not harmful, it somehow became toxic to nerve cells and stopping or limiting the toxicity would be beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients.  The amyloid and the nerve cells interact via the prion proteins.  The newest study works to limit the prion replication, which is the process that links plaque buildup to neurodegeneration.

WebMD describes dementia as a loss of mental functions to the point where it interferes with daily functioning.  Dementia is not, on its own, a disease.  Instead, it is a group of symptoms caused by an underlying disease or condition.  In a small number of cases, dementia can be treated because the source is treatable.  Examples of these include dementia caused by substance abuse, prescription medicine combinations, and hormone imbalances.  However, the vast majority of cases are untreatable.

According to the World Alzheimer’s Report 2013, the current and future costs of long-term care will be driven to a large extent by the course of the global dementia epidemic.  Compared with other long-term care users, dementia patients have unique needs, requiring more personal care, more hours of care, and more supervision, all of which is associated with greater caregiver strain, and higher costs of care.  Currently, the worldwide cost of dementia exceeds $600 billion.