A new twist to unraveling the Alzheimer’s conundrum has developed. Research published in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that specific immune cells might be linked to Alzheimer’s disease development.
We have previously known that Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the loss of neurons responsible for memory and learning, and brain formation of amyloid plaques and tangles. The body’s immune system is also thought to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis, although the link between immunity and this neurodegenerative disorder has not been apparent. Until now.
According to the most recent study, it was discovered that a repressed immune system, rather than the previously determined amplified immune system, is in place for those with Alzheimer’s.
According to Matthew Kan, the study’s first author, “It’s surprising, because [suppression of the immune system] is not what the field has been thinking is happening in Alzheimer’s disease.”
Dr. Carol Colton, the study’s senior author, notes, “We see this study opening the doors to thinking about Alzheimer’s in a completely different way, to break the stalemate of ideas in Alzheimer’s disease.”
Read the full article from Alzheimer’s News Today, and keep an eye out for exciting new developments as this research progresses.
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