Do you know that some people have a natural defense against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, two of the most common brain diseases that affect older people?
Researchers at Stanford University just discovered that around one in every five people carries a special version of a gene that seems to protect against these diseases.
The news has the medical world buzzing, and here’s why you should be excited too.
What Did Researchers Find?
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are diseases that mess up how your brain works, causing memory loss, confusion, and difficulty moving.
Scientists already knew that something called “tau protein” piles up in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients, but now they’re starting to think it could also play a role in Parkinson’s.
By examining health and genetic information from hundreds of thousands of people from different parts of the world, the researchers found that those with a particular gene version had more than a 10% lower chance of getting either disease.
The gene version that offers this natural shield is called DR4.
Why is This Gene So Special?
All the cells in your body have a sort of “window display” that shows what’s happening inside.
The immune system—the body’s defense against diseases—checks this “window display” to see if anything is wrong, like an infection or cancer.
The DR4 gene helps the immune system see something it wants to remove. In this case, it’s the tau protein that could cause Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
The gene grabs onto this protein and makes it more visible to the immune system, which could then break it down and remove it. This is why people who have this gene seem to have a lower risk of getting these brain diseases.
The Stanford team also noticed that this gene seems to slow down the diseases if someone already has them.
When they examined the brains of people who had Alzheimer’s but also had this protective gene, they saw fewer clumps of tau protein.
And the disease seemed to start showing symptoms later in life compared to people without the gene.
What Could Happen Next?
The really cool part is that this discovery could lead to a vaccine. A vaccine is usually a tiny dose of a virus that trains your immune system to fight off the real thing.
In this case, the vaccine would contain a piece of the tau protein, making the immune system notice it and hopefully break it down before it causes any harm. However, only those with the DR4 gene would benefit from such a vaccine.
Scientists are also thinking about tests that could tell you if you have this special gene. This could help doctors give better advice about your risk of getting these diseases.
Plus, different groups of people, like those from different countries or ethnic backgrounds, might have different versions of this gene. This means the vaccine might work better for some groups than for others.
Stanford University has already taken steps to patent the findings, which could lead to big developments down the line.
And remember, this wasn’t just the work of a few people; researchers from about 25 countries helped make this discovery possible.
In short, the Stanford study has offered a ray of hope in the battle against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
We’re not there yet, but this “good gene” could be a significant stepping stone towards delaying or even preventing these devastating diseases.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the root cause of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s, and 5 steps to protect against Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that herb rosemary could help fight COVID-19, Alzheimer’s disease, and results showing this stuff in mouth may help prevent Alzheimer’s.
The study was published in PNAS.
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