Protein May Hold Key to Who Gets Alzheimer’s, Study Finds.
It is one of the big scientific mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease: Why do some people whose brains accumulate the plaques and tangles so strongly associated with Alzheimer’s not develop the disease?
Now, a series of studies by Harvard scientists suggests a possible answer, one that could lead to new treatments if confirmed by other research.
The memory and thinking problems of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias may be related to a failure in the brain’s stress response system, the new research suggests. If this system is working well, it can protect the brain from abnormal Alzheimer’s proteins; if it gets derailed, key areas of the brain start degenerating.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/20/health/fetal-gene-may-protect-brain-from-alzheimers-study-finds.html?hp
