Key Mechanism Behind Brain Connectivity and Memory
http://neurosciencenews.com/memory-connectivity-neuroscience-4954/
There are two different proteins that are important when dealing with memory. There are Wnt proteins that help maintain connections within the brain, allowing information to be passed through synapses, and Dkk1 proteins that block the action of Wnt proteins, not allowing information to be passed through the synapses. When discussing Alzheimer's, researchers have found there is a lack of function in the Wnt proteins which can account for memory loss. According to what Professor Salinas says, "Synapses are absolutely critical to everything our brains do. When these important communication points are lost, nerve cells cannot exchange information and this leads to symptoms like memory and thinking problems".
To understand how the Dkk1 protein can inhibit actions of the Wnt protein, researchers created a study in which they used genetically modifies mince where the Dkk1 can be switched on. The researchers however had to wait until the mice were adults in order to not change the normal brain development. When the Dkk1 was turned on, researchers concluded that there were in fact memory problems, which corresponds to fewer synapses to allow for information to travel. When the Dkk1 was turned off the mice had no issues with memory and the amount of synapses went back to normal.
Alzheimer's disease is essentially irreversible. The fact that researchers have discovered a certain protein that can cause loss in memory, could potentially help those with the disease in the future by possibly slowing down the deterioration of the brain. It is understood that without these synapses, there is no way for information to travel cell to cell. It is hard to say if this research will lead to any further solutions in the future since the mice that were used could go between activating the inhibitory protein or not.
Since my grandfather has Alzheimer's it is interesting to me to read articles about the disease and studies done by researchers because it helps me to better understand what he has, and to possibly help him.
There are two different proteins that are important when dealing with memory. There are Wnt proteins that help maintain connections within the brain, allowing information to be passed through synapses, and Dkk1 proteins that block the action of Wnt proteins, not allowing information to be passed through the synapses. When discussing Alzheimer's, researchers have found there is a lack of function in the Wnt proteins which can account for memory loss. According to what Professor Salinas says, "Synapses are absolutely critical to everything our brains do. When these important communication points are lost, nerve cells cannot exchange information and this leads to symptoms like memory and thinking problems".
To understand how the Dkk1 protein can inhibit actions of the Wnt protein, researchers created a study in which they used genetically modifies mince where the Dkk1 can be switched on. The researchers however had to wait until the mice were adults in order to not change the normal brain development. When the Dkk1 was turned on, researchers concluded that there were in fact memory problems, which corresponds to fewer synapses to allow for information to travel. When the Dkk1 was turned off the mice had no issues with memory and the amount of synapses went back to normal.
Alzheimer's disease is essentially irreversible. The fact that researchers have discovered a certain protein that can cause loss in memory, could potentially help those with the disease in the future by possibly slowing down the deterioration of the brain. It is understood that without these synapses, there is no way for information to travel cell to cell. It is hard to say if this research will lead to any further solutions in the future since the mice that were used could go between activating the inhibitory protein or not.
Since my grandfather has Alzheimer's it is interesting to me to read articles about the disease and studies done by researchers because it helps me to better understand what he has, and to possibly help him.
This is a highly interesting article. It makes me wonder what the future will bring in terms of stopping and preventing the disease altogether. I have a family history of Alzheimer's. I watched my great grandmother get dementia and was starting to show Alzheimer's symptoms before she passed away. My father is starting to show symptoms and so are my grandparents. I would like to see them really work on this and eventually be able to do clinical trials on humans.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your article and it contained a lot of important information for the future of science. It is crazy to think that Dkk1 proteins do not allow information to pass from Wnt proteins, and Alzheimer's is a result of the lack of function within the Wnt proteins. It makes me think, if more Wnt proteins would get passed through someone with the disease, could that be a start of a solution to the disease? Personally, I do not know anyone with Alzheimer's but I think it is a very unfortunate disease and I get very happy seeing articles like these, that are taking one step closer to the solution. Maybe in class we will look into more of the biological factors that contribute to why it is such a irreversible sickness. Overall, I thought you did a great job explaining the protein process in a way that was easy to understand!
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