The Vanishing Minds ...

Somehow, I have a certain passion when comes to Alzheimer's disease. Not sure why. In fact, I have written two blogs that related to Alzheimer's in the past.

1. I will be Your Memory or Not -- http://journeyofmylifendestiny.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-will-be-your-memory.html
2.  Alzheimer's Patients in Nursing Homes -- http://journeyofmylifendestiny.blogspot.com/2012/02/alzheimers-patients-in-nursing-homes.html

Today, I want to take you all on a journey to visit a remote mountain village that is located in Medellín, Colombia. Most people are originated from one Andes region, Antioquia. They called themselves paisas--countrymen. They are about 5000 people in one clan who have inherited a single genetic mutation guaranteeing that they will have Alzheimer's. In fact, it is a matter when not would or not.

"For generations, the illness has tormented these and thousands of others among a sprawling group of relatives: the world’s largest family to experience Alzheimer’s disease. Now, the Colombian clan is center stage in a potentially groundbreaking assault on Alzheimer’s, a plan to see if giving treatment before dementia starts can lead to preventing Alzheimer’s altogether." --cited from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/health/02alzheimers.html?pagewanted=all

Image cited  from alert.psychiatricnews.org

Intermarriages and large families have accelerated the illness and in some cases they have shown memory deteriorating at early as 40s, some even in their 30s, and by 47 they have developed the full blown Alzheimer's disease.

Now Scientists have started to conduct a study on the clan with the drug, Crenezumab, hoping to solve the mystery of Alzheimer's. "The drug, Crenezumab, attacks amyloid plaques in the brain. If it can forestall memory or cognitive problems, scientists will know that prevention or delay is possible and appears to lie in targeting amyloid years before dementia develops. Many, but not all, Alzheimer’s researchers believe amyloid is an underlying cause of Alzheimer’s." --http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/health/research/prevention-is-goal-of-alzheimers-drug-trial.html?pagewanted=1&ref=health

The study intends to prevent the Alzheimer's before it is fully developed. It is believed once the disease hit, the brain is damaged, it is almost impossible to cure it, at least at this point.

Seems like this glimpse of hope would shed some lights for the cure of Alzheimer's. This journey to find the hope to uncover the vanishing minds is indeed quite encouraging. Hope you would find this new discovery as encouraging as I am.

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Until next stop,
Journey of Life