Alzheimer's Development
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Alzheimer’s is a disease that slowly worsens over a span of several years. After time with the disease, it will take control over all parts of your brain. Thinking, memory, problem-solving, and many other things can be affected by Alzheimer’s. There are five stages of Alzheimer’s- preclinical Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s, mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s, moderate dementia due to Alzheimer’s, and severe dementia due to Alzheimer’s. Dementia is a term that is used to describe somebody who has memory loss symptoms that affect daily function. The speed at which Alzheimer’s works is rather slowly with some patients dying after 3 years of diagnosis, but some last 20 years after diagnosis. Some common causes of death that Alzheimer’s can cause are dehydration, malnutrition, falling, and infections (Mayo Clinic Staff).
Alzheimer’s develops using three types of proteins. The first two proteins are relatively rare that affect people in their 50’s to 60’s. The most recently discovered protein is a protein called A2M. The A2M protein is a defective form of the other two proteins and it develops later in life. The A2M protein gives a 3.5x greater chance to develop late-onset Alzheimer’s. This discovery is key for studying the gene because the protein allows them to test medicine on animals. Late-onset Alzheimer’s is the most common type of Alzheimer’s that affects people in their 70’s. Late-onset Alzheimer’s afflicts 90% out of the 4 million people who suffer from Alzheimer’s (Maugh).
Although most Alzheimer’s genes develop on their own, there are a few genes that get passed down through generations. This generational gene develops Alzheimer’s faster than a normal gene would. The gene begins to develop the beginning stages and symptoms of Alzheimer’s at 30, 40, or 50. This familial gene is caused by a mutation of one of three genes. About 450 known families suffer from the PSEN-1 gene. This gene covers 80% of familial genes and the symptoms begin to develop at around age 30. 20% of families suffer from the APP gene. This gene ups the production of the beta-amyloid protein which plaques the brain. The last gene mutation is PSEN-2. This mutation is similar to PSEN-1, but it develops symptoms later than PSEN-1. Familial inheritance is very rare though, about 1 in 1 people who suffer from Alzheimer’s have a familial connection to it ("Alzheimer's Disease").
One reason for Alzheimer’s development is a protein called a beta-amyloid. Everybody is born with beta-amyloids but the Alzheimer’s gene aggravates the protein causing it to wreak havoc on the body. The beta-amyloid builds up proteins in the brain next to neurons. These proteins eventually kill the neurons but other cells around the proteins still seem to be alive. Other molecules have the ability to react with the beta-amyloid. These reactions have the chance to increase the deadliness of the amyloid. The beta-amyloid isn’t only seen in aging in humans, primates suffer from this amyloid too. Astrocytes and microglia are also possible causes of Alzheimer’s because their abundance rises after the age of 50 (Finch 14-27).
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