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Alzheimer's disease


Ten percent of Americans over 65 years of age, or 5.1 million individuals, suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). By 2050, aging baby boomers will cause that number to reach 16 million!

AD begins as forgetfulness but soon develops into more severe symptoms: confusion, personality changes, anxiousness, irritability, and difficulties recognizing family members. Eventually patients no longer function normally. The average Alzheimer's patient dies about 8 to 12 years after the initial diagnosis. It is particularly difficult for family and friends to watch helplessly as the patient loses all sense of identity and their place in the world.

AD symptoms develop because brain cells (neurons) are decimated. Why are neurons dying? Part of the answer lies in brain changes observed in Alzheimer's patients, including the characteristic "plaques" and "tangles." Plaques are dense and toxic clumps of proteins that collect around neurons. Tangles occur when fibers inside neurons become twisted, also causing neurons to die.  

Precisely why plaques and tangles develop or why some individuals but not others are predisposed to AD are largely unanswered questions. There are no cures for AD. Nor can we slow disease progression.

However, we at the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center are optimistic in our fight against AD. Progress is being made on several fronts:

  • Understanding the disease.  AD is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Work by Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center scientists is helping to identify factors that cause the disease. Certain factors could become new prime targets for emerging treatments.  

  • Testing new treatments and cures.  The Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center continues to test potential new treatments. One recent example is an antibody to the amyloid beta peptide (the rogue protein that accumulates in brain plaques). An earlier clinical trial suggested that this approach may slow or halt progression of the disease. 

  • Improving diagnosis.  There is an urgent need for better methods to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. Today, the only definitive diagnostic process is an autopsy examination of the brain. The Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center supports research to explore magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) and as well as protein-based "biomarkers" in blood as early indicators of AD. For an example of recent work on MRI-based early detection of Alzheimer's disease, click here.

  • Drug discovery.  We are actively developing new drugs to treat AD.

The Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center is dedicated to accelerating the discovery of effective treatments and cures for Alzheimer's disease.  For information about our many important initiatives and how to support our approach, access "Advance The Cause" at left. For information about coping with Alzheimer's disease, the Alzheimer's Association website may be of interest:  Alzheimer's Association