Alzheimer's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is usually experienced by the elderly. AD usually starts slow. Early symptoms of the disease includes difficulty remembering recent events also known as short term memory loss. However the sickness eventually progresses eventually reaching its last stage characterized by loss of bodily functions ultimately causing death.
Up until today the cause of the disease remain elusive. Apart from where it came from, a cure for Alzheimer's has yet to be discovered.
Fortunately just last week, a development that could lead to the cure for Alzheimer's disease was published in Brain journal. Researchers from the University of Southamptons discovered that blocking the brain's formation of new immune cells may be the cure in stopping the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Although the study has only been tested on mice it came up with some promising results. The lab mice were given a drug called GW2580 that stopped the function of the CSF1R. CSF1R is the main brain receptor responsible for the production of the immune cells. It turned out that the mice that were given the drug showed less behavioral and memory issues. Not only did GW2580 proved effective in sustaining memories, the drug also prevented degradation in the nerve connections in the brain.
"This study shows that the production of new immune cells in the Alzheimer's brain contributes to the development of memory impairments - and that by blocking this immune reaction memory loss can be reduced. It's encouraging to see that these new findings are already being taken forward to see whether they can help in the development of new dementia treatments" further explained Dr. Doug Brown, Director of Research at Alzheimer's Society.
The study is still in its early stages. However, people are hopeful that it would be a start for actually finding the cure for Alzheimer's disease.
