Alzheimer’s disease has at least five variants, which could explain the failure of current treatments.
- Researchers have just identified at least five variants of Alzheimer’s disease.
- This discovery could ultimately make it possible to find new treatments that are more effective because they are more targeted.
- In France, 900,000 people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative pathology characterized by progressive and irreversible damage to the brain.
Researchers have just identified at least five variants of Alzheimer’s disease, which could ultimately make it possible to find new, more effective and more targeted treatments.
900,000 people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease
In France, 900,000 people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative pathology characterized by progressive and irreversible damage to the brain. Despite numerous research, no treatment has so far been effective in overcoming the symptoms (progressive loss of memory and autonomy).
In order to put an end to this series of failures, a team led by Betty Tijms decided to question the very nature of the disease. To do this, she analyzed the cerebrospinal fluid of 419 people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and 187 controls. 1,058 proteins were thus detected, making it possible to distinguish 5 subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease: 5 subtypes identified
For example, people grouped in subtype 1 had increased amyloid production, while those included in subtype 5 had only low amyloid production, accompanied by disruption of the blood barrier. -encephalic and inhibition of the growth of nerve cells.
The rarer subtype 3 showed RNA dysregulation, while in subtype 4 the problem was apparently in the choroid plexuses.
This discovery makes it possible to test new drugs against each subtype. For example, targeting amyloid production would help develop treatments for subtype 1, while protecting brain blood vessels could become a major area of research for subtype 5.
“These results indicate molecular heterogeneity in Alzheimer’s disease and highlight the need for personalized medicine,” conclude published researchers In Nature Aging.
How to prevent Alzheimer’s disease?
While waiting for the arrival of new treatments, it is recommended to adopt a healthy lifestyle to avoid Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Studies show that you can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia by being physically active, not smoking, avoiding the harmful use of alcohol, controlling your weight, eating healthy foods and by maintaining adequate blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Other risk factors include depression, social isolation, low educational attainment, cognitive inactivity and air pollution.
