The Caring Corner®
Immune System Drugs May Work On Alzheimer’s Disease
Scientists have always thought that the immune system is somehow involved in Alzheimer’s Disease. Recently, research has shown that the immune system plays a role in how the disease develops and may well be used to stop it. Alzheimer’s affects the brain with an over abundance of amyloid proteins which clump together and interfere with brain synapses and cell to cell signals. Early on, the diminished immune activity causes more proteins to build in the brain. The immune system will eventually kick in to control the protein build-up, but in the early stages it appears there isn’t enough immunity to stop it from forming.
Researchers have not yet determined if the immune system would otherwise get rid of the amyloid or if the immune system inflammation from the disease causes the problems. A poorly functioning immune system can help to cause the disease. However, those aspects of the immune system that cause Alzheimer’s are influenced by more than genetics. Researchers have found that the amyloid proteins are not only created by gene mutations, but are also influenced by other parts of the immune system. The ultimate goal of the research is to find the body’s regulator behind the response to Alzheimer’s to help create a new drug that works at that level with the genes in the body. Correcting the genetic variant and boosting the immune system can help the body do what it is suppose to do with the right medication.
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